Japan, Czechia close out Tokyo pool (Tuesday, 6 a.m. ET, FS1)

Japan has already a clinched a quarterfinals berth and will be hopping on a plane to Miami when this game is over. Czechia will finish last, even if it pulls off one of the game’s greatest upsets, and is ticketed for a Qualifier. That makes Tuesday night at the Tokyo Dome a celebration of global baseball.

These two nations first faced off in 2023, with the fans at Tokyo Dome quickly becoming fans of the amateur ballplayers -- almost each of them have day jobs, including manager and neurologist Pavel Chadim. Shohei Ohtani did, too, wearing the nation’s cap on the team’s flight to Miami. Since then, they’ve established an official partnership, with the WBC defending champions hoping to help grow the game across the world.

Here’s what you need to know about the matchup:

When and where: Tuesday, 6 a.m.. ET at the Tokyo Dome (7 p.m. local)

How you can watch: You can watch the game on FS1 in the United States and stream it on Netflix in Japan.

How you can listen: There is a free English-language audio stream available for every game.

Team results: Japan is 3-0 and looking to close out pool play undefeated. Czechia has gone winless in this tournament.

Probable starting pitchers: Ondřej Satoria vs. Hiroto Takahashi

Satoria, an electrical technician in Ostrava, Czech Republic, became a viral sensation after striking out Ohtani in 2023. Though his fastball barely crests 80 mph, he has a killer changeup, which he calls “the worker.” He used it to great effect, not just striking out Ohtani, but getting Munetaka Murakami and Lars Nootbaar to strike out, too. He appeared once this tournament, pitching 3 2/3 shutout innings against Australia. Sometimes it’s not about velocity.

Of course, don’t tell that to Takahashi. One of Japan’s most promising young starters who trains with his mentor, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, in the offseason. Takahashi pairs a blazing fastball with killer offspeed stuff. After posting a 1.38 ERA for the Chunichi Dragons in 2024, he had a down year last season, with his ERA rising to 2.83. He appeared in relief in the 2023 Classic, striking out Paul Goldschmidt and Mike Trout in the championship game.