Taipei: Taiwan successfully defended its title at the 2025 U-15 Asian Baseball Championship, defeating Japan 3-0 in the final in Tainan on Saturday.

According to Focus Taiwan, the two teams went toe-to-toe for most of the final, with neither scoring any runs in the first five innings. Taiwan broke the stalemate in the top of the sixth inning when centerfielder Chen Rui-xin and pinch hitter Hu Kuan-wei scored two runs, aided by a hit from batter Chen Bo-you.

With the score at 2-0 in the final inning, second baseman Huang Tzu-chi secured another run at the top of the seventh from a hit by batter Jiang Jin-cheng, putting Taiwan in a 3-0 lead. Chen Bo-you was later named the MVP after Japan failed to close the gap in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Another standout player for Taiwan was starter Ko Shao-chieh, who pitched a full game. Ko had a challenging start, allowing Japanese batter Yusei Niwa to first base with a walk. However, he regained his composure, preventing Japan from scoring in the loaded bases situation in the bottom of the first inning by forcing batters Soichiro Okada and Tatsunori Nakashima off the field, followed by striking out Renshin Koyama.

Ko continued his strong performance with consecutive strikeouts in the second and third innings, marking his best moments in the game. Speaking with the local press on Saturday, Ko attributed his initial shaky performance to nerves due to the pressure of defending the title and the large crowd at the home game.

Over 5,000 spectators attended the game at the Asia-Pacific International Baseball Training Centers, providing the Taiwanese team with a home-field advantage. The victory marked Taiwan’s second consecutive title at the U-15 Asian Baseball Championship, following their 2023 victory over Japan in the 11th edition of the game in China.

Taiwan has now won a tournament-record eight U-15 Asian championships and has reached the final in every edition of the event since its inception in 2000. Both Taiwan and Japan have secured spots in the 2026 U-15 World Baseball Championship, scheduled to be held in Italy.