Toyota Motor wins 2016 Japan Professional Softball League Championship

Post date: Dec 08, 2016 5:39:30 AM

TOKYO (Japan) — The 49th Japan Women’s Professional Softball League concluded their 2016 season with Toyota Motor’s Red Terriers defeating Tiayo Yuden 2-0. This marks Toyota Motor’s second championship in the past eight years.

Tokyo’s Meiji Jingu Stadium, one of oldest baseball stadium in Japan and the home to NPB’s Yakult Swallows, hosted the Championship tournament.

Monica Abbott, 2008 Beijing Olympic Softball silver medalist, received the MVP award as the winning pitcher of the Gold Medal Game (2 hits allowed / 13 strikeouts at Grand Final).

The total attendance of two-day championship weekend was over 15,000, with over 81,000 viewers watching via web-streaming. All 2016 JWSL games are still available at JWSL website (www.jsl-women.com).

JWSL is comprised of double round-robin games by 12 Japanese top teams as a regular season during April – November in various regions in Japan. The top four teams then advance to the Championship tournament.

The JWSL featured many international players, including:

• • Monica Abbott – USA, Silver 2008 Beijing (Toyota Motor “Red Terriers”)

  • Valerie Arioto – USA (Honda “Reverta”)

  • Kaylyn Castillo – USA (Toyota Shokki “Shining Vega”)

  • Brittany Cervantes – USA (Todo Medical Group “Medics”)

  • Morgan Melloh – USA (Honda “Reverta”)

  • Yukiyo Mine – Japan, Gold 2008 Beijing (Toyota Motor “Red Terriers”)

  • Rei Nishiyama – Japan, Gold 2008 Beijing (Toyota Shokki “Shining Vega”)

  • Kaia Parnaby – Australia (SG Holdings “Galaxy Stars”)

  • Sarah Pauly – USA (Todo Medical Group “Medics”)

  • Stacy Porter – Australia, Silver 2004 Athens, Bronze 2008 Beijing (SG Holdings “Galaxy Stars”)

  • Keilani Ricketts – USA (Toyota Shokki “Shining Vega”)

  • Jaclyn Traina – USA (Denso “Bright Pegasus”)

  • Yukiko Ueno – Japan, Bronze 2004 Athens, Gold 2008 Beijing (BIC Camera “Takasaki”)

  • Natasha Watley – USA, Gold 2004 Athens, Silver 2008 Beijing (Toyota Motor “Red Terriers”)

  • Megan Wiggins – USA (BIC Camera “Takasaki”)

  • Eri Yamada – Japan, Bronze 2004, Gold 2008 Beijing (Hitachi “Sun Diva”)

The commemorative 50th JWSL season will get underway in middle of April, 2017.

Final standings

Champion – Toyota Motor

2nd Place – Taiyo Yuden

3rd Place – Hitachi

4th Place – BIC Camera Takasaki

Championship Tournament MVP – Monica Abbott (Toyota Motor)

Championship Tournament Valuable Player – Minami Sato (Taiyo Yuden)