Japan vs the Sooners===What do YOU Think???

[TropicalSooner]

The Japan National team (yeah THAT team) beat TC Colorado 4-0 in the Canada Cup Championship game last night, and the Colorado team of College players thrown together to compete against various National teams did really well coming in 2nd place....second only to Japan. While watching some of the game, it seemed like the Japanese girls were more muscular or larger than the Colorado team. Japan takes their Softball seriously over there---these are professional players that train year round and have played together a long time. But Kierston and the rest of the Colorado team did well. It made me wonder how the Sooners would fare. Not the current team particularly, but the '22 team or the '23 team. Do you think we would match up well with Japan? Could we take them down?
What do you think?

[OUBeliever56A]

I have said this elsewhere, so I will repeat it here.

Because of the pitching staffs and their success with 3 very good pitchers in each year, 2022 and 2023, and even a 4th pitcher in 2023, I would take the Oklahoma Sooners in a 3-game series. The Sooner offense in both years were also very good. The talent on the Sooners and the coaching staff of the Sooners is as good as you can get both years this side of the Olympics teams for OU and Japan.

I think the 2022 and 2023 teams would have defeated the teams put together by Team USA for the summer of 2022 and 2023 also. If I had to choose one team to play Japan, I would choose the 2022 team, especially if Hansen was healthier like she was at the WCWS.

Part of this thoughts is that the Sooners are a team instead of a collection of players put together for a short time to play together. The Sooners would not make mistakes in the field due since they clearly know what they are supposed to do on every play imaginable. I am not sure the Team USA always know that due to limited practices.

Boomer Sooner!

[RahOKU]

From what I've read, Japan is a team that spends a lot of time preparing together. Not just before major tournaments. And they've got tons of international experience, plus a fairly robust professional league. The advantage Japan has over the U.S. and other all-star teams put together for a tournament or the Olympics is that Japan has a roster to beat those teams. They usually have 2-3 pitchers who have great control and movement. And they know the U.S. will be coming in, as Believer56 noted, without as much cohesion in the field and a batting lineup that functions well 1-9.

It would be like who would you favor in a 3-game series, the National League All-Star team from last week, or the Atlanta Braves (or pretty much any other intact MLB team)?

Agree with Believer that the 2022 Sooners would be an able match for Japan. Maybe the 2023 team as well, because the pitching was so good.

[The Far Journey]

Totally agree with the 22 team because the 22 team is basically the 23 team only with Alo. And yes, they'd likely take down Team Japan and beat team USA, which is why I get irked by the way the USA selection process seams to end up every year with few or no OU alum or players. That's like having an all star baseball team in the 1950s without Mickey Mantle or Willi Mays.

[MsProudSooner]

Totally agree with the 22 team because the 22 team is basically the 23 team only with Alo. And yes, they'd likely take down Team Japan and beat team USA, which is why I get irked by the way the USA selection process seams to end up every year with few or no OU alum or players. That's like having an all star baseball team in the 1950s without Mickey Mantle or Willi Mays.

Why would they not include the best players?

[TN Sooner]

I watched several of the Japan Olympics games, including all USA games and several others. The pitchers are SO MUCH better than anything we see on the college level. I don’t think a college team would have a chance against 25+ year old professionals.

[123gone]

I think Japan may Pearl Harbor OU...but what do I know

[1KCSoonerFan]

From my paltry memory, there is a long history of how 'all star' and non-pro teams fair against professional teams. The non-pros are usually handled fairly easily. I think back to when our college (non-pro) super stars from the USA played the Russian National Teams in Hockey or Basketball or Wrestling. The Cubans in boxing? etc. We'd win one now and again (Miracle on Ice, Sugar Ray Leonard), but for the most part, didn't we lose those contests? Once USA pro teams were allowed to compete, it was a different story, but not always even then.

For one, I think National Teams have 'weeded out' the athletes that are not able to cut it. Some players are at their best at a more mature and 'muscular' 27 to 30 years old (not a college aged, young woman). The pros have had several years of intense training on any college lady who may not be done growing yet.

Don't misunderstand me, I would want OUSB to roll and dominate. My head says, we'd be overmatched against the best of the national teams out there, not all of them (like we beat Mexico's Olympic Team a couple years back). Japan.....yeah, they'd be a very tough out to get.

[Sooneryankee13]

Ou played Japan in an exhibition back in the syd Romero days and I believe they tied. It was in California I think. Just can't Remember if it was 2018 or 2109

[TropicalSooner]

The homer in me wants to say, "yeah....we not only have a shot, we could take 'em". But realistically, like KC said, they'd be a tough out.
I think Japan treats this sport differently than most countries. They have corporately sponsored professional teams and the best players on those teams get to play on the national team.
American Professional sports do have quality athletes that have played their particular sport a long time, but rarely is an American "National" team put together with the camaraderie of a tight knit team that has played together repeatedly year over year.
This is where the Sooner Softball team comes in. These girls--the Seniors on this coming season's team, have already played together for three years now. A couple will be on the team for four years. All playing together, training together, side by side for what is a pretty long time--for any sport. They instinctively know where everybody is supposed to be on the field and what they are going to do. They give each other signals and signs--like Boone calling out the distance for Coleman to the wall to make her jump for example, or Coleman and Lyons pulling off a double play of a "muffed" fly ball--all that now has become natural. You can't put this together in an "All-Star" team, whatever the sport.
To me, the only team that can even whiff at a chance to take down Japan would be last year's Sooner team, and then it's going to be a push. Japan is older. They've played together longer. They are more mature. They've been in the weight room longer. And they have a lot more experience against every kind of competitor imaginable. But if you were going to put together a team to try to take down the world champion like the Hockey team of 1980 taking down the Russians, I like the chances of the 2023 Sooners. The '23 Sooners have had another year to grow, another year to mature, another year in the weight room, and a healthy Jordy Bahl.
Do I think they'd sweep the Japan team? Nope. Win one game? Yeah I do. 2 out of 3? That's a tall order. But I think they would give Japan all they'd want. And Japan would know they played a team that was not just a bunch of "All Stars" or "Professionals" just picked out and thrown together with a few weeks practice to try to win a medal. They would know they'd played a team that came to win.

[waddy's ghost]

All I know is that OUr Sooner teams have been crushing teams made up of players who are on the national team and I love OUr chances vs. Japan or anyone else .I would add that this team should be led by PG .

[The Far Journey]

There seems to be a bit of divide on this question. I think we are assuming all sports are alike in this regard. Say Georgia, Alabama or the great OU football teams playing the superbowl winner. That indeed would be a slaughter. But in softball, I don't think there is that big of a gulf between professional teams, USA and Japan national teams, and say a team that is clearly the best of all time with generational athletes filling the line up. I'll say just six names though there could be more: Coleman, Jennings, Lyons, Hansen, Bahl and Alo. I've seen outstanding USA teams play and they were very very good. I've seen the Japanese teams play and again tremendous teams. But I've seen no team that has better players than these six, and that's not a homer speaking cause I'm not a homer. The ace of the current USA team is Aly Carda, a very good pitcher, but given the choice, I'd take Bahl over her every time. Who in the world is better at their positions than the six listed? Who can jump higher over the fence and make catches than Jayda Coleman? Who can hit better than Jocelyn Alo? Who is a better catcher in the field and at bat than Hansen? A better shortstop than Lyons? A better clutch hitter than Jennings?

So I'd bet the house on OU over Team Japan and Team USA if they ever played.