LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani plans to play for Japan in next year's World Baseball Classic, the two-way Los Angeles Dodgers star announced on social media Monday night.
Ohtani helped Japan win the 2023 WBC, striking out then-Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout for the final out of the championship game against the United States. He was named MVP of the tournament.
Ohtani won his fourth MVP award this month, shortly after he helped the Dodgers win their second straight World Series title. He returned to the mound this season after not pitching in 2024 while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
In the postseason, he had arguably the best game in major league history, striking out 10 batters and hitting three homers as the Dodgers completed a four-game NL Championship Series sweep of Milwaukee.
Ohtani did not specify in his post whether he plans to pitch for Japan in the WBC, which begins on March 5.
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FILE - Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani celebrates his home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the seventh inning in Game 3 of baseball's World Series, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)
FILE - Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani watches his home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the seventh inning in Game 3 of baseball's World Series, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)
FILE - Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts during Game 4 of baseball's National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)
MIAMI LAKES, Fla. (AP) — The Dukes got in over Duke, and facing the Ducks is their reward.
Bob Chesney will be bringing his UCLA team to Oregon next year, which would have been his first time going up against the Ducks. But he's about to get an unplanned preview of that matchup when he takes James Madison to Eugene, Oregon for the biggest game in program history.
James Madison finished at No. 24 in the final College Football Playoff rankings this season, but the combination of being the champions of the Sun Belt Conference and being ranked ahead of Atlantic Coast Champion Duke was enough to give Chesney and the Dukes the No. 12 seed on the 12-team playoff bracket before he leaves for UCLA.
Oregon, the No. 5 seed, and James Madison both have 12-1 records.
The winner of the Oregon-James Madison game will face No. 4 Texas Tech (12-1), the Big 12 champion, in the Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens, Florida on Jan. 1 at noon, the first of three CFP quarterfinals scheduled for that day.
None of those three teams have ever played in the Orange Bowl. If Oregon gets there, it'll mean the Ducks will be playing at Hard Rock Stadium, the place where Miami — and former Oregon coach Mario Cristobal — play home games.
Chesney has been at James Madison for just two seasons, going 9-4 last year and winning the Boca Raton Bowl, then going 12-1 and counting this season.
Oregon was the top seed in the playoff last year, then fell 41-21 in quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl to eventual champion Ohio State. In the four-team playoff era, the Ducks beat Florida State 59-20 in the semifinals following the 2014 season, then fell 42-20 to Ohio State in the final that year as well.
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Oregon head coach Dan Lanning looks on from the sideline against Washington during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
