WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: POOL C - CHINESE TAIPEI VS AUSTRALIA

March 5, 2026

David Nilsson

Tokyo Dome

Team Australia

Pregame Press Conference

Q. Is there a certain vibe that teams get perfect they start a tournament like this in your opinion? You've done this for a while now. Do you sense a different feel on the team the day before the first game?

DAVID NILSSON: Yeah, I think every team has its own vibe and I think leading into the first game every team feels confident about the work we've done. We feel very confident about our work as you mentioned yesterday we've been through this exact situation before and there's a degree of comfort in that. Again our team is very relaxed and very focused at the same time so I feel good about what I'm seeing.

Q. So this is going to be Tim Kennelly's last tournament. What does he mean to Australian baseball, the program and the young players making they're national team debuts here?

DAVID NILSSON: Yeah, I think Tim he's career speaks for itself. He's been very successful over a long period of time. He's been a great example for the younger players. He's going to have legacy when he leaves the game and the tournament finishes. Having said that we are very deliberate about this tournament not being about Tim.

As a group we addressed, it a long time ago, and we have given him internally all the recognition and acknowledgment he deserves. But as far as this event in mind right now, it's not about him. It's about the whole team.

Q. Depending on how today's game goes, is there a chance that Alexander's twin brother could also take the mound? And are you considering limiting Alexander to 50 pitches with the possibility of using him against Korea?

DAVID NILSSON: First question, yes, there's uncertainty about Lachlan. Two, is there a chance he could pitch in today's game or whatever? Absolutely. Three, will I use him multiple times? No, I won't. And four, could he pitch against Korea? He absolutely could. But as of right now, I'm just trying to get through today.

Q. I saw a big flag in the dugout and there's a lot of names written on it.

DAVID NILSSON: There's a certain group of players representing Australia, all the names on the flag symbolize that. There's a lot of people that have come before us. It's not just about this team, but it's everyone that's been involved on the team.

So as players comes through the program, they put their name on the flag and over time, there will be a whole bunch of names may not be here but are recognized.