The Rocket City Trash Pandas will host the Toyota Red Cruisers from Japan's Industrial League for an exhibition game on April 1, 2026, at Toyota Field. This event marks the first time such a Japanese team has played in America and is part of the inaugural Global Baseball Series. The series aims to foster cultural exchange through baseball involving local colleges and international competition.
The Rocket City Trash Pandas, the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels based in Madison, Alabama, are set to make history with their Global Baseball Series from March 30 to April 1, 2026. The highlight is an exhibition game on April 1 against the Toyota Red Cruisers, a team representing Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan's Industrial League. This will be the first exhibition game in America featuring a Japanese Industrial League team, underscoring the event's novelty.
The series, described as an international community-driven cultural exchange, also includes games with Alabama A&M University and the University of Alabama in Huntsville. It was conceived by Hiroshi "Morris" Morioka, the Trash Pandas' senior manager of promotions and entertainment, who is entering his second season with the team. A native of Japan, Morioka drew on his extensive sports background, including stints with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs and professional basketball teams in the U.S. and Japan, such as Toyota Alvark Tokyo.
"In the 2010s I was in Japan working with Toyota's basketball team, Toyota Alvark Tokyo, so I had a good relationship with Toyota Motor Manufacturing," Morioka explained. "I came [to the Trash Pandas] thinking I can do something here, because our baseball field is Toyota Field." The synergy stems from Toyota's large manufacturing plant in Huntsville, which secured naming rights for the ballpark.
Morioka emphasized the opportunity for college athletes to face high-level competition and to introduce Japanese-style baseball entertainment. "There are 90 industrial teams in Japan and [the Toyota Red Cruisers] are one of the best," he said. "The Red Cruisers, it's a totally different style of baseball. … And hopefully we can share entertainment that is more like the Japanese style."
The initiative bridges Minor League, collegiate, and Japanese baseball worlds. "I'll definitely put everything I can into making an unforgettable experience here," Morioka added. "It’s kind of my baby. Japanese pride, I would say." The Trash Pandas open their 2026 Southern League season on April 3 against the Biloxi Shuckers.
