An international baseball exhibition highlighting cultural exchange between Japan and North Alabama will take center stage at Toyota Field next spring.
The Rocket City Trash Pandas announced Tuesday the launch of the Global Baseball Series 2026, a three-game exhibition series featuring the TOYOTA Red Cruisers, collegiate programs from Alabama A&M University and The University of Alabama in Huntsville and the Trash Pandas.
The announcement was made during a press conference at Toyota Field Tuesday.
The series is a partnership between the Trash Pandas, the TOYOTA Red Cruisers, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama, Alabama A&M University and UAH, and is designed to celebrate the long-standing relationship between Japan and the North Alabama region through baseball, education and community engagement.
The TOYOTA Red Cruisers are a corporate baseball team made up of full-time athlete employees of Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan. Their visit to North Alabama is intended to serve as a bridge for cultural and educational exchange while showcasing international talent on a local stage.
The Global Baseball Series schedule includes:
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Monday, March 30: TOYOTA Red Cruisers vs. Alabama A&M University
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Tuesday, March 31: Rocket City Trash Pandas vs. University of Alabama in Huntsville
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Wednesday, April 1: Rocket City Trash Pandas vs. TOYOTA Red Cruisers
All three games will begin at 6:35 p.m., with gates opening at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at TPTix.com.
Following the exhibition series, the Trash Pandas will open the 2026 regular season at home on Friday, April 3, hosting the Biloxi Shuckers at Toyota Field. The opening game will begin at 6:35 p.m. and kick off a three-game opening weekend homestand that runs through Sunday, April 5.
The Rocket City Trash Pandas are the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels and have played in Madison since 2021. Since the team’s inaugural season, 46 former Trash Pandas players have gone on to make their Major League Baseball debuts.
The TOYOTA Red Cruisers compete in Japan’s elite Industrial League System and are considered one of the country’s premier development pipelines to professional baseball and the Samurai Japan national team.
The program incorporates advanced performance technology developed in collaboration with the Toyota Research Institute, using motion capture and biomechanical analytics to enhance player development.
Alumni of the Red Cruisers have competed internationally in events such as the World Baseball Classic and the Olympic Games, earning gold medals at the highest levels of competition.
Baseball Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki was appointed special assistant to Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda in 2024 and is expected to play a role in the program’s continued development.
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama, located in Huntsville, has partnered with the Trash Pandas since the team’s inception.
The facility supplies nearly half of all Toyota engines assembled in North America and has been a major economic driver in North Alabama for 25 years. Toyota Alabama has also donated more than $24 million to local nonprofit organizations.
Alabama A&M University competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Southwestern Athletic Conference under head coach Louis Whitlow, while UAH’s Chargers are a perennial NCAA Division II contender in the Gulf South Conference led by head coach Hunter Royer.
Fans can also purchase 20-game Mini Plans for the 2026 season, including the Apollo, Mercury and Gemini plans, which feature multiple fireworks nights, weekend matchups and consistent field-level seating.
Mini Plans, season tickets, group tickets and single-game vouchers are available through the Trash Pandas ticket office.
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