[Anchor]
The national baseball team, aiming for its fifth consecutive tournament title, will play its opening group-stage match against Taiwan tomorrow, September 21. Although they stepped onto the field for the first time just a day before the game, they completed their adaptation and vowed to secure a victory.
Reporter Yu Byeongmin has the details from the site.
[Reporter]
Due to sloppy tournament organization, the national team held its first training session at the Okazaki Stadium—the venue for the showdown—only today, just a day before the opening match, meticulously checking the field conditions.
As the batters cleared the distant outfield fences of Okazaki Stadium, which is similar in scale to Jamsil Baseball Stadium, several times, Manager Ryu Ji-hyun wore a satisfied expression.
[Ryu Ji-hyun / National Baseball Team Manager: "I delivered a message to the players that if we just play our own game, we can win comfortably. Since the leaders experienced winning the gold medal at Hangzhou, I believe those elements will naturally be passed down to the younger players."]
While the starting pitcher has not yet been announced, ace pitcher Kwak Bin is expected to shoulder a heavy responsibility regardless of his specific role.
Having secured 11 wins this season while leading the league in earned run average and strikeouts to establish himself as the league's top ace, tomorrow's game is an opportunity for Kwak Bin to restore his pride.
He is determined to wash away the regret of winning a gold medal at the last Hangzhou Asian Games without pitching a single game due to back spasms.
[Kwak Bin / National Baseball Team Pitcher: "(The team to watch out for) is naturally Taiwan, and I plan to pitch with as much confidence as things are going well this season to produce a good result."]
Meanwhile, as Typhoon Dujian, the 25th typhoon, moves northwest of the Nagoya region, the chance of rain for tomorrow has fortunately decreased. However, because the area remains under the typhoon's influence, wind direction and strength could become variables.
(Photo: Yang Du-won | Video Editing: Lee Jae-sung)
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