[Anchor]
After crushing weaker opponents in the first two group stage matches, the national baseball team will face host nation Japan tomorrow (September 25) in their opening Super Round game. Pitcher So Hyeong-jun is set to make his career-first Asian Games appearance, determined to lead the team to the finals.
Reporter Yu Byeongmin has the story from the field.
[Reporter]
Back in 2019 at the U-18 Baseball World Cup, So Hyeong-jun served as the national team's ace and started against Japan. In a matchup against Roki Sasaki, who currently plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers, So pitched brilliantly, allowing just 2 runs through 2 outs in the 7th inning to become the hero of the victory.
He is now stepping onto the mound for a Korea-Japan showdown once again, 7 years later.
Having earned the nickname "big-game pitcher" after posting a 1-run ERA in postseason play for his club KT, he is determined to show that same steadfast courage in this upcoming match against Japan.
So participated in voluntary training today, meticulously inspecting the mound at the Toyohashi Stadium, the site of the battle, and completed his preparations for the start.
[So Hyeong-jun / National Baseball Team Pitcher : My body and arm feel light. I think if I can get through the early innings well, I will be able to put on a good pitching performance.]
The Japanese national team is anchored by players from the Nagoya-based Toyota Motor Corporation team, the powerhouse of Japanese corporate baseball, and intense support from home fans is expected.
[Ryu Ji-hyun / National Baseball Team Manager : Toyota is the team with the most solid strength in Japanese corporate baseball. In particular, they are a team with a very high level of mastery over breaking balls from their pitchers.]
The preparations are complete.
The national team is determined to defeat Japan and practically secure their advance to the finals.
Meanwhile, the national football team will clash with Vietnam in the quarterfinals tomorrow, with Vietnam missing manager Kim Sang-sik and key players who are out for A-match duties.
(Video by Park Jin-ho, Video Editing by Park Sun-soo)
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