[Anchor]

After crushing weaker opponents in the first two group stage matches, the national baseball team will face host country Japan today (September 25) in the opening game of the super round. Pitcher So Hyeongjun is determined to lead the team to victory and secure a spot in the finals for his first-ever Asian Games appearance.

Reporter Yu Byeongmin is on-site.

[Reporter]

Back in 2019 at the U-18 Baseball World Cup, So Hyeongjun served as the national team's ace, starting against Japan and facing off against Roki Sasaki, who currently plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He pitched strongly, allowing only two runs up to two outs in the seventh inning, and became the hero of the victory.

Seven years later, he is stepping onto the mound for a South Korea-Japan match once again.

With a postseason ERA in the 1-run range for his club KT, earning him the nickname "big-game pitcher," he is determined to show his immense composure in the match against Japan as well.

So Hyeongjun participated in voluntary training and meticulously checked the mound at the Toyohashi Stadium, the site of the showdown, completing his preparations for the start.

[So Hyeongjun / National Baseball Team Pitcher : My body and arm feel light. I think if I can just get through the early innings well, I will be able to pitch well.]

The Japanese national team is anchored by players from the Toyota Motor baseball team, based in Nagoya and known as the strongest corporate team in Japanese industrial baseball, raising expectations for passionate support from home fans.

[Ryu Ji-hyun / National Baseball Team Manager : Toyota is the team with the most solid strength in Japanese industrial baseball. In particular, it is a team with exceptionally high proficiency in breaking pitches from its pitchers.]

The preparations are complete.

The national team is determined to defeat Japan and practically secure its advancement to the finals.

Meanwhile, the national football team will clash with Vietnam in the quarterfinals, a team missing manager Kim Sang-sik and key players due to A-match commitments.

(Photo: Yonhap News) (Video by Park Jin-ho, Video Editing by Park Sun-soo)