South Korea to face Japan this weekend after huge win in WBC opener

SEOUL, March 6 (AJP) - South Korea will face Japan in its second game of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) this weekend, as the quadrennial tournament's regional rounds kicked off on Thursday.

South Korea, led by manager Ryu Ji-hyun, defeated the Czech Republic 11‑4 in its WBC opener in Tokyo, hitting four home runs.

The dominant win boosted the team's morale ahead of a game against archrival and defending champion Japan slated for Saturday evening at the Tokyo Dome.

The 20-team tournament, divided into four groups, will run until March 17 with games played at four different locations of Houston, Miami, Puerto Rico, and Tokyo.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals in Houston and Miami, with the semifinals and finals to be held in Miami.

South Korea, grouped with Australia, Chinese Taipei, the Czech Republic, and Japan, was initially expected to have dim prospects due to the absence of key players from its roster due to injuries, but got off to a strong start, raising expectations.