The South Korean baseball team, aiming for a gold medal at the Asian Games, is set to face Japan in a pivotal match. Kim Do-young will bat first, and So Hyung-jun will take the mound as the starting pitcher.
Under the guidance of manager Ryu Ji-hyun, South Korea will compete against Japan on September 25 at the Toyohashi Stadium in Aichi Prefecture.
Having won all three group stage matches, South Korea enters the super round with a victory over Taiwan. A win against Japan would significantly enhance their chances of reaching the gold medal game. If they lose to Japan, they must defeat China on September 26 to stay in contention.
In preparation for this crucial matchup, manager Ryu has made adjustments to the batting order.
The starting lineup for South Korea will be Kim Do-young (third base), Kim Joo-won (shortstop), Noh Si-hwan (first base), Moon Bo-kyung (designated hitter), Park Jun-soo (second base), Yoon Dong-hee (right field), Jo Hyung-woo (catcher), Park Jae-hyun (left field), and Kim Ji-chan (center field).
A notable change is Kim Do-young's placement in the leadoff spot. In the group stage, he recorded three hits in 11 at-bats, with a batting average of .273. Although he has yet to hit for power, he showed improvement by getting a hit in his last at-bat against Thailand.
The outfield lineup has also seen changes, with Moon Hyun-bin, who had only one hit in 12 at-bats during the group stage, being left out. Park Jae-hyun will start in left field, while Kim Ji-chan will play center field and Yoon Dong-hee will be in right field. Yoon Dong-hee has been in excellent form, hitting four times in eight at-bats for a .500 average, including a home run against Taiwan.
So Hyung-jun will be the starting pitcher for South Korea. The team planned to use him against Japan from the outset of their tournament preparations. Kwak Bin is expected to be the key starter for the matches against Taiwan and the gold medal game, while So Hyung-jun, with his extensive experience, is tasked with this critical game against Japan. This season, he has pitched in 20 KBO games, achieving an 8-3 record with a 3.38 ERA.
Japan will counter with Shinn Higuichi as their starting pitcher. Higuichi pitched against China on September 21, throwing 86 pitches over six innings, allowing one run and striking out ten batters.
Japan's batting order will feature Yano Yukiya (shortstop), Soeda Manami (second base), Mukoyama Motoki (left field), Aizawa Ryosuke (center field), Mizutani Shohei (right field), Kumada Toyo (designated hitter), Yamada Kenta (first base), Wada Keita (third base), and Tsujimoto Yuki (catcher).
* This article has been translated by AI.
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