South Korea to face Taiwan in today's (7th) clash! Rival teams on high alert: "South Korea plays powerful baseball," "They are an exceptionally strong team." The U-18 Asian Championship finally kicks off.

*This content was translated by AI.

The Asian Youth Baseball Championship, featuring high school players under 18 years old, is a three-way battle between South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. All three nations must secure victories whenever they face each other to increase their chances of reaching the finals.

At a joint media conference held on the 6th in Taipei, Taiwan, with coaches and captains from all eight participating teams, opponents evaluated South Korea as a team with strong power.

Japan U-18 head coach Tatsuo Okada said, "South Korean players have excellent physical attributes. They are very tall and powerful. The key will be how we can overcome their superior physical conditions." He added, "It is also impressive that they have a strong pitching staff. My predecessor warned us to be cautious of South Korean pitchers. We are focusing on strategies to counter their pitching lineup."

Left-handed ace Ha Hyun-seung, standing at 195 cm, has an extension exceeding 2 meters and a high release point. According to team officials, batters find the trajectory of his pitches to be in a completely different dimension. While he served as both pitcher and hitter during last year's Baseball World Cup, this year he is focusing solely on pitching. Alongside five other pitchers—Kwak Do-hyun, Yoon Ye-seong, Park Geun-seo, Kim Min-hoon, and the only second-year pitcher Han Gyu-min—all six possess the physique and skill to overpower opponents with high release points and power.

Coach Okada stated, "Taiwan's baseball style is similar to Japan's, while South Korea plays powerful baseball. I wonder if we can defeat South Korean baseball using Japan's style. Let's meet in the finals."

Japan, placed in Group A after avoiding both South Korea and Taiwan, is expected to secure first place in the group relatively easily. The highly anticipated match between South Korea and Japan is likely to take place during the two-day Super Round starting on the 11th, after all group stage matches are completed.

Taiwan, facing South Korea in the opening match of the group stage on the 7th, has not lowered its guard against South Korea's "power baseball." Taiwan team captain Zhang Yi-an said, "I watched them on video. All the players on the South Korean team are fast and incredibly strong." The Taiwanese position player lineup boasts a powerful hitting line consisting of Lee Ho-min, Eom Jun-sang, and Hwang Sung-hyun.

Taiwan U-18 head coach Yang Xiaoqing, when asked about his thoughts ahead of the match against South Korea, offered praise for South Korea while delivering a pointed response. Coach Yang said, "South Korea is also a team with excellent skills like Taiwan, so we plan to field our best lineup on the 7th. We will not let influence us." He added, "The match on the 7th is the most important for us. South Korea must feel the same way. For us, the sense of expectation outweighs the pressure." When asked about Taiwan's strengths, he hesitated before saying, "I don't think South Korea is slower than Taiwan. They are an exceptionally strong team, aren't they?" He concluded by saying, "Let's just meet in the finals."

The group stage opener between South Korea and Taiwan, scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. (Korean time) on the 7th, is expected to be played under one-sided support from a Tianmu Stadium packed with Taiwanese home fans. Two years ago, Taiwan won its first gold medal in 17 years at this same tournament, and this year, expectations for achieving the first-ever back-to-back U-18 championship on home soil are at an all-time high.

The coach of the Jeong Yun-jin (CEO) team said, "I told the players that if they hear the cheer 'Jjayo (Fighting)' during the game, they should think it is directed at them personally. Even with a home-field advantage, I urged them not to be overly affected by it and to focus on executing their own style of play."

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*This content was translated by AI.