The catcher and starting shortstop are also out! Manager Ryu Ji-hyun has completely reshuffled the starting lineup ahead of three consecutive victories... Lee Jae-hyun, Kim Geon-hee, and Jung Jun-jae make their first starts in the Thailand match [Aichi Nagoya AG]

*This content was translated by AI.

The South Korean national baseball team, aiming for a fifth consecutive Asian Games title, will field several new starters in the final group stage match. Having already secured two wins, the team will rest key players during the Thailand game while conducting a tactical assessment in preparation for the Super Round.

Under manager Ryu Ji-hyun (55), South Korea will face Thailand in the final B Group group stage match of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games baseball tournament at Okazaki Central General Park Baseball Stadium on the 23rd.

On this day, South Korea set its batting order as follows: Park Jae-hyun (center fielder), Yoon Dong-hee (right fielder), Kim Do-young (designated hitter), Noh Si-hwan (third baseman), Moon Bo-kyung (first baseman), Moon Hyun-bin (left fielder), Lee Jae-hyun (shortstop), Kim Geon-hee (catcher), and Jung Jun-jae (second baseman). The starting pitcher is left-handed Oh Won-seok.

Thailand countered with the following lineup: Muangkham Naruepol (second baseman), Kayanuma Yury (designated hitter), Chaichuai Natthaphon (left fielder), Nititon Pongsathon (third baseman), Bucha Setawut (right fielder), Ryoto Yusuke (catcher), Saibua Kaew Phiyathat (first baseman), Suwannasang Thithat (shortstop), and Wongsuwan Porawit (center fielder). The starting pitcher is Clark Alexander.

The most notable change in this lineup is the lower-order batters. Lee Jae-hyun, Kim Geon-hee, and Jung Jun-jae are making their first starts of the tournament. Shortstop Kim Ju-won, second baseman Park Jun-soon, center fielder Kim Ji-chan, and catcher Jo Hyung-woo, who were named in the starting lineup for the Hong Kong match, will begin the game from the bench.

The players resting also performed well in their previous appearances. Jo Hyung-woo led South Korea to a 13-0 cold-game victory with a two-run single in the second inning and a bases-loaded home run in the third during the Hong Kong match. Kim Ju-won recorded three hits in four at-bats against Taiwan in the opening group stage game, the most hits by any Korean batter, and laid the foundation for additional scoring with a center-field hit in the seventh inning.

Park Jae-hyun, batting first, has taken on a new role. In the opening group stage match against Taiwan, he played as the eighth-place right fielder and drove in a run via sacrifice fly. During the Hong Kong game, he entered mid-game and recorded both a hit and a run. This time, he shifts to center field defensively and will lead off the offense from the start of the game.

South Korea has already defeated Taiwan 5-0 and followed up with a 13-0 cold-game victory over Hong Kong, securing two consecutive wins. As the only undefeated team in Group B, South Korea will advance to the Super Round with three straight victories if it defeats Thailand today.

Taiwan and Thailand have each recorded one win and one loss, while Hong Kong is eliminated with two losses. The outcome matters, but so does the process. In this tournament, a cold game is declared if the score difference reaches 15 runs after five innings or 10 runs after seven innings.

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*This content was translated by AI.