'Can Korean Baseball Beat Japan Again?' 20-Year-Old Ace 'Resting for Three Days' Makes Surprise Start Against China! Victory Secures Tomorrow's (27th) Long-Awaited Final [Aichi Nagoya AG]

*This content was translated by AI.

After suffering a shocking defeat against Japan's team composed of "social league" players, the South Korean national baseball team aims to secure victory in the final Super Round match against China.

The immediate priority is to revitalize the mood dampened by the loss to Japan. To secure a spot in the finals, South Korea has announced that 20-year-old ace Choi Min-seok (Doosan Bears) will start against China.

Under head coach Ryu Ji-hyun, the South Korean national team will face the Chinese national team at 6:30 p.m. on the 26th at Toyohashi Citizens Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, for the second Super Round match of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Summer Asian Games baseball tournament.

South Korea, fielding a full roster of professional players, suffered a shocking 0-5 defeat against Japan in the first Super Round match held on the previous day (25th). The team managed only scattered four hits and failed to reach second base even once, exposing a significant gap in skill.

This marks the first time since the 2006 Doha Games that South Korean baseball has been outmatched by Japan's team, which is primarily composed of industrial league players, on the Asian Games stage.

Having secured one win by defeating Taiwan in the group stage, South Korea now holds a 1-1 record in the Super Round following the loss to Japan. Currently, Japan leads with two wins and holds the most favorable position for advancing to the finals. Meanwhile, Taiwan, which defeated China 9-1, also sits at 1-1 alongside South Korea. Already burdened with two losses, China is likely eliminated from contention.

With the top two teams in the Super Round advancing to the finals, a victory over China would allow South Korea to secure a spot in the final match. In that scenario, South Korea could face Japan again and seek proper revenge.

Conversely, if South Korea loses to China while Taiwan defeats Japan, all hope of South Korea reaching the finals will vanish.

Choi Min-seok, who is widely regarded as having a lower caliber than China's team, makes a surprise start. In his second professional season this year, Choi has appeared in 25 KBO League games, recording 14 wins, 4 losses, an ERA of 2.73, and 121 strikeouts. As of the morning of the 26th, he shares the top spot in wins with Im Chan-kyu (LG) and ranks second in ERA.

Choi Min-seok made his national team debut against the Hong Kong baseball team in the group stage on the 22nd. Over two innings, he faced six batters, recorded two strikeouts, and achieved a perfect game with only 18 pitches thrown. He now returns to the mound after three days of rest.

Although Chinese baseball has shown signs of growth, South Korea is still evaluated as having a clear advantage over China. The immediate priority is for Choi Min-seok's strong pitching performance and the revitalization of an offense that struggled significantly in the match against Japan.

Facing Choi Min-seok, China has announced Uan Jun as their starting pitcher, who was shaky in the group stage against the Philippines, allowing three runs over 1⅔ innings. Can South Korea comfortably defeat China and secure a spot on the finals stage?

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*This content was translated by AI.