SEOUL-- As the first-time participant in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) this year, the Czech Republic isn't on pundits' lists as among the title favorites.

But that doesn't mean Czechia will simply be a pushover, their manager Pavel Chadim said.

"We believe that Czech, and therefore European, baseball has its role on the world stage and can play a worthy role here," Chadim told Yonhap News Agency in an interview Thursday.

The Czech Republic, world No. 15, will be one of four opponents for South Korea in Pool B at the WBC. They will square off at noon on March 12 at Tokyo Dome.

South Korea, world No. 4, has set its sights on reaching at least the semifinals, after crashing out of the first round at each of the past two tournaments in 2017 and 2013. It's a team featuring two major league players, Kim Ha-seong of the San Diego Padres and Tommy Edman of the St. Louis Cardinals, plus former MVPs and All-Stars in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).

Chadim acknowledged he doesn't yet have enough information about South Korea, but he still regards it as "one of the best teams in the world."

"(It is) a team with balanced defense and offense, team discipline and cohesion," Chadim said. "They play excellent, sophisticated baseball. The players are well prepared physically. They have our great respect."

Czechia will try to earn respect of the baseball world next month too. And they already earned some of that last September by scripting an improbable comeback at the WBC European qualifiers.

The Czech Republic opened the proceedings with a 21-7 loss to Spain and had to win its remaining three games to book its spot in the big tournament. Czechia did just that by beating France 7-1 and rallying past Germany 8-4, after erasing a 3-0 deficit.

Then the Czechs got their revenge by defeating Spain 3-1 in the final game. The nation's feel-good, underdog story was captured in a recent documentary film titled "Small Country Big Dreams."

Chadim said playing in the WBC for the first time will go a long way toward growing baseball in his country.

"Our participation in the most prestigious tournament in the world is important for the motivation of our other young talented players, and therefore our goal is to get an invitation to this tournament in the next four years as well," he said. "The tournament will be broadcast live by Czech Television, so we believe that the popularity of baseball in the Czech Republic will increase."

Chadim will have a welcome reinforcement in the form of Eric Sogard, a veteran of 11 big league seasons and the only player on the Czech team with major league experience. Sogard was born in Phoenix, but his mother, Anna Vodicka, was born near Prague and moved to America at 12. Under loose eligibility rules at the WBC, players are allowed to represent the country of birth for one of their parents, even if they themselves weren't born there. Edman, an American-born infielder who has a Korean-born mother, is one such example for South Korea.

The documentary film portrays Czechia as a tightly knit team, with players having competed together for many years, dating back to their junior days. Sogard will be jumping in for the WBC without having played for the Czech Republic before, but Chadim said he doesn't anticipate any problems for Sogard to fit in with the rest of the squad.

"We believe that Eric will be well received by the team, because he is a player who cares about the team, has a connection to the Czech Republic and can help our dream," the manager said, adding that Sogard, who can handle multiple positions on the field, will bat second and play in the infield.

Chadim will be managing a team that includes players with day jobs off the field. For instance, pitcher Martin Schneider, who fired 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball in the final qualifier against Spain, is a firefighter.

So how has Chadim been able to keep such players motivated to play for the country?

"It is a secret," Chadim said with a smile.

Source: Yonhap News Agency