Osaka: After notching a victory in his team's final exhibition game before the World Baseball Classic (WBC) on Tuesday, South Korea manager Ryu Ji-hyun declared the squad ready for the battle on the horizon. South Korea defeated the Orix Buffaloes 8-5 at Kyocera Dome in Osaka, a day after settling for a 3-3 tie against another Japanese club, the Hanshin Tigers.
According to Yonhap News Agency, in Tuesday's win, Kim Do-yeong, Shay Whitcomb, and Ahn Hyun-min each homered, while starter Dane Dunning tossed three shutout innings. However, the bullpen allowed the Buffaloes to come back into the game after South Korea had built a 6-0 lead early. Still, Ryu focused on the positives with the WBC only two days away at Tokyo Dome.
"I have no issues with this game," Ryu stated. "We began preparing for this tournament in January in Saipan, and we also had a training camp in Okinawa and just played a couple of games in Osaka. I think our preparation is done. Once we travel to Tokyo, we will have to battle, and I think we're fully ready for that. Since we've worked so far to this point, we will try to put on a great performance."
South Korea's first Pool C game will be at 7 p.m. Thursday against Czechia. Following that, they will face the defending champion Japan at 7 p.m. Saturday, Chinese Taipei at noon Sunday, and Australia at 7 p.m. Monday. South Korea has not advanced past the first round since losing to Japan in the final at the 2009 tournament, with early exits in 2013, 2017, and 2023.
South Korean bats have shown strength, but the team's pitching has been inconsistent. Ryu found encouragement in Dane Dunning's performance on Tuesday, as the right-hander tossed three shutout innings in his South Korea debut. Ryu recalled his first meeting with Dunning in March 2025, as he was trying to recruit U.S.-born players of Korean descent. "From our first meeting, he just made me feel really good. I love the way he expresses himself. He is fully dedicated to the national team and he has great baseball skills to boot," Ryu said. "I told him that if we pick him for the national team, we will do some great things together. He lived up to our expectations with his pitching today, and I think he's going to feel great about himself taking the mound next time."