The Hangzhou Asian Games baseball team, led by head coach Ryu Jung-il, has completed its first and final evaluation game. The mound was solid throughout, with ‘hopefuls’ Moon Dong-ju and Jang Hyun-seok making their mark with fastballs up to 154 kilometers per hour.

The Hangzhou Asian Games Baseball Team completed its pre-Asian Games practice with a 2-0 win over the Commerce Phoenix in an exhibition game at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Saturday.

The team virtually finalized its roster on Feb. 22. The Korea Baseball Softball Association (KBSA) Performance Enhancement Committee and the KBO Power Enhancement Committee have been working to replace players who were deemed unable to perform at their best during the tournament due to injury or illness. As a result, Lee Jung-hoo (Kiwoom), Koo Chang-mo (NC) and Lee Yi-ri (KIA) were dropped from the roster, while Kim Sung-yoon (Samsung), Kim Young-gyu (NC) and Yoon Dong-hee (Lotte) were added to the squad.

The roster can be changed until the 30th, but barring any changes during training, the team will likely travel to Hangzhou in its current configuration. The team will have an evaluation game on the 26th, followed by a final tune-up on the 27th, before flying to Hangzhou via Incheon International Airport on the 28th. The tournament begins on October 1st with the first match against Hong Kong.

The game saw most of the players on the roster return to the national team and commercial starting lineups. For the national team, Kim Hye-sung (second base), Choi Ji-hoon (center field), Noh Si-hwan (third base), Kang Baek-ho (designated hitter), Moon Bo-kyung (first base), Kim Hyung-joon (catcher), Park Sung-sung (shortstop), Choi Won-joon (right field), and Kim Sung-yoon (left field) were the starting lineup. 스포츠토토

Sangmu also included players from the national team. Against the national team, the lineup was Yoon Dong-hee (right fielder), Kim Joo-won (shortstop), Kim Ji-chan (second baseman), Kim Dong-heon (catcher), Cheon Sung-ho (first baseman), Na Seung-yup (designated hitter), Goo Bon-hyuk (third baseman), Byun Sang-kwon (left fielder), and Park Seung-gyu (right fielder). However, the players who played for the national team took three at-bats each and then handed over the batting order to the commerce players in the top of the eighth inning.

Before the game on June 26, Ryu expressed his concerns about the starting pitcher for the game against Chinese Taipei. The Chinese Taipei team is currently the biggest obstacle to the national team’s gold medal hunt. With a number of minor leaguers on the roster, the Chinese Taipei team is not to be taken lightly. In particular, pitchers Liu Zhi-long and Lin Yumin, who are currently playing in Double-A for the Boston Red Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks, are top of the list.

For now, Liu plans to use a 1+1 strategy on the mound. “I’m thinking about who to start against Taiwan. The candidates are Kwak Bin, (Park) Se-woong-i, and Moon Dong-ju. For now, I’ll watch Kwak Bin and Moon Dong-ju throw today (June 26), and then I’ll make a decision tomorrow based on their practice and condition. I’m not sure who to use first. For the first five or six innings, I’ll stick with the two starters. There will be variables, but that’s the current thinking.”