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Korea manager declares team battle-ready for WBC

Published: 03 Mar. 2026, 19:57

Ryu Ji-hyun, Korean national baseball team manager, looks on after a tune-up game against the Orix Buffaloes at Kyocera Dome in Osaka on March 3. [YONHAP]

After notching a victory in his team's final exhibition game before the World Baseball Classic (WBC) on Tuesday, Korea manager Ryu Ji-hyun declared the squad ready for the battle on the horizon.

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.

In Tuesday's win, Kim Do-yeong, Shay Whitcomb and Ahn Hyun-min each homered, while starter Dane Dunning tossed three shutout innings. But the shaky bullpen let the Buffaloes back into the game after Korea had built a 6-0 lead early.

Still, Ryu refused to get into anything negative, not with the start of the WBC only two days away at Tokyo Dome in the Japanese capital.

"I have no issues with this game," Ryu said. "We began preparing for this tournament in January in Saipan, and we also had training camp in Okinawa and we 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."

Ryu Ji-hyun, Korean national baseball team manager, looks on ahead of a tune-up game against the Hanshin Tigers at Kyocera Dome in Osaka on March 2. [YONHAP]

Korea's first Pool C game will be 7 p.m. Thursday against Czechia. Up next will be the defending champion Japan at 7 p.m. Saturday, Chinese Taipei at noon Sunday, and Australia at 7 p.m. Monday.

Korea hasn't gone past the first round since losing to Japan in the final at the 2009 tournament. In 2013, 2017 and 2023, Korea all lost its first games and never recovered.

Korean bats have caught fire but the team's pitching has been inconsistent at best. Ryu did get an encouraging start from Dane Dunning on Tuesday, as the right-hander tossed three shutout innings in his 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 for the national team. The two hit it off right away.

"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 gushed. "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."

Yonhap