KOR WBC 3 Consecutive 1st Round Exits... JPN & AUS Advance to Quarterfinals

The South Korean national baseball team was eliminated in the first round for the third consecutive time at the World Baseball Classic (WBC).

On the 13th, Australia secured second place in the final fourth game of Group B's first round held at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan, completely eliminating South Korea's chances of advancing to the quarterfinals. Australia defeated the Czech Republic 8-3, finishing the first round with a 3-1 record, securing second place in the group behind Japan, which went undefeated with a 4-0 record. This marks Australia's first advancement to the quarterfinals in the WBC.

[Photo by AP Yonhap News]

Led by manager Kang-chul Lee, the South Korean team lost consecutively to Australia and Japan, winning only against the Czech Republic, currently holding a 1-2 record. Even if they win the final game against China at 7 PM today, their record will be 2-2, making it impossible to secure a top-two spot in the group to advance to the next round.

South Korea reached the semifinals in the 1st WBC and finished as runner-up in the 2nd WBC but has suffered the humiliation of being eliminated in the first round for three consecutive tournaments since then.

Won Tae-in is expected to start as the pitcher in the team's final game against China.