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| Photo courtesy of Getty Images |
Led by manager Ryu Ji-hyun, South Korea will face the Dominican Republic in the 2026 WBC quarterfinal at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, on March 14 at 7:30 a.m. KST.
South Korea made the semifinals in the inaugural 2006 WBC and finished runner-up in 2009, but the team suffered first-round exits in 2013, 2017 and 2023. This time, they broke that streak by advancing to the quarterfinals after 17 years, and now they’re aiming for a place among the final four.
The run to the quarters for Ryu’s squad has been dramatic. Key players—including Kim Ha-seong (Atlanta Braves), Song Seong-mun (San Diego Padres), Riley O’Brien (St. Louis Cardinals), Won Tae-in (Samsung Lions) and Moon Dong-ju (Hanwha Eagles)—missed the tournament with injuries, raising early concerns. In pool play, Korea opened with an 11-4 win over the Czech Republic but then dropped back-to-back games to Japan (6-8) and Taiwan (4-5), putting them on the brink of elimination.
Korea answered those doubts with a must-win performance against Australia, delivering a dramatic 7-2 victory in a game where they needed to win by at least five runs and allow no more than two. That win clinched their spot in the quarterfinals and sent them to Miami on the charter arranged by the tournament. But the story isn’t over: Ryu’s team is determined to knock off the Dominican Republic and advance.
The Dominican Republic is widely regarded—along with the United States and Japan—as one of the tournament’s strongest teams. They cruised through Pool D with a perfect 4-0 record. Their lineup features Major League superstars such as Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado (both San Diego Padres), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Toronto Blue Jays) and Juan Soto (New York Mets).
The Dominicans are expected to start left-hander Christopher Sánchez (Philadelphia Phillies) against Korea; Sánchez finished second in last year’s National League Cy Young voting.
Korea will pin its hopes on starter Ryu Hyun-jin (Hanwha Eagles). If the veteran with extensive major-league experience can contain the Dominican lineup, Korea will have a much clearer path to control the game. The bullpen that held Australia to two runs and helped secure the quarterfinal berth is on standby.
Offensively, the lineup will look to Moon Bo-kyung (LG Twins), who was red-hot in the first round, backed by Lee Jung-hoo (San Francisco Giants), Kim Do-young (KIA Tigers) and Ahn Hyun-min (KT Wiz). Returnees Jamai Jones (Detroit Tigers) and Shea Whitcomb (Houston Astros) are also expected to play key roles now that the team is back in a more familiar setting.
Manager Ryu acknowledged the challenge, saying, “The Dominican team has some of the best players in the world, but given how we’re playing now, we can compete.” Captain Lee Jung-hoo added, “This isn’t high school against pros. It’s adult versus adult—the best players from each country—and we’re not going to back down.”
Baseball fans will be watching to see if Ryu’s squad can topple the Dominican Republic and punch their ticket to the semifinals.
[Sports Today reporter Lee Sang-pil sports@stoo.com]
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