Ko Young-pyo will start against Taiwan in the group qualifying round of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier 12 2024, which should not allow a single loss.안전놀이터

The national baseball team, led by head coach Ryu Joong-il, will play against Taiwan in the first group qualifying match of the tournament to be held at Taipei Dome in Taiwan on the 12th.

Ryu announced Ko's starting lineup after a press conference held on the previous day. "There was an analysis of Taiwanese batters' power that they would not be able to hit well if they threw downward. That's what the coaches think," Ryu said.

The competition, in which 12 countries participate, will be held in groups A and B. Six countries from each group will play the full league, and only the top two teams will advance to the Super Round.

Ryu Joong-il will face Cuba, Japan, the Dominican Republic, and Australia in turn starting with the match against Taiwan on the 13th.

Manager Ryu Joong-il selected four starting pitcher resources in this tournament, and Ko Young-pyo will take the mound once again in the last match against Australia.

Ko Young-pyo's appearance is enough to catch Taiwan off guard. Taiwan predicted that one of the two pitchers, Ko Young-pyo and Kwak Bin (Doosan), will play as South Korean starters. In particular, the Taiwanese media, which is heavily focused on Kwak Bin, asked for an interview during the national team's first training session on the 9th.

However, when he opened the lid, Ko Young-pyo was selected against Taiwan.

Ko Young-pyo, who has been a bullpen pitcher for two years since his debut, has been a full-time starting pitcher since 2017 and won 11 games in 2021 to post his first double-digit wins, and contributed greatly to his team's kt victory with 13 wins, 8 losses and a 3.26 ERA in 2022.

Ahead of the 2024 season, he won a non-FA contract worth 10.7 billion won (approx. However, due to injury, he made only 17 starts this season, and his double-digit winning streak, which had continued for three consecutive years, has ended.

He also has extensive experience in the national team. Ko, who won his first national flag at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, also played the first starting role at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, allowing four hits and two runs in 4.1 innings in his first match against Australia.

Meanwhile, Taiwan's starting pitcher to face Korean hitters is left-hander Lin Yeo-min (21), who plays in the minor league under Arizona in the Major League.

Lin Yeo-min has taken the mound twice against Korea and has shown strong confidence by pitching six scoreless innings and two runs in five innings, respectively.