U18 Yaqing Super Round Robin Taiwan vs. Japan tonight

Yang Xiaocheng. (Photo by reporter Chen Yikuan)

[Reporter Luo Zhipeng/Report from Taipei] The U18 Asian Youth Baseball Championship will kick off at the Super Dome at 6:30 tonight. The Taiwanese team will start with Pingzhen High School left-hander Liu Renyou, who has the fastest speed of 154 kilometers, and Japan's starting pitcher will be Yokohama High School right-hander Shoki Oda, who has the fastest speed of 157 kilometers. The two aces are competing on the same field, and excitement can be expected.

Yang Xiaocheng, the head coach of the Taiwan team, is from Gu Baojia Shang. During this U18 Asian Youth Championship, he saw Liu Renyou sprinting 154 kilometers. He said, "Inviting a physical coach, All-Vietnam Sports Training, and planning the training cycle of the pitching group seems to be helpful to improve Ren You's condition. If the data shows that he is currently in the best condition during the youth baseball period, pitching in international competitions stimulates adrenaline, and his explosive power will definitely increase."

The Taiwan team defeated Japan 9:2 in the 2022 U18 World Cup. Yang Xiaocheng was a member of the coaching staff at the time and is now in charge of the U18 national team. He believes that four years ago, almost all Japanese team players played small ball tactics. This year's group of Japanese team players have better pitching and hitting intensity. "It feels like they are well prepared."

Yang Xiao admitted that this match was a double-win, and the Taiwan team might be at a disadvantage in a long-term event, but it is difficult to win in one game, and every opportunity must be grasped.