U18 Yaqing Ming begins the war between Taiwan and South Korea. South Korean captain Yan Junxiang pays attention to Liu Renyou

Yan Junxiang. (Photo by reporter Gong Naijie)

[Reporter Gong Naijie/Taipei Report] The U18 Asian Youth Baseball Championship starts tomorrow, and the first game will be a battle between Taiwan and South Korea. South Korea's captain Yan Junxiang attended the pre-match press conference today. He bluntly said that he is most concerned about the tall left-hander Liu Renyou of the Taiwan team. "I played against him last year. After watching his film this year, I feel that he has become stronger."

Taiwanese left-hander Liu Renyou started the game against the United States in the U18 World Cup last year and hit a speed of 150 kilometers. He also faced the South Korean team in the Super Cycle and the third-place match and led his team to win third place. He is currently a player who has been tracked by foreign scouts for a long time. His fastest career speed can reach 151 kilometers.

The Diamondbacks signed Yan Junxiang from the South Korean team for US$1.5 million (approximately NT$47.52 million). Speaking of the Taiwanese player who impressed him the most, Liu Renyou said, "Last year I remember that I couldn't get too many hits from him, but I have grown up this year and I really want to have a head-to-head duel with him and defeat him."

Yan Junxiang believes that the Taiwanese team has many excellent pitchers and is a team that is very good at team tactics. The team has made a lot of preparations for this part. "I don't think there is a big gap in strength between the two teams. The key to tomorrow's victory or defeat probably depends on the luck on the day of the game and how much we can use what we have prepared during this period."