The Korean national baseball team will face tournament favorite Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) quarterfinals.
The team, led by manager Ryu Ji-hyun, will play a single-elimination quarterfinal match against the Dominican Republic at loanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, at 7:30 a.m. Korean time on March 14. The winner will face the victor of the United States-Canada game in the semifinals on March 16.
The Dominican Republic secured first place in Pool D with a 4-0 record after defeating Venezuela 7-5 in their final group stage game on March 12. This set up the quarterfinal matchup against Korea, which finished second in Pool C.
In that game, the Dominican lineup unleashed a barrage of home runs. Third baseman Juan Soto (New York Mets), second baseman Ketel Marte (Arizona Diamondbacks), cleanup hitter Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Toronto Blue Jays), and leadoff man Fernando Tatis Jr. (San Diego Padres) each hit a home run.
The Dominican Republic, managed by Albert Pujols—who hit 703 career home runs in Major League Baseball—has displayed formidable offensive power throughout the tournament. The team scored 41 runs across four pool games, averaging 10.3 runs per game. They dominated Nicaragua (12-3), the Netherlands (12-1), and Israel (10-1). Their 13 home runs lead all 20 participating teams. The pitching has been equally impressive, allowing just 10 runs in four games.
