◆WBC exhibition game: Orix Buffaloes vs. South Korea (March 3rd, Kyocera Dome Osaka)

Orix Buffaloes will face the South Korean national team. The game is scheduled to start at 12:00. On the 2nd, win a night game against the Japanese national team, but about 14 hours later they will face a rival of Samurai Japan. Manager Mamoru Kishida attended the pre-game press conference. He revealed that he would put players who want to get more at-bats, such as Nishikawa, Ota, Kurebayashi, and Seymour, in the upper part of the batting order. Regarding pitcher staff, he announced that 41-year-old pitcher-coach Yoshihisa Hirano would take the mound, saying, "I want to check his condition." He also expressed his determination, saying, "I think South Korea plays power baseball, so we will not be overwhelmed by that power."

When asked by the Korean media about Korean national team players to watch, he replied, "I know Lee Jeong-ho and Kim Hye-sung are great players," but as he was unable to watch the match between the Korean national team and Hanshin Tigers on the 2nd, he couldn't give a detailed answer and gave a wry smile. "Other Korean players I know are Park Chan-ho, Lee Seung-yeop, and Lee Dae-ho. I had the opportunity to play with them, and they were all nice guys," he said, tactfully naming three players who also played for Orix Buffaloes.