Albert Pujols, manager of the Dominican Republic national baseball team, mentioned South Korean starting pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin at the official press conference held on the 12th at Art Parr Milan-Cortina Rondipark in Florida, USA, one day before the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) quarterfinals. Pujols said, "He is a pitcher we know," and added, "Facing a known pitcher is a good thing for our team."

Ryu Hyun-jin is expected to effectively retire from the national team after this tournament. He is preparing for his final appearance without concern for outside evaluations. Ryu can throw up to 80 pitches in this game, as the pitch count limit increases from 65 in the first round to 80 in the quarterfinals.

Manny Machado, captain of the Dominican team, referred to his past experience playing with Ryu Hyun-jin on the Los Angeles Dodgers, saying, "He was a great player and a great teammate." Machado pledged, "I will do my best to win today's game."

Pujols mentioned a lack of information about the South Korean team, stating, "Honestly, I haven't watched many Korean games. We've been busy preparing our team." He added that he would rely on the information from the scouting team for the game. Machado said he has received a lot of information about the Korean team and will base his strategy on it.

Regarding game strategy, Pujols explained that starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez would pitch 4 to 5 innings, with the bullpen covering the remaining innings. He also said the lineup would be the same as against Venezuela, except for catcher Agustin Ramirez. He expressed dissatisfaction with Korea hiding their starting lineup.

In response, Ryu Ji-hyun, manager of the South Korean national team, stated at a press conference, "We have never hidden anything. Please do not misunderstand," and revealed the starting lineup.

Pujols emphasized, "My father said that if you don't feel nervous before a game, you are not ready to go into battle," and added, "We are ready."

The Dominican Republic's starting lineup is as follows: 1st right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr., 2nd second baseman Ketel Marte, 3rd left fielder Juan Soto, 4th first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 5th third baseman Manny Machado, 6th designated hitter Junior Caminero, 7th center fielder Julio Rodriguez, 8th catcher Agustin Ramirez, and 9th shortstop Geraldo Perdomo.

The game will be held on the 14th at Rondipark in Miami, Florida, USA, Korean time. The matchup between the two teams is attracting significant attention from baseball fans, with focus on each team's strategy and preparations.