World No. 4 Chinese Taipei unveils roster for new WBSC Premier12 global baseball battle

TAIPEI, Taiwan — The Chinese Taipei Baseball Association (CTBA) today announced the 28-man roster of the Chinese Taipei men’s National Team that will battle in the first-ever 2015 WBSC Premier12, which unites the top 12 nations in the baseball world.

CTBA, WBSC Premier12 co-hosts, also announced that ticket sales will be launched online (https://baohan.tixcraft.com/activity/detail/2015_P12). A special “Chinese Taipei 5-game ticket package” will be available from 1-14 October, while the general ticket sales for the Taiwan opening round will launch on 15 October.

Chinese Taipei National Team Roster

The 28-man roster of the world No. 4 in the WBSC World Baseball Rankings consists of 13 pitchers, 3 catchers, 7 infielders and 5 outfielders and is led by star outfielder Yoh Dai-Kang of Hokkaido Nippon Hams (Nippon Professional Baseball – NPB) and top stars in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL).

Chinese Taipei manager Taiyuan Kuo unveiled the final list at the conclusion of deliberations by the national selection committee and said, “Winning or losing, it’s on me.”

The pitching crew is led by seasoned pitcher and 2008 Beijing Olympian Wei-Lun Pan (CPBL Uni-President) with Chun-Lin Kuo (NPB Seibu), Kuan-Yu Chen (NPB Chiba), Kou-Hua Lo (Minnesota Twins Class Adv-A), Yu-Hsun Chen (CPBL Lamigo), Po-Yu Lin (CPBL Lamigo), Ching-Ming Wang (CPBL Uni-President), Hung-Wen Chen (CPBL Chinatrust), Chia-Jen Lo (CPBL EDA), Fu-Te Ni (CPBL EDA), Tzu-Wei Lin (CPBL Uni-President), Yen-Ching Lu (National Taiwan Physical Education and Sport University) and Chia-Hao Sung.

Chinese Taipei National Team veteran catcher Chih-Kang Kao (CPBL Uni-President) heads the catching crew with power hitter Hung-Yu Lin (CPBL Lamigo) and Chin-Teh Chang (MiLB Pittsburgh Pirates Class High A).

Chinese Taipei’s infield is formed by CPBL star players, including three core players from Lamigo: Yen-Wen Kuo, Chun-Hsiu Chen and Chih-Sheng Lin in addition to Yi-Chuan Lin (CPBL EDA), Yung-Chih Chen (CPBL Uni-President), Chih-Hsiang Lin (CPBL Uni-President) and Chih-Hsien Chiang (CPBL Chinatrust).

The outfield crew is led by superstar Yoh Dai-Kang (NPB Hokkaido), alongside new CPBL single-season home run record holder Kuo-Hui Kao (CPBL EDA), Chien-Ming Chang (CPBL EDA), Chih-Hao Chang (CPBL Chinatrust) and sensational rookie Po-Jung Wang (CPBL Lamigo).

“It was a pleasure, and at the same time, an agony, to select the final 28 players from the preliminary list,” said Kuo, “but I believe this is the best selection of players available domestically and internationally.”

Kuo also revealed that Yoh reached out to him and expressed his interest to represent the National Team soon after Kuo was announced as Chinese Taipei’s Premier12 manager back in June.

The Chinese Taipei Premier12 squad features a new generation of Taiwan baseball players, as 25% of the National Team is 23 years-of-age or younger, with the youngest at 19.

Manager Kuo indicated that “it would be a great opportunity for these youngsters to improve and prove themselves [on the international stage], and I am confident that these would be our core players [if] Tokyo 2020 comes.”

Chinese Taipei will stage an early training camp from 1 October for players who have finished their seasons, while the full squad will begin training together after the completion of the CPBL post-season in mid-October.

Chinese Taipei, in Group A, will open the Taiwan Round of the 2015 WBSC Premier12 on 9 November against world No. 5 Netherlands at Taichung Intercontinental Stadium.