Omar Lopez: "The Opening Round was special, it's time to try to win it all"
World No. 4 Venezuela will open the WBSC Premier12 2024 presented by RAXUS Super Round facing No. 2 Chinese Taipei on Thursday, November 21, at 12 (local time) at the Tokyo Dome.
"I'm blessed to be here," manager Omar Lopez told the media after the team's practice. "It's my first time in the country."
Perez commented on Venezuela's first-place finish in the Opening Round.
"We played well. Ours is a balanced team. The chemistry we were able to create is what took us here to Japan."
The best Venezuela's asset is the pitching staff.
"We had the best earned run average and the most strikeouts. It's no secret that you have a chance to win baseball games when you can pitch. We had great performances from Ricardo Pinto, Mario Sanchez and Jesus Vargas. I am very happy with every other pitcher. I told them that the games will dictate our strategy. We don't have set roles, and we may need to use three pitchers to get three outs. Sanchez is not with us now. He returned to Venezuela to get his VSA and will join the team soon."
"It's also my first time in Japan," added captain Hernan Perez. "I walked around Tokyo, and I loved it. It's a wonderful city, and people are respectful."
"The fact my teammates chose me as their captain is a privilege," he added. "I wasn't playing early, but I'm healthy, and the manager gave me a chance later, and I think I performed well. We created a family in that clubhouse."
Perez spoke about the importance of working with coach Gerardo Parra, who was with the Yomiuri Giants during his playing career.
"He is giving a lot of tips on how to play in the Dome. He keeps repeating you have to respect baseball in Japan. Parra has been a great player and is a great coach."
Manager Lopez confirmed Parra was his priority when he selected the coaching staff.
"The fact he was available was fundamental to me. He is our tool-gay. He shared a lot of intelligence with us. When I accepted this challenge, I focused on getting the support of players and coaches who know baseball in Asia."
On a final note, Lopez spoke about the game against Chinese Taipei.
"We want to step on the field with the same attitude we showed in Mexico. We will work on a game plan today and tomorrow. We made it to the Medal Round for the first time, and now it's time to play to win it all."
Hernan Perez made it even clearer: "Our country deserves to see us be the best in the world."