When I heard that I was a starting pitcher for the Korean War, it was like I was dreaming.”
On the 9th, Australia’s ‘Young Gun’ left-handed pitcher, Jack O’Rourkelin, will start as a starting pitcher for the WBC Korea match. The Australian national team also risked it. Australia and Korea will face off in the first round of Group B of the WBC finals at Tokyo Dome, Japan from 12:00 pm on the 9th. The match between the two teams is the first match in Group B.
Australian national team 안전놀이터, coach David Nielsen predicted O’Rooklin as a starter for the Korean match. It is an unexpected choice. Australia must defeat Korea to advance to the quarterfinals. Considering the bigger power gap with Japan, it was expected that they would put out pitchers with a lot of experience in the game against Korea. Pitchers like Warwick Saupold, who has experience in the KBO League and major leagues, Tim Atherton, a veteran pitcher called “Captain,” or Mitch Nunnborn, who is active in their home league, were strong candidates. However, coach Nielsen boldly selected a 22-year-old minor leaguer, a promising player who had not blossomed yet, as a starter for the Korean game.
It’s a great adventure for Australia. O’Rourkeline is a Detroit Tigers minor leaguer, especially a player at the Single-A level. As he is only 22 years old, he is a strong pitcher with potential for future development.
Last season, he mainly appeared as a bullpen in the Detroit minors, but this winter, as a starter for his hometown team, the Adelaide Giants, he appeared in seven games and recorded a respectable ERA of 3.27. In particular, in Adelaide’s third game of the ABL Championship Series, the winning pitcher was the starting pitcher O’Rooklyn.
The Australian national team entrusted O’Rourkeline, who is a promising player in the domestic league, with the heavy responsibility of starting the first match of the WBC. Auror Clean attended the official press conference held at the Tokyo Dome on the 8th and calmly expressed his determination to face Korea, but he confessed that he couldn’t believe the start.