Historic win a good pitch for baseball

Also coached by Wang, with almost the same roster, Team China registered its best result at continental level in almost two decades by winning a bronze at the 2019 Asian Championships, beating the ROK twice on its way to the podium.

The pandemic-induced break from international training programs and overseas trips, however, abruptly hit the brakes on Team China's progression, resulting in a widening gap between its young hopefuls and the best in Asia.

In its first super-round loss to Chinese Taipei, Team China was struck out 15 times at bat, versus only three dismissals by its own pitchers, while walking its opponent 11 times, compared to two instances of base on balls itself.

With the majority of Korean and Japanese A-list stars skipping the Asian Games to focus on their pro league commitments, Chinese Taipei presented arguably the highest benchmark in Hangzhou for Team China to measure against.

"Physically, our batters need to get stronger so they can hit more aggressively. Our batting has to step up a gear to be competitive at this level. You cannot win a baseball game by just pitching and fielding well. You have to score," said Wang.

Team China's undoubted tournament highlight was Tuesday's historic 1-0 win against Japan in its final group game, marking a first-ever victory over its neighbor and Asian baseball powerhouse at any level.

China's star lead-off batter Liang Pei rose to the big occasion again as the 25-year-old, with the bases loaded, cracked an RBI single off the bat in the second inning, helping Cao Jie to home plate to score the only run of the game.

Liang also shone during the high-profile World Baseball Classic in March by delivering a home run against host Japan, which was led by MLB and Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani.

The remarkable win over Japan, despite its lack of roster depth, made the Hangzhou Asiad a tournament to remember for Chinese baseball fans, inspiring the national governing body to invest more in youth training and overseas exchange programs, which hints at a brighter future for the Chinese game.

"Our consistent effort in youth development over the years has paid dividends. This shall encourage us to keep pushing and working hard to make continuous improvements," the Chinese Baseball Association said in a statement.

Among 24 players on Team China's Asiad squad, 11 are younger than 23, with 19-year-old pitcher Wang Xiang standing out as the youngest player among all the teams in the final four.

"Chinese baseball has improved a lot. The team has good pitchers and batters who are already competitive at this level. We have to do our best and put up a good performance when facing them," ROK manager Ryu Joong-il said before Friday's game against China.

Supported by the CBA, the business expansion of MLB into the Asia-Pacific has also provided a helping hand in promoting the game in China, maintaining the domestic talent supply through its three development centers in East China's Jiangsu province.

Since the first development center opened in Wuxi in 2009, a total of seven Chinese prospects have graduated through the system to sign tryout or minor-league contracts with MLB clubs, including first baseman "Itchy" Xu Guiyuan (MLB's first contracted Chinese player who signed with the Baltimore Orioles in 2015) and pitcher "Sea" Gong Haicheng (who joined the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2017).

While none of them have seen action in "the Big Show", their experience in navigating the pro pipeline has helped bolster China's future hopes in the sport.