Korean second baseman Kim Hye-seong, left, throws the ball to first base to turn a double play against Czechia during the teams' Pool C game at the World Baseball Classic at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, March 5. Yonhap

TOKYO — South Korean second baseman Kim Hye-seong has a ton of admiration for Japanese superstar and his Los Angeles Dodgers teammate Shohei Ohtani -- as long as he doesn't have to face him, that is.

And that fateful showdown between the two will take place Saturday night at the Tokyo Dome, for both countries' second Pool C game of the World Baseball Classic (WBC).

South Korea opened the tournament with an 11-4 win over Czechia, Thursday, and Japan, the defending champion, routed Chinese Taipei 13-0, Friday.

Ohtani smoked a grand slam and had five RBIs in that victory, something Kim said he enjoyed watching precisely because he was just a spectator.

"He's so great and it is always fun to see him when we don't play against him," Kim said at his pregame press conference Saturday. "When we are together on the Dodgers, I always root for him and want him to do well. But for today, when he hits anything in my direction, I am going to try to catch it and get him out. And I will be cheering on our pitchers to strike him out, too. He is an incredible player but I will regard him as just one of the players on the other team."

This is Kim's second WBC appearance but he did not play against Japan at the previous tournament in 2023.

Asked if he was particularly motivated for Saturday night because of his absence three years ago, Kim smiled and said, "I think the only difference between then and now is my age."

"My mindset is the same for every game. I want to win every game that I play," Kim added. "I want to play hard and leave everything out on the field. Japan is a title contender here and it's an honor to be in the same group with them. And it will also be a great experience to play against such a team."

Kim said he grew up watching South Korea getting locked in some memorable battles against Japan in earlier WBC tournaments, and he got fired up watching some of the highlights from those years.

Source: Korea Times News