The Australian Baseball League has been expanded to eight teams for the 2018/19 season with the inclusion of Geelong-Korea - a team entirely made up of 25 players from the Asian nation.
Geelong-Korea will play alongside the Adelaide Bite, Melbourne Aces and the Perth Heat in the ABL's Southwest Division, and around 40 of their matches will be broadcast live on Korean TV.
Baseball Australia CEO Cam Vale said the inclusion marked a significant moment for the sport in Australia.
“We have a strong desire within the Baseball Australia not only to grow the game here but also to connect Asia to support their growth,” Mr Vale said.
Victorian Minister for Tourism John Eren said the addition would open the league to a wider audience.
“Korea has the fourth largest economy in Asia and the population is more than 50 million people,” he said.
“Hosting the baseball team provide the significant opportunity to develop and strengthen trade, sports and tourism connections."
The club recently finalised its roster, which included former Korean Baseball Organisation (KBO) pitchers Jin-Woo Kim, Jae-Gon Lee and Jin-Yong Jang.
Jin-Woo Kim, 35, brings plenty of experience, having played 247 KBO games over 13 seasons.
The right-hander did not feature this season but holds a 74-61 record and 4.07 ERA across his career.
He told SBS Korean his team’s goal was to win the championship in their first season.
“Our players are very patient and passionate. I believe we can show the great game to our fans,” he said.
Team captain Yong-Wook Lee said: “I am helping our players to feel like a family here and I hope we can go together as one team.”
South Korean legend Dae-Sung Koo has been named as the team's inaugural manager.
He brings a wealth of experience to the role having played in the KBO and ABL, as well as in the Nippon Professional Baseball league and Major League Baseball in the US during a decorated 23-year career.
Koo playing for the Sydney Blue Sox Source: Baseball Australia
“I am more focusing on the physical training recently and I want to help our players do their best until the end without giving up,” he said.
Geelong Mayor Bruce Harwood said hosting an ABL team was a very exciting prospect.
“This is a great opportunity for Geelong to be exposed to the Asian market in particular through Korea,” he said.
“I know Korea loves their baseball and we hope we can let the Korean community know this is a great country to visit and Geelong is a great city to come down to explore and have a good time down here.”
Geelong-Korea will begin its campaign against Perth Heat on November 22 at Geelong Baseball Centre.
