Before they play their first regular-season game together in Korea this spring, Australian shortstop Jarryd Dale and Korean third baseman Kim Do-yeong will square off as opponents at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in Tokyo next week. Kim is an established star for the Kia Tigers as the 2024 regular-season MVP. Dale signed with the Tigers in December as an Asian quota player to fill their hole at shortstop. Dale was already impressed with Kim during their short time together in spring training last month and grew even more so over the past couple of days, with Kim smacking home runs in back-to-back exhibition games against Japanese clubs. "I've made sure to watch and just try to study some of the hitters because I'm going to be playing shortstop for Team Australia so I just want to position myself to have success," Dale told Yonhap News Agency at Tokyo Dome after his team's official practice. "(Kim) is a good hitter. I played against him when I was still with Kia (in spring training scrimmages). He looks really impressive. I think he's going to have a good WBC, and I think he's going t