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Zheng Chaoqun winds up a pitch during a super-round game against the Republic of Korea on Friday. HAGPP AND AGENCIES

Despite a bronze-medal balk, Team China's first-ever victory over Japan is a home run for the game's domestic profile, Sun Xiaochen reports

Still a niche event aspiring to join the country's sporting mainstream, Chinese baseball is embracing the exposure at the Asian Games, seeing the event as a major boost for the sport's profile in the host nation.

Despite finishing without a medal again, the Chinese baseball team has taken pride from its gutsy performances against the continent's baseball powerhouses at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, with the young squad motivated to keep maturing and playing itself into medal contention in the near future.

After losing to Chinese Taipei and the Republic of Korea in two super-round games, then Japan in the bronze-medal match, Team China completed its Hangzhou campaign with a 3-3 win-loss record to secure a fourth-place finish for an eighth straight time since the sport's Asiad debut in 1994.

Crowds enjoy the action at Shaoxing Baseball and Softball Sports Centre. HAGPP AND AGENCIES

Batting against the "Big Three" on the continental stage, though, has been a much-needed learning curve, according to head coach Wang Wei.

"I think the overall experience so far at the Asian Games has been nothing but positive for our young players," Wang said after Team China's 4-1 defeat to Chinese Taipei in its first super-round game on Thursday at Shaoxing Baseball and Softball Sports Centre.

"I am particularly happy with the quality of our pitchers and our overall defensive play, which prevented opponents from getting hits and runs.

"Our batters, however, still need more high-level games at this level and beyond to get used to the power, velocity and finesse from pitches of a quality they don't normally face."

Team China's overall score of five runs from 19 hits across 27 innings, compared to the total 16 from 28 scored by opponents in the final three games — including an 8-1 rout by the ROK on Friday and Saturday's narrow 4-3 defeat to Japan — has underlined that the lack of consistent quality competition has taken a toll on the young squad's progression over the past four years.

China's first baseman Cao Jie competes during the bronze-medal match against Japan on Saturday. HAGPP AND AGENCIES

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.