Taiwan's national baseball team may have lost an exhibition game to the
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 4-0 yesterday, but Taiwanese fireballer Hsu Jo-hsi's
dominant performance for the Hawks gave local fans reason for hope ahead of
the World Baseball Classic.

Hsu, who is set to represent Taiwan in the WBC, tossed three scoreless
innings for the Hawks, the defending champions of Japan's Nippon Professional
Baseball (NPB).

He threw 44 pitches and surrendered only one hit, with his fastball topping
out at 99 miles per hour, tying his career high.

Thursday's exhibition at the Taipei Dome marked the right-hander's first
formal game appearance in five months.

Hsu joined the Hawks in late December 2025 on a three-year deal worth up to
$15 million US dollars.

Team Taiwan will wrap up its domestic exhibition schedule against the
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters at the Taipei Dome on Friday before departing
for Tokyo for the WBC.

(CNA - NS)