Weekend Picks

BASEBALL

Korea Baseball Organization

NC Dinos at Doosan Bears

2 p.m. Saturday, Jamsil Stadium, Seoul

It is finally the time for the Korean Series of the Korea Baseball Organization. This year’s Series begins on Saturday with second-seeded NC Dinos making a visit to the pennant winners Doosan Bears in Seoul.

The Dinos defeated the LG Twins 8-3 on Tuesday to conclude the series 3-1 and advance to the championship final of Korean professional baseball.

While the Dinos played four games in the lead up to the Korean Series, the Bears earned the bye after winning the regular season, preparing themselves to defend the KBO Championship title, which they clinched last year as the underdogs.

The consensus is that the Bears, who are virtually complete in every aspect of the game, will emerge with yet another championship title this year, taking both the pennants as well as the KBO trophy.

FOOTBALL

K-League Classic

Jeonnam Dragons at Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors

3 p.m. Saturday, Suncheon Palma Stadium, Suncheon, South Jeolla

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, currently ranked first in the K-League standings, will travel down to Suncheon to meet Jeonnam Dragons for the 36th round of this year’s Classic.

Jeonbuk, winners from last year, are hoping for a double crown this year, taking titles from the Asian Champions League and the K-League Classic.

But while the split round is well under way in the K-League Classic, it is unclear who will actually take the league title at the end of the season.

Although Jeonbuk are leading the league at the moment, FC Seoul are closely behind at second, tied in points with Jeonbuk but behind only in goal difference and number of losses, which makes this weekend important for the two.

BASKETBALL

Korean Basketball League

Goyang Orion Orions at Seoul SK Knights

4 p.m. Sunday, Jamsil Students’ Gymnasium, Seoul

The Goyang Orion Orions, defending champions of the Korean Basketball League (KBL) from last season, have begun their quest to defend their title this season.

According to many experts, the competition among the teams in the KBL will be fiercer than ever, as the level of competitiveness of the clubs has been more or less equalized for a number of reasons, including the transfer of players over the off-season transfer window as well as the debut of certain rookies.

For the Orions, their key player in the 2016-17 season will be Lee Seung-hyun, the MVP of last year’s championship series. Lee, who stands 1.92 meters (six feet four inches), is in his third year in the pros. During the regular season last year, he played 35 minutes per game while scoring 11.20 on average.