Manager Kao Chih-hung's Chinese Taipei squad meets the CTBC Brothers at Xinzhuang on November 8 in a 1:05 p.m. exhibition, the last domestic tune-up before the team flies to Tokyo for the Asia Professional Baseball Championship opener against Japan on November 12.
Friday's first warm-up pitted the national selection against the Wei Chuan Dragons, the club that just won the CPBL Taiwan Series four games to two behind starter Cristopher Mercedes. Saturday's assignment swaps in Taichung's Brothers, a roster deep in October playoff innings and familiar with international-friendly hitters such as foreign pitchers who log winter ball in Latin America.
Roster choices under stadium lights
The 33-player pool includes three Japan-based pros — Hsu Hsiang-sheng, Chen Mu-heng, and Yang Po-hsiang — giving Kao live looks at bat speed against CPBL velocity before pool play. Broadcast partner CPBL TV streams both exhibitions alongside terrestrial sports channels, letting scouts in Tokyo watch plate-discipline trends without waiting for passport control.
Pitching usage will be conservative. Staffers hinted they want at least one more bullpen candidate to throw back-to-back innings against a playoff-caliber lineup, mirroring the quick turnarounds required when Japan-Korea doubleheaders stack in the Tokyo Dome.
Schedule stakes in Tokyo
The APBC uses a single round-robin among Japan, Korea, Australia, and Chinese Taipei, with the top two advancing to the Sunday night final. Taiwan meets Australia at 11:00 a.m. on November 13 and Korea at 6:00 p.m. on November 14, after the 6:00 p.m. November 12 clash with host Japan. Japan enters as two-time defending champion; Taiwan's best finish remains the 2017 silver medal run.
Ticket tiers in Tokyo span ¥1,800 obstructed views up to premium bowls above ¥10,000 for marquee games, pricing that pushed local travel agencies to pair flights with card promotions highlighted elsewhere in this edition's money pages.
What fans get at Xinzhuang
Tickets sold through ibon at NT$400 for general infield and NT$600 for hot zones, with national-team dugouts on the first-base side. Cheer squads from both clubs received passes to keep atmosphere close to a regular-season weekend despite the exhibition label.
Win or lose on Saturday, the metric is roster clarity. Kao must announce a trimmed traveling staff by Monday, and every at-bat against Brothers relievers who just faced October elimination games is data he cannot replicate in batting practice nets — especially with Japan's opening starter likely to front a home crowd five nights later.
Domestic broadcast ratings from Friday's Dragons exhibition will also weigh on travel roster picks if pitching staff wants another look at late-inning matchups.