KIA TIGERS vs. NC DINOS PREVIEW

GWANGJU, South Korea (Interstat) — The Kia Tigers aim to continue their push toward the top of the Korea Baseball Organization standings when they host the NC Dinos on Friday night at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field.

First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. under a forecast of rain and 74 degrees.

Kia (44-35-3) enters the series opener after an 8-7 win Thursday against the Shinsegae Landers. The Tigers sit comfortably above .500 and have won four of their last six games. NC (36-41-1) arrives following a 6-1 loss to the Samsung Lions on Thursday, dropping three of its last four.

The pitching matchup features NC right-hander Kim Tae-gyeong, who threw five innings of two-run ball in his last start, allowing four hits with two strikeouts in a loss to Samsung. Over his past four appearances, Kim has posted a 4.26 ERA across 12⅔ innings, striking out nine while surrendering 13 hits.

For Kia, outfielder Na Sung-bum has been a force at the plate. He went 4-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs in Thursday’s win, continuing a streaky but productive stretch. In his last 10 games, Na has collected multiple hits in four of them, including three against the Landers and two home runs over the span of a week.

The series has been competitive this season. The Dinos took two of three at home from the Tigers in late April, winning 7-2 and 5-4 before dropping a 10-inning affair, 9-4. At Gwangju in early April, NC won the first two games, 6-0 and 5-2, before Kia blanked the Dinos 3-0 in the finale.

Friday’s game is the first of a three-game set between the clubs. Both teams continue their series Saturday and Sunday before hitting the road next week. NC visits Hanwha from July 7-9, while Kia heads to Lotte for a three-game series.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, Kia is projected to win 5-3, with the Tigers holding a 58.3% win probability in the ELO system. The teams are scheduled to play 11 more times this season after Friday.