Czechia has announced its roster for a two-game exhibition series against South Korea in Seoul from Nov. 8–9, part of the K-Baseball Series that will serve as a tuneup ahead of the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
The roster features 13 players from Czechia’s 2023 World Baseball Classic team and 18 from the squad that captured a historic bronze medal at the 2025 European Championship.
The headliner is outfielder Marek Chlup, who earlier this year became the first Czech player to debut in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. Chlup appeared in just two games for the Yomiuri Giants before fracturing his hamate bone. After returning to Yomiuri’s farm team for rehab, he was not recalled to the top roster to finish the season.
In Japan’s minor leagues, Chlup had a solid debut campaign, hitting .273/.330/.406 with four home runs, 31 RBIs and eight stolen bases. Yomiuri declined to renew his contract, making him a free agent. Chlup is expected to use the exhibition series to showcase his skills for potential offers from clubs in Japan or Korea. With veteran catcher Martin Červenka unavailable, Chlup will anchor Czechia’s lineup as its most accomplished hitter.
Catcher Martin Zelenka will start behind the plate in Červenka’s absence. Considered the future of the national team at the position, Zelenka has spent the past two seasons with Division I UNC Wilmington. He hit .292/.378/.385 with one home run in 2025 and posted a .771 OPS in 16 games this year in the Czech Extraliga.
On the mound, right-hander Daniel Padyšák headlines the pitching staff. Padyšák briefly pitched for Oisix in Japan’s minor leagues this season, tossing five scoreless innings with two strikeouts before an injury ended his season. The setback kept him out of the European Championship, but he has since recovered and will use this series to prepare for a key role at the 2026 World Baseball Classic. The matchup will be a valuable test, as several Korean hitters could also appear in next year’s WBC.
Another arm to watch is David Křeček, one of Czechia’s top young pitching prospects. The 19-year-old posted a 4.41 ERA and struck out 94 batters in 79 2/3 innings in the Czech Extraliga this season. He’ll look to make a strong impression on the coaching staff in hopes of earning a WBC roster spot.
Czechia Roster
Pitchers
Filip Čapka
Tomáš Duffek
Lukáš Ercoli
Lukáš Hlouch
Ryan Johnson
Filip Kollman
Jan Kozel
David Křeček
Marek Minařík
Jan Novák
Tomáš Ondra
Daniel Padyšák
Matyáš Trčka
Ondřej Vostatek
Catchers
Martin Zelenka
Jakub Winkler
Matouš Bubeník
Infielders
Martin Červinka
Willie Escala
Vojtěch Menšík
Martin Mužík
Milan Prokop
Jan Pospíšil
Outfielders
Marek Chlup
Marek Krejčiřík
Michal Šindelka
Photo: TOKYO, JAPAN – MARCH 10: Czech Republic players celebrate the team’s victory in the World Baseball Classic Pool B game between Czech Republic and China at Tokyo Dome on March 10, 2023 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Kenta Harada/Getty Images)
