Samsung Lions captain Koo Ja-wook speaks at a press conference at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in Daegu, Oct. 14. Yonhap

Having dealt with a bout of nausea and vomiting after his team's postseason victory some 24 hours earlier, Samsung Lions captain Koo Ja-wook insisted Monday he is ready to battle through illness.

"I am feeling better than yesterday, and I can definitely play," Koo said in a pregame presser before Game 2 of the second round in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason against the LG Twins at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in Daegu, 235 kilometers southeast of Seoul. "If I am out of the lineup, it will hurt the team. I will have to play through this condition."

Koo was under the weather during the Lions' 10-4 victory in Sunday's Game 1. He said he had a migraine before and during the game, but he still hit a towering three-run homer and added two more hits while scoring three times. After the game, Koo was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

"I was dizzy the whole game, and I was worried about hurting the team," Koo said. "I think I was just lucky to have played so well yesterday."

With two runners on, Koo said he just wanted to make solid contact and drive in at least a run.

"I got a pitch in my sweet spot and that home run just happened out of nowhere," Koo said. "The win was a total team effort. We played great defense, and our pitchers did an excellent job."

Koo is usually one of the boisterous figures in the dugout during games but wasn't feeling well enough to be the cheerleader Sunday. But it turned out his teammates didn't need Koo to fire them up.

"I could tell they were enjoying themselves, and I didn't have to worry," Koo said. "Some of our young players are gaining valuable experience on this stage, and this will set them up for a great future. I think we were able to win yesterday because those guys played with so much confidence." (Yonhap)