*This content was translated by AI.
A young man who caught a cookware at a military restaurant just three years ago is now traveling around the world wearing a national team uniform. Ahn Hyun-min (23, KT Wiz), who achieved his first goal of advancing to the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic (WBC), expressed his sincerity toward the bigger stage with the back story of the dramatic match.
The Korean baseball team, led by head coach Ryu Ji-hyun (55), beat Australia 7-2 in the fourth Group C match of the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) at Tokyo Dome, Japan, at 7 p.m. on the 9th.
Ahead of the match, the number of cases in which Korea advanced to the quarterfinals was limited. According to the rules of the tournament, the team with a low run rate had to meet the conditions of "less than two runs" and "winning by more than five points" at the same time. However, he met all these conditions, pushing Taiwan and Australia away and heading dramatically to Miami. The second-ranked opponent in Group C is the first in Group D, and the Dominican Republic, which is currently winning two consecutive games, is the most likely. The quarterfinals will be held at 7:30 a.m. on the 14th (Korea time).
It was a thrilling match. Decisive moments followed in the ninth inning. With a 6-2 lead in the top of the ninth inning, Ahn Hyun-min took the batter's box with one out and runners on the first and third bases. Here, Ahn Hyun-min calmly made a sacrifice fly to center field and scored a sacrifice RBI like a thousand gold.
With a 7-2 lead, Korea should not have lost a point. Ahn Hyun-min was excluded from the game as Park Hae-min, a pinch runner in the top of the ninth inning, entered center field in the bottom of the ninth inning. Lee Jung-hoo, who was the starting center fielder, moved to right field. With one out and one on the first base, Australia's Rickson Wingrove's ball headed toward right field. The ball that seemed to cut through the right-center was blocked by Lee Jung-hoo's good defense. It was a scene where Lee Jung-hoo's quick batting judgment and defense sense stood out. In the end, Australia did not score in the bottom of the ninth inning and the game ended.
After the game, Ahn Hyun-min said of the defense scene in the bottom of the ninth inning, "I was grateful that I was in the dugout. (Kim) I was with Do-young, and she told me that I wouldn't have caught her if it were me. That's because the trajectory of the ball could go into the right field. It's an experience. This is because you have to imagine the trajectory and also expect to get out of the light. I was still grateful to coach Ryu Ji-hyun in my heart because I still think I'm not good enough defensively," he jokingly explained.
Even before the competition, there would have been a lot of pressure to be the fourth batter of the national team, but Ahn Hyun-min was unexpectedly calm after the quarterfinals were confirmed. "I thought I would cry if I did it until yesterday, but when it was confirmed, I felt more relieved that the congestion that had been tied down was going down," he said.
"I think this advance to the quarterfinals will be the pride of my life. Since I got the first step well, I have a desire to participate in all international competitions and go higher from now on," he said, showing a special attachment to the Taegeuk mark.
Regarding the meeting with major league superstars who will face off in the quarterfinals, he showed excitement and cool self-objectification at the same time. Ahn Hyun-min said, "First of all, we need to increase our ability to respond to fast balls. "I'm facing my limitations in dealing with world-class pitchers, but I'm constantly revising by communicating with my batting coach in the process," he said.
In particular, in response to Lee Jung-hoo's advice to experience the infrastructure and system of Major League Baseball and have big dreams, Ahn Hyun-min said, "When I face world-class players directly, my dream is bigger. I think my current experience will lead me to a higher place," he said, expressing his willingness to advance to the big league in the future.
Ahn Hyun-min's pledge not to stop growing while honestly acknowledging his shortcomings has now led to Miami, a bigger stage beyond Tokyo.
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*This content was translated by AI.
