"Lee Kangmin, a high school rookie, has three hits before his debut!" 'He wrote history for the first time in 30 years' KT defeated LG 11-7 [Jamsil Field Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

KT Wiz of professional baseball announced a pleasant start to the 2026 season by tapping the defending champion LG Twins from the opening game. At the center was Lee Kang-min (19), a high school graduate rookie.

KT beat LG 11-7 in the opening game of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on the 28th.

It is a legion of wizards who show off their overwhelming firepower. While hitting 18 hits in long and short, rookie Lee Kang-min flew with three hits and two RBIs in five at-bats. After graduating from Yushin High School, he joined the team as the 16th overall in the second round of the 2026 KBO rookie draft, drawing attention as a defense reminiscent of Samsung manager Park Jin-man. However, he also showed off his strong presence by proving why he was the fourth batter of the Yushin High School at bat. Lee Kang-min's three hits are the second three hits in the opening game of a high school graduate in KBO history since Jang Sung-ho (the match against the two university players) on April 13, 1996.

In addition, Heo Kyung-min hit 3 hits and 1 RBI in 5 at-bats, and Sam Hilliard hit 3 hits (one home run) in 4 at-bats with his first home run in the KBO. Ryu Hyun-in and Junghoon Lee also marked two hits and one RBI in five at-bats and two hits and two RBIs in three at-bats, respectively.

KT also won by decision in the starting showdown. KT Matt Sauer earned his first win by allowing five hits (one homer) with five walks and one strikeout and three runs in five innings. LG, which ambitiously challenged for the second consecutive win, showed weakness on the mound. Starting pitcher Yoni Chirinos became a losing pitcher when he collapsed with six hits, one walk and six runs in one inning without striking out.

The home team LG had eight hits in front of 23,750 full spectators. Austin Dean scored three hits and two runs in five at-bats, Park Dong-won three hits in three at-bats (one home run) with one walk and three RBIs, and Moon Bo-kyung two hits in three at-bats with one RBI and one walk. However, the rest of the hitters did not come to the right place and recorded their first loss.

On this day, KT formed a lineup of Choi Won-joon (center fielder), Kim Hyun-soo (first baseman), Ahn Hyun-min (right fielder), Sam Hilliard (left fielder), Ryu Hyun-in (second baseman), Junghoon Lee (designated hitter), Heo Kyung-min (third baseman), Han Seung-taek (catcher), and Lee Kang-min (striker). The starting pitcher is Matt Sauer.

Against this, LG's lineup consisted of Hong Chang-ki (right wing), Shin Min-jae (second baseman), Austin Dean (first baseman), Moon Bo-kyung (designated hitter), Park Dong-won (captor), Moon Sung-joo (left wing), Oh Ji-hwan (striker), Koo Bon-hyuk (third baseman), and Park Hae-min (middle fielder). The starting pitcher is Yoni Chirinos.

KT's batting lineup, which deployed left-handed hitters forward, exploded from the start. With two outs in the top of the first inning, Ahn Hyun-min walked and Hilliard hit left-handed to create an opportunity. Ryu Hyun-in hit the ball to the body to score the first run with a timely RBI single to the right. There was a successive timely hit. Junghoon Lee quickly widened the gap to 4-0 with a timely RBI single to the left, Huh Kyung-min a timely RBI single to the left, and Han Seung-taek a timely RBI single to the right.

Lee Kang-min, who took his first professional at-bat as a high school graduate rookie, boldly hit the first pitch. Lee Kang-min's hit sent a hit close to the central fence so that Park Hae-min couldn't keep up with it, leading to a two-run timely hit. Chirinos barely finished the first inning by turning Choi Won-joon, the first batter, on a ground ball. After that, he was replaced by Bae Jae-joon, ending his worst day.

KT starter Sauer was also disappointed. Sauer caused the crisis with consecutive walks to Moon Bo-kyung and Park Dong-won with two outs and a runner on first base in the bottom of the first inning. He finished the inning by handling Moon Sung-joo's fly ball to left field. In the second inning, he made a three-out inning, but he showed another difficulty in controlling the ball in the bottom of the third inning.

In the bottom of the third inning, leadoff hitter Hong Chang-ki walked and Austin and Moon Bo-kyung loaded the bases with one out with consecutive hits. At this time, left fielder Hilliard's defense was regrettable. Hilliard failed to properly capture the drop point of Park Dong-won's hit, making it a timely RBI. Moon Sung-joo made up one more point with an RBI single in right field sacrifice fly. LG's 2-6 chase.

KT ran away right away. In the top of the fourth inning, leadoff hitter Ahn Hyun-min got on base after being hit by a body, and Hilliard and Ryu Hyun-in grounded out. After that, Ahn Hyun-min homered as Junghoon Lee's ball hit Austin's glove and headed to the right outfield. KT's 7-2 lead.

A battle of one step and one step was fought. Park Dong-won hit a solo shot to the left in the bottom of the fifth inning with two outs. Then KT's leadoff hitter Ahn Hyun-min hit a large triple to center field in the top of the sixth inning, and Hilliard paid back one point with a fly ball to left field.

In the seventh inning, there was also a slugfest. In the top of the seventh inning, leadoff hitter Lee Kang-min scored a hit against the changed pitcher Baek Seung-hyun. Lee Kang-min headed to second base with an opponent's wild pitch and homered when Kim Hyun-soo hit to the right. The gap widened to eight points as Hilliard then hit a superior two-run of 120 meters over the distance. KT's 11-3 lead.

LG showed concentration with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Moon Bo-kyung called home with a double on the right field line when Austin went out with a right-handed hit. LG's 5-11 chase as Park Dong-won hit an RBI single to the left. After Moon Sung-joo got on base with a hit to the right, Lee Jae-won came out as a pinch hitter at Oh Ji-hwan's at-bat. However, Lee Jae-won did not live up to expectations by swinging heavily.

KT left a bitter aftertaste with its last-minute shaky bullpen and disappointing defense. In the bottom of the eighth inning, leadoff hitter Koo Bon-hyuk walked, and Park Hae-min and Hong Chang-ki made consecutive hits to load the bases. Shin Min-jae pulled Sugimoto Kouki off the mound with a timely RBI, and Woo Kyu-min took the mound.

Austin's grounder to third base replaced catcher Han Seung-taek. KT third baseman Huh Kyung-min caught a ground ball and put second baseman Hong Chang-ki out by touching the third base. When Han Seung-taek did not throw to third base during the third base runner's run-down process, head coach Lee Kang-chul immediately ordered replacement. Park Young-hyun, who came up from the first out, took the save by blocking Moon Bo-kyung without losing a point, except for giving up an RBI in right field sacrifice fly.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.