KIA foreigners, who were rolling and running, shook Koo Chang-mo with '11 walks' and a batting average of 0.353! It was like that. "If only I could grow 1% a day."

*This content was translated by AI.

NC Dinos' Koo Chang-mo (29) proved why he is the league's best left-hander ace against the KIA Tigers. The KIA batter who bothered Koo Chang-mo the most was not Kim Do-young (23) or Na Sung-beom (37), but KBO rookie Jarryd Dale (26).

KIA lost to NC 2-5 in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season home game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on the 3rd.

The loser was the batter's box against national team ace Koo Chang-mo. Koo Chang-mo, who started, secured his second win of the season by allowing one hit, three walks, and six strikeouts in six innings. It was the Untouchables themselves. Kim Sun-bin's right-handed hit was the only on-base hit in the bottom of the second inning, not a walk or an error. He also showed efficient pitching by cutting off most batters with less than five balls and playing six innings with 78 pitches.

What bothered Koo Chang-mo the most was surprisingly Dale. Dale is an Asian quarter player recruited by KIA this season, and he is also the only fielder in the KBO league in the Asian quarter. In the bottom of the third inning, Dale cleared six pitches with one out and 3B1S, picked up the 11th ball and walked on base. In the bottom of the sixth inning, the next at-bat, Koo Chang-mo paid back. Dale's bat could not be held up by the ball that was poking every corner, and eventually turned a blind eye to the slider that fell toward the body.

However, Dale finally succeeded in getting on multiple bases. In the bottom of the eighth inning, he hit left-hander Kim Young-kyu's sixth fastball to make a double on the right field line. Later, he homered on consecutive ground balls by Kim Ho-ryeong and Harold Castro. Dale, who scored one hit, one walk, and one run from three times at bat, raised his season's performance to a five-game batting average of 0.353 (6 hits in 17 times at bat) with three RBIs and three runs scored, and an on-base percentage of 0.471 OPS of 0.921. It is the No. 1 batting average and No. 1 OPS performance in the KIA team.

Efforts that have been silently devoted to training since the spring camp are gradually coming out as a result. Dale came to Korea and is checking his routine again. Dale, who met with Star News ahead of the LG Twins match in Jamsil on the 2nd, said, "My physical condition is really good. I'm trying to maintain my current mood because I feel good, he said. "Coaches take good care of me in the ground. I'm focusing on the process before and after I go to the ballpark myself," he said.

Here's the routine Dale is adjusting anew. It starts focusing two hours before the departure of the stadium. I warm up in a sauna and listen to music and control my mind. I tried to raise my concentration even a little by doing the most popular eye training in the KBO league. After the game, I stop by the treatment room. Trainers are also paying special attention because their long legs can overload them more often than other players. There's nothing special about it. As such, it is rapidly melting into the KBO league with a routine similar to that of Korean players.

Dale said, "I stretch a lot before the game, and after the game, I go to the training room and work hard on treatment. In the meantime, I haven't received much treatment, but the coach and coach are worried and paying attention to the overload on the leg side. Therefore, he explained that he is focusing on replenishing his physical strength and going to the treatment room by putting it in his routine.

KIA is the only team among the 10 KBO teams to choose fielders in the first year of the Asian quarter. The main shortstop Park Chan-ho tried to fill the gap in his transfer to the Doosan Bears. There was a heated debate among fans over this choice. There were various opinions that they should have nurtured shortstop prospects, and that they should have worked hard to strengthen the mound. There is also an opinion that Dale's skills are disappointing compared to other Asian quarters in both air and water.

The player himself knows his position and lack. It is also the reason why he runs again and swings his bat even if he falls, silently getting punctured and rolling in defense and batting training before every game. Dale said, "I think I'm still young and I can grow up. If you can only get better by 1% a day, it can be a big asset when the season is over. I'm trying to learn at least one more and grow more," he said. "As I am also a shortstop, my goal is to play one season of full season from the 1st to the 9th inning of each game. To do that, you have to hit every game and make no mistakes in defense," he stressed.

Dale, who has not yet looked around all the stadiums, is adjusting to the Korean ground. Contrary to his goal, a regrettable catch error came out against LG in Jamsil on the 1st and 2nd. In response, Dale said, "The ground on the second base side felt a little firmer. I was also embarrassed because it felt like my cheeks suddenly popped up. But I don't make excuses. As a shortstop, of course, I should have caught such a hit."

He kept his words that he would get better even by 1% a day. Dale was applauded for connecting Kim Hyung-joon's tricky ground ball to an out count in the top of the fourth inning against Gwangju NC on the 3rd. The bound was large and slow, so it was not easy to set the timing, but he did not miss it and sprayed it accurately to first base.

KIA fell to the bottom of the league with one win and five losses due to the loss on the day. However, Dale believed that the team could grow little by little with him. Dale said, "I don't have a personal goal. However, when this season is over, our team is cheering together toward the Korean Series. I try to hit every day for that scene," he said, expressing his strong ambition.

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*This content was translated by AI.