"We were watching from the locker room." Yataba High reaches the national tournament finals for the first time in nine years; professional alumni also offered their support

*This content was translated by AI.

Even from a distance, their hearts were united. Professional players who graduated from Yataba High expressed pride in their juniors who advanced to the national finals for the first time in nine years.

At the finals of the 2026 Shinsegae E-Mart Cup National High School Baseball Tournament held on the 12th at Incheon SSG Landers Field, Yataba High lost to Deoksu High 6-12, settling for the runner-up position.

This marked the fifth time since the school's founding in 1997 that Yataba High reached the national finals. Until now, the only national championship title was won in 2017 under the leadership of Shin Min-hyuk (27, NC Dinos). Due to KBO League games scheduled on Sundays, many graduated professional players were unable to attend. However, their support for their juniors remained unwavering. Song Seung-gi (24), who graduated in 2021, and Woo Kang-hoon (24, LG Twins), watched their juniors' games from the Jamsil Baseball Stadium locker room.

When recently met at Jamsil Baseball Stadium, Song Seung-gi recalled, "It just so happened that Woo Kang-hoon also graduated from Yataba High, and we watched the finals together in the locker room. We also wanted to experience a high school championship win, but unfortunately, we only made it to the quarterfinals."

He continued, "That's why I think our juniors are amazing. They are working incredibly hard and are full of fighting spirit. I hope they can maintain that spirit until the end, stay healthy, and keep working hard. I want to tell them they've worked so hard, and as a graduate, I will strive to show even better performances."

Yoon Dong-hee (23, Lotte Giants), a 2022 graduate, also stated firmly, "Of course, I heard the news and knew about it. Even during my time, we didn't make it to the finals, let alone the semifinals, so I am truly proud of our juniors. The distance between Busan and Seongnam is far, so I couldn't visit often, but I want to tell them that finishing as runners-up is an incredible achievement. I will wait for the day when they can play alongside me on the professional stage, working as hard as they are now."

Yataba High, which caused a sensation in this tournament, was a team that deserved all the applause. Limited to using only three third-year pitchers, Yataba High set its goal at reaching the quarterfinals. Through focused batting and outstanding pitching performances, the team advanced to the finals. The gap in strength was so significant in the finals against Deoksu High that even ace Park Si-hoo (18), who had pitched 77 pitches in the semifinals to lead the team to the finals, had to be replaced, forcing a first-year player to take his place.

Yataba High faced an early setback when the game was delayed due to an error in the Automatic Ball-Strike (ABS) system, and they started with difficulty after surrendering a grand slam. However, Lee Won-young (18), who had thrown 56 pitches in the semifinals, was urgently brought in from the second inning and pitched a complete 105-pitch, 6-inning performance. The batting lineup gradually caught up, keeping the outcome uncertain until the seventh inning.

Lee Won-young, who received the Outstanding Performance Award for his consecutive strong outings, said, "I will not be satisfied with just finishing as runners-up in this tournament. I will work hard to achieve good results in the next national tournament as well," leaving fans anticipating his continued performance.

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*This content was translated by AI.