'12 consecutive finals victories in national tournaments': Daesung High School coach Jung Yun-jin returns to lead South Korea's U-18 team after 13 years

*This content was translated by AI.

Known as a 'legendary high school baseball coach,' Daesung High School's Jung Yun-jin (55) is set to take charge of the South Korean youth national baseball team for the first time in 13 years.

The Korea Baseball and Softball Association (KBSA) announced on the 4th that it has completed the selection of coaches for all age-group national teams and university representative teams who will safeguard the pride of Korean baseball on the international stage in 2026.

The KBSA held two performance improvement committee meetings on April 10 and April 27, conducting document reviews and interviews with coaches who applied through a public recruitment process. The association comprehensively evaluated leadership, game management skills, and player management capabilities to ultimately select the most suitable leaders for each age-group national team.

The most notable appointment is Daesung High School coach Jung Yun-jin taking charge of the U-18 Asian Youth Baseball Championship representative team. This marks Jung's first time leading a youth national team since 2013. After being appointed as head coach in 2007, Jung led Daesung High School to 20 national tournament victories (Shinsegae E-Mart Cup, Golden Saja Cup, Cheongryonggi Cup, Bonghwangdae Cup, Presidential Cup, and National Sports Festival), transforming the school into a nationally renowned powerhouse.

Furthermore, Jung has achieved 12 consecutive finals victories in national tournaments, including the 2016 Golden Saja Cup, the same year's Cheongryonggi Cup, the 2017 Golden Saja Cup, the 2019 National Sports Festival, the 2020 E-Mart Cup, the 2021 Bonghwangdae Cup, the 2023 E-Mart Cup and National Sports Festival, the 2024 E-Mart Cup and Golden Saja Cup, the 2025 Cheongryonggi Cup, and the 2026 E-Mart Cup, earning high praise as a strategist.

For the U-23 World Baseball Championship, Sungkyunkwan University coach Lee Yeon-su has been selected as the head coach. According to the KBSA, Coach Lee received high marks for his valuable experience of securing runner-up at the 2022 World Baseball Championship. The KBSA explained, "We expect Coach Lee to demonstrate exceptional ability in unlocking the potential of players on the verge of entering the adult level."

The U-12 representative team, the first international gateway for youth baseball, will be led by Baengma Elementary School coach Maeng Il-hyeok. The KBSA stated, "Coach Maeng is an educator who has worked closely with children on the field for a long time, emphasizing solid fundamentals. Based on his unique gentle communication skills and rich field experience, he is expected to maximize the cohesion of young players at the Asian Youth Baseball Championship."

For the World University Baseball Tournament (featuring teams from South Korea, the United States, Taiwan, and Japan), Songwon University coach Ko Cheon-ju will take charge. Coach Ko was recognized for his leadership after producing the most drafted players among university teams—three in total—in the 2024 KBO Rookie Draft.

Meanwhile, having completed the selection of age-group coaches, the KBSA will finalize the appointment of coaching staff and player selections for each tournament, then officially begin preparations for dispatching the age-group national teams.

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*This content was translated by AI.