"(Kang) Baek-ho is doing well, so that's good." Students visit the dugout on Teachers' Day; Lee Kang-cheol responds with a remark [Suwon Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

KT Wiz manager Lee Kang-cheol (60) welcomed former students who visited him on Teachers' Day.

KT announced its starting lineup ahead of the home game against Hanwha Eagles at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 15th, which will be part of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season.

On this day, KT set its batting order as follows: Choi Won-jun (right fielder), Kim Sang-soo (second baseman), Kim Hyun-soo (first baseman), Sam Hilliard (left fielder), Heo Kyung-min (third baseman), Jang Sung-woo (designated hitter), Bae Jung-dae (center fielder), Han Seung-taek (catcher), and Lee Kang-min (shortstop). The starting pitcher is Ko Young-pyo.

Before the game, familiar yet unexpected surprise guests visited the KT dugout. They were shortstop Sim Woo-jun (31), who moved to Hanwha two years ago, and Kang Baek-ho (27), who went to Daejeon last year. Sim Woo-jun and Kang Baek-ho were franchise stars representing KT before their FA moves to Hanwha.

Sim Woo-jun made his first-team debut with KT in 2015, and Kang Baek-ho in 2018; together they achieved the franchise's first unified championship in 2021. Recognizing these achievements, Sim Woo-jun signed a four-year contract worth up to 5 billion won, and Kang Baek-ho signed a four-year total contract worth 10 billion won, with a one-year gap between their FA moves. Notably, Kang Baek-ho, who visited Suwon KT Wiz Park for the first time since his move, expressed gratitude by distributing 1,000 drinks to fans of both teams before the game.

Speaking with reporters before the game, manager Lee Kang-cheol smiled and said, "I plan to drink the coffee Kang Baek-ho distributed after the game," before adding, "It's good that Baek-ho is doing well."

Sim Woo-jun and Kang Baek-ho, who delivered disappointing results compared to expectations last year, are now fulfilling their roles as starting shortstop and designated hitter this year. Sim Woo-jun has recorded a.266 batting average (94 at-bats, 25 hits), 2 home runs, 14 RBIs, 21 runs scored, and 5 stolen bases across 31 games, with an on-base percentage of.373 and a slugging percentage of.372, providing solid support behind the pitchers.

Kang Baek-ho has led the Hanwha lineup from the cleanup spot with a.338 batting average (157 at-bats, 53 hits), 8 home runs, 41 RBIs, and 27 runs scored in 39 games, posting an on-base percentage of.413 and a slugging percentage of.561. In response, manager Lee Kang-cheol joked, "They must perform well for the money they received. Otherwise, people will say those who left KT can't do well, and that KT will never sign FA players again."

Before the game, KT held first place with 24 wins, 1 draw, and 14 losses, one game ahead of second-place Samsung Lions (23 wins, 1 draw, 15 losses). While praised for their stable pitching and hitting balance, KT recorded a losing series with 1 win and 2 losses in a three-game midweek series against SSG Landers.

Over three days, KT allowed 25 runs and scored 29 in a high-scoring battle. Hanwha, whom they are meeting this time, also recalls a season-opening three-game series where they exchanged 36 runs and 23 runs in a slugfest, already giving them a headache. Manager Lee Kang-cheol stated, "It was fortunate that we won those three games back then. At that time, both Hanwha and we had not yet organized our bullpens. It was a process of adjusting, and Hanwha appears to be developing Park Jun-young and other fast pitchers. Now that both we and Hanwha have made some progress, I don't think they will do that again."

The revitalized foreign hitter Hilliard is a reliable asset. Hilliard has led the KT lineup, which is missing Ahn Hyun-min, with a.375 batting average (40 at-bats, 15 hits), 6 home runs, and 14 RBIs in 11 games in May. Manager Lee Kang-cheol replied, "We have gained the strength to catch up. It seems Hilliard has gained a lot of confidence, so the last three-game series was good in many ways. Heo Kyung-min is also performing well after coming up. He is hitting well, but it will take about another week before he can also contribute defensively."

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*This content was translated by AI.