'First title in five years since founding': Seoul Dongjak-gu Youth Baseball Team wins Hwangseong Hanuri Cup... MVP Park Min-kyeom: "I want to emulate Lotte's Hwang Sung-bin"

*This content was translated by AI.

The Seoul Dongjak-gu Youth Baseball Team experienced the thrill of winning their first national tournament title just five years after their founding.

The Dongjak-gu Youth Baseball Team defeated the Gyeonggi Ilsan Giants Youth Baseball Team 10-4 in the U-13 (Youth Blue Dragon) final of the 2nd Hwangseong Hanuri Cup National Youth Baseball Tournament held in Hwaseong County, Gangwon Province, to claim the top spot.

Organized by the Korea Youth Baseball Federation (President Lee Sang-geun), the tournament took place from the 20th to the 23rd at the Hwaseong County Baseball Park and other venues, with over 2,000 participants including players and parents from 60 teams. Competitions were held for six categories—Sae-sak League (U-9), Dream-namuri League (U-11), Youth League (U-13), and Junior League (U-16)—through preliminary group stages and a final knockout tournament. The tournament was sponsored by Hwaseong County, Hwaseong COLONY Parents Association, SOOP, and baseball equipment company Yayong.

The Dongjak-gu Youth Baseball Team faced the formidable Gyeonggi Ilsan Giants Youth Baseball Team, featuring Kim Da-yul, who stands 183 cm tall, in the Youth League (U-13) Blue Dragon final, the strongest league in youth baseball.

Through the end of the third inning, the game remained tied 0-0 in a pitching duel between the ace pitchers of both teams: Seo Hyun-woo of Dongjak-gu and Kim Da-yul of the Ilsan Giants. In the top of the fourth inning, Dongjak-gu took a 3-0 lead thanks to Park Min-kyeom's 90-meter home run to left-center field, followed by hits from Song Eun-chan, Shin Ji-ho, and Heo Jeong-woo. However, the Ilsan Giants quickly tied the game in the bottom of the fourth with consecutive hit-by-pitches and a two-run single to left field by Bang Hyun-woo.

The outcome of the championship was decided in the top of the fifth inning. Dongjak-gu capitalized on a hit-by-pitch, an error, and Shin Ji-ho's three-run double to left-center to score six runs in a big inning, effectively sealing the victory with a 9-3 lead. In the final offensive opportunity of the top of the sixth, Lee Tae-woon added another run with a hit, bringing the final score to 10-3. This marked the first Youth League (U-13) Blue Dragon championship for the team since its founding in 2021.

Despite being a first-year middle school student, Park Min-kyeom (Dongjak-gu Youth Baseball Team) boasts an impressive physical stature of 186 cm and delivered outstanding performances in both batting and pitching during the final, including the game's opening home run. He was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP). Lee Jae-woo (Ilsan Giants Youth Baseball Team) and Lee Ji-hyeong (Dongjak-gu Youth Baseball Team) were awarded Woo Su-seon (수상).

MVP Park Min-kyeom stated, "I received this award thanks to the coach and coaches who believed in me, and my parents who have always supported me. I believe this is not an award I received alone, but one shared by our entire team that stood firmly by my side. I will not forget today's victory and will strive to become a player who continues to grow through greater effort." He added, "My favorite player is Hwang Sung-bin of the Lotte Giants. I admire his leadership and sense of responsibility in guiding the team's atmosphere, as well as his excellent character. I also came to like him because his active play on the field, which shakes up opponents and injects vitality into the team, looks very impressive and cool."

Shin Hee-gwang, head coach of the Dongjak-gu Youth Baseball Team, who received the tournament's Coach of the Year award, said, "I am incredibly proud that our players won the Youth Blue Dragon League championship just five years after our founding. I believe this victory is a precious result created by the sweat and effort of our players, and the teamwork that came from trusting and uniting as one." He continued, "I sincerely thank the players for not giving up and giving their all throughout the game, and I extend my deepest gratitude to the parents who have consistently offered their support and encouragement. I also want to express my appreciation to Senior Coach Kim Deok-gil and Coach Kim Tae-hyun for working hard alongside the players for their growth."

He further added, "Today's victory is not an end, but a new beginning. The Dongjak-gu Youth Baseball Team will continue to do its best to nurture players who possess not only winning and losing records but also sound character and passion. I hope today's victory will remain as a source of confidence and good memories for our children for a long time."

● Sae-sak League (U-9) ▲ Championship – Seoul Songpa-gu Maingol Youth Baseball Team (Coach Lee Hong-gu) ▲ Runner-up – Gyeonggi Namyangju Yanol Youth Baseball Team (Coach Kim Jeong-jeon) ▲ MVP Kim Ha-jun (Seoul Songpa-gu Maingol Youth Baseball Team)

● Dream-namuri League (U-11) Blue Dragon ▲ Championship – Gyeonggi Hwimun Academy Youth Baseball Team (Coach Park Young-ju) ▲ Runner-up – Gyeonggi Namyangju Yanol Youth Baseball Team (Coach Kwon Oh-hyun) ▲ MVP Jo Yun-ho (Gyeonggi Hwimun Academy Youth Baseball Team)

● Dream-namuri League (U-11) Hyeonmu ▲ Championship – Gangwon Donghae City Youth Baseball Team (Coach Kim Heung-man) ▲ Runner-up – Gyeonggi Uijeongbu City Youth Baseball Team (Coach Choi Bong-jun) ▲ MVP Choi Seo-won (Gangwon Donghae City Youth Baseball Team)

● Youth League (U-13) Blue Dragon ▲ Championship – Seoul Dongjak-gu Youth Baseball Team (Coach Shin Hee-gwang) ▲ Runner-up – Gyeonggi Ilsan Giants Youth Baseball Team (Coach Choi Young-soo) ▲ MVP Park Min-kyeom (Seoul Dongjak-gu Youth Baseball Team)

● Youth League (U-13) Baekho ▲ Championship – Gyeonggi Yongin Mohyeon Youth Baseball Team (Coach Yoon Ki-woo) ▲ Runner-up – Gyeonggi Goyang Cheongryong Youth Baseball Team (Coach Park Sung-gyun) ▲ MVP Han Ban-do (Gyeonggi Yongin Mohyeon Youth Baseball Team)

● Junior League (U-16) ▲ Championship – Gyeonggi Osan SC (Coach Jeong Won-seok) ▲ Runner-up – Sejong Inter-middle (Coach Im Dong-jin) ▲ MVP Ryu Jae-hyeok (Gyeonggi Osan SC)

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*This content was translated by AI.