'Hanwha-born Commander' Icheon City Youth Baseball Team, Overwhelmed with Emotion After Winning First National Tournament in Just Three Years of Existence: 'Hwaseong County Mayor's Cup Victory'

*This content was translated by AI.

The Gyeonggi Icheon City Youth Baseball Team experienced the thrill of winning its first national tournament just three years after its founding.

Led by Coach Park Cheol-woo, a former Hanwha Eagles player, the Icheon City Youth Baseball Team defeated Seoul Jungnang Eagles Youth Baseball Team 4-3 in the U-13 (Youth Blue Dragon) final of the 6th Hwaseong County Mayor's Cup National Youth Baseball Tournament held on the 7th in Hwaseong County, Gangwon Province, to claim the championship.

Organized by the Korea Youth Baseball Federation (Chairman Lee Sang-geun), the tournament took place from the 4th to 7 at the Hwaseong County Baseball Park and other venues, with over 2,000 participants including players and parents from 60 teams. Competitions were held across six divisions—Sae-sak League (U-9), Dream Nari League (U-11), Youth League (U-13), and Junior League (U-16)—using a group stage followed by a knockout tournament format. The event was sponsored by Hwaseong County, Hwaseong COLONY Parents Association, SOOP, and baseball equipment company Gold.

In the Youth League (U-13) Blue Dragon final, considered the strongest league in youth baseball, Icheon City faced Jungnang Eagles Youth Baseball Team, known for its formidable duo of Kim Seung-jae and Kwak Jeong-hoo. In the top of the first inning, Icheon took an early 2-0 lead with a two-run double by Kim Roon-gyu to left-center field, followed by a one-run grounder and an error by Lee Woo-yul. They added two more runs in the bottom of the second inning thanks to a one-run double to center field by Kwon Hyo-min and other plays, extending their lead to 4-0.

Jungnang Eagles had been held scoreless through three innings by Icheon's Kwon Hyo-min, who allowed only two hits and recorded eight strikeouts. However, in the bottom of the fourth inning, Jungnang scored one run on four walks. In the bottom of the fifth, Lee Hyo-seong hit a ground ball to center field, followed by third batter Kim Seung-jae hitting a massive two-run home run to center field, narrowing the gap to 3-4. In the final defensive inning, Icheon held firm: although Kim Roon-gyu issued walks to Yoo Eun-jae and Jeon Yul, he struck out the remaining three batters to secure the championship trophy.

Kim Roon-gyu of the Icheon City Youth Baseball Team, who recorded 11 hits in 14 at-bats (.786 batting average), nine RBIs, eight stolen bases, and five home runs during the tournament, was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP). Kim Seung-jae of Jungnang Eagles Youth Baseball Team and Lee Hyun-seo of Icheon City Youth Baseball Team were awarded Woo Su-seon (수상).

MVP Kim Roon-gyu said, "It is truly an honor and a joy to receive the MVP award from Icheon City Youth. I believe this award was made possible thanks to our coaches who have always guided us generously, and to my teammates who trained hard and supported me together. I will not be satisfied with just this MVP title; I will train even harder to become an essential player for the team." He continued, "I admire LA Dodgers catcher Will Smith because of his exceptional batting skills and his ability to contribute to the team in crucial moments. I also find it impressive how he remains calm during games and effectively leads pitchers. His consistent effort and outstanding performance are truly inspiring, and I aspire to become a baseball player who gives his all for the team, just like Will Smith."

Park Cheol-woo, the head coach of Icheon City Youth Baseball Team, graduated from Gongju High School and Jeju National University before joining Hanwha as a development player in 2015. He received the tournament's Coach of the Year award. Coach Park stated, "More valuable than winning is the growth of our players. I am truly proud of our team for maintaining focus until the end of the tournament, trusting each other, and playing with heart." He added, "I am grateful to all parents and supporters who have always cheered us on. Moving forward, we will strive to become an even more humble and progressive youth baseball team."

Lee Sang-geun, Chairman of the Korea Youth Baseball Federation, said, "Summer is a battle against unpredictable weather forecasts. Since we do not have reserve days, accurately predicting the weather to ensure children can play their desired games is also a critical task. Drawing on past experiences, successfully concluding all matches was a significant achievement." He continued, "We extend our sincere gratitude to Hwaseong County Mayor Jang Shin-sang and county officials who have prepared an excellent tournament every year, as well as to the residents of Hwaseong County who supported us with one heart for a successful event. We will do our utmost to expand the base of youth baseball and contribute to regional economic activation."

● Sae-sak League (U-9) ▲ Championship – Seoul Songpa-gu Minbol Youth Baseball Team (Coach Lee Hong-gu) ▲ Runner-up – Gyeonggi Big Dream Youth Baseball Team (Coach Nipert) ▲ MVP Jo Si-yoon (Seoul Songpa-gu Minbol Youth Baseball Team)

● Dream Nari League (U-11) Blue Dragon ▲ Championship – Seoul Dobong-gu Youth Baseball Team (Coach Kim Jong-jin) ▲ Runner-up – Chungnam Boryeong City Youth Baseball Team (Coach Shin Chang-ho) ▲ MVP Kim Jun-woo (Seoul Dobong-gu Youth Baseball Team)

● Dream Nari League (U-11) Hyeonmu ▲ Championship – Gangwon Taebaek City Youth Baseball Team (Coach Bae Kang-yeol) ▲ Runner-up – Gangwon Donghae City Youth Baseball Team (Coach Kim Heung-man) ▲ MVP Lee Ru-da (Gangwon Taebaek City Youth Baseball Team)

● Youth League (U-13) Blue Dragon ▲ Championship – Gyeonggi Icheon City Youth Baseball Team (Coach Park Cheol-woo) ▲ Runner-up – Seoul Jungnang Eagles Youth Baseball Team (Coach Kim Sun-woo) ▲ MVP Kim Roon-gyu (Gyeonggi Icheon City Youth Baseball Team)

● Youth League (U-13) Baekho ▲ Championship – Jeonbuk Jeonju Wansan-gu Youth Baseball Team (Coach Jo Il-hyeon) ▲ Runner-up – Gyeonggi Suwon Rookies Youth Baseball Team (Coach Jung Hwe-chan) ▲ MVP Kim Kwan-woo (Jeonbuk Jeonju Wansan-gu Youth Baseball Team)

● Junior League (U-16) ▲ Championship – Sejong Public SC (Coach Kim Seung-kwon) ▲ Runner-up – Gyeongnam Haman BSC (Coach Kim Moon-han) ▲ MVP Choi Si-woo (Sejong Public SC)

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*This content was translated by AI.