'13 games, 13 wins' — they win if they reach the finals! Daesung High School Coach Jung Yun-jin, holding the Presidential Cup for the first time in 17 years, aims to conquer Asia. "This time, we will defeat Taiwan and win the gold medal." [Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

After clinching the Presidential Cup for the first time in 17 years, Daesung High School Coach Jung Yun-jin (55) will now don the national team jersey and challenge for the Asian title. The next goal of this competitor, who continued a record-breaking streak of 13 consecutive national tournament finals victories, is to go beyond Taiwan and bring a gold medal to the youth national team.

On the 30th of last month, Daesung High School defeated Yushin High School 7-4 in extra innings (10th inning) at Pohang Baseball Stadium in Gyeongbuk Province during the finals of the 60th Presidential Cup National High School Baseball Tournament to claim the championship.

This is the first time Daesung High School has won the Presidential Cup since back-to-back victories in 2008 and 2009, ending a 17-year drought. For Coach Jung, who took charge of Daesung High School in 2007, this was the tournament that brought his first national championship title, but he struggled to win it again after 2009. The team's best performance in the Lee Hu (President) Cup was reaching the semifinals in 2015.

When interviewed recently at Daesung High School's sports field, Coach Jung said, "In the past, the Presidential Cup was held earlier in the season, so we could prepare with more focus. Later, the schedule was moved back, and if a team won an earlier tournament, they would have some leeway, which may be why we couldn't win it for so long." He added, "Principal Kwon Jong-won, along with all the school teachers and baseball department staff, were truly delighted. We are very happy to win after such a long time, and above all, I am grateful to the players."

Daesung High School has won both this year's E-Mart Cup and the Lee Eo (President) Cup. Including three national games championships, this marks the school's 28th trophy and Coach Jung's 21st national tournament championship trophy. Coach Jung cited facing Seoul teams like Seoul Convention High School and Hwimun High School, which knew them well, as a turning point in their success.

Even more remarkable records followed. Daesung High School won all 13 national tournament finals they participated in, from the 2016 Golden Sajakji Cup through the National Games. Regarding this, Coach Jung explained, "It just happened that way. When a tournament reaches the quarterfinals, we identify which teams will advance and analyze their pitching staffs to prepare for the finals strategy." He added, "Records are meant to be broken eventually. We didn't think we had to continue this streak this time either. Perhaps that's why the atmosphere was so good."

At the center of this championship victory was starting catcher Seol Jae-min (18). Returning from a shoulder injury, Seol Jae-min recorded a batting average of 0.481 (27 at-bats, 13 hits), 2 home runs, 12 RBIs, and 7 runs scored across 6 games, earning him the tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

In the earlier E-Mart Cup, Seol Jae-min played only in the first round before an injury prevented him from playing further. In that tournament, freshman catcher Yoon Jeong-chan (16) filled the gap effectively. Coach Jung also remembered Yoon Jeong-chan's contribution, recalling, "After the Presidential Cup ended, (Seol) Jae-min cried. I comforted him and praised him for doing well, thinking about how much emotional hardship he must have endured."

The resurgence of ace pitcher Kim Dae-seung (18) was also welcome news. Like Seol, Kim Dae-seung struggled emotionally due to injuries and poor performance early in the season, but he gradually regained his form. He led the team with 2 wins in 3 games at the Presidential Cup, an ERA of 21.9 over 12⅓ innings, no walks, and 15 strikeouts.

Coach Jung said, "(Kim) Dae-seung also struggled somewhat due to injury aftermath, but he showed his true ability in this tournament and played a key role in our victory." He expressed gratitude, adding, "I am especially thankful for players Seol Jae-min and Kim Dae-seung. The 1st and 2nd-year players who appeared intermittently also fulfilled their roles well."

Daesung High School will begin the Bonghwangdae Cup with a first-round match against Daegu Buk-gu SC at Sinwol Baseball Stadium on the morning of the 8th at 8:30. By the time this tournament concludes on August 28, Coach Jung will switch uniforms to take command as the youth national team head coach starting from the 25th. He will lead the under-18 (U-18) representative team at the 14th Asian Youth Baseball Championship in Taipei, Taiwan, from September 7 to 13.

This is the first time Coach Jung has taken charge of the youth national team since the 2013 Asian Baseball Federation (BFA) Championship. The representative team at that time, centered around Park Se-woong (Lotte Giants), Im Byung-wook (Kiwoom Heroes), and Kim Ha-seong (Atlanta Braves), finished fifth in the tournament.

He aims to revive memories of the 2008 World Youth Championship in Edmonton, Canada, where he participated as a coach and won a gold medal. Coach Jung stated, "Although this is an Asian tournament, we have recently faced difficulties against Taiwan in international competitions." He added, "I heard that players were selected for the Lee Beon (CEO) team without much doubt, given their quality. Since good players have been selected, we will prepare well and definitely defeat Taiwan to bring back a gold medal."

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*This content was translated by AI.