South Korea's U-18 National Team Arrives in Taiwan, the 'Decisive Battlefield,' to End an 8-Year Title Drought! Eom Jun-sang: "We Will Show the Growth of Korean Baseball"

*This content was translated by AI.

Final preparations to end an eight-year title drought have begun. The South Korean U-18 national baseball team has arrived in Taiwan, the decisive venue, and completed its first local training session.

Led by Deoksu High School head coach Jung Yun-jin (55), the South Korean U-18 national team entered the country via Taoyuan International Airport on the morning of the 5th. The team will compete in the 14th Asian Baseball Federation (BFA) U-18 Asian Baseball Championship, held from the 7th to the 13th in Taipei, Taiwan.

After moving to their accommodation in Taipei, the squad proceeded to Tao Yuan Pingzhen Stadium in the afternoon for a two-hour official training session to acclimate to local conditions. Weather proved to be a variable from the first day. Both Taipei and Taoyuan experienced heavy rain with temperatures hovering around 30°C throughout the day, alternating between downpours and brief clearings. Due to the intense rainfall, the scheduled start of training at 3 p.m. was delayed by approximately 30 minutes.

Nevertheless, once the rain subsided, the players immediately took to the field. Starting with light jogging and catch drills, they conducted defensive and batting practice, using live batting sessions to assess both pitchers' and batters' game readiness.

Equally important as acclimatization is the official ball used in the tournament. The squad has been adapting to the Brett ball used in this championship since receiving it during domestic strengthening training that began at Busan Gijang Baseball Stadium on the 25th of last month. Many players noted that the ball felt smaller than those used in domestic high school baseball. On this day, the team also used the Brett ball during live batting to further improve their adaptation.

Earlier, ace pitcher Ha Hyun-seung (18, Busan High School) stated, "I usually don't notice much difference in the ball, but this one feels a bit smaller, which has caused some psychological unease," adding, "So I've been carrying the ball with me all day to get used to its feel."

A total of eight countries will participate in this tournament. South Korea is placed in Group B alongside host nation Taiwan, Singapore, and Thailand. After facing Taiwan in the group stage opener on the 7th, they will play against Singapore on the 8th and Thailand on the 9th. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Round starting on the 11th, with bronze medal matches and the final held on the 13th.

The first match is effectively a pivotal point. Head Coach Jung has regarded the opening group stage game against Taiwan as a critical turning point for this championship since the domestic training phase. Overcoming Taiwan is essential to create a favorable momentum leading into the Super Round.

The pitching situation is not easy. The national team must manage its schedule with six pitchers due to the nature of international tournaments, which feature consecutive games over a short period. It is crucial for starters to cover as many innings as possible and minimize bullpen usage. Leading the mound are Ha Hyun-seung (the top overall candidate), along with Yoon Ye-seong (17, Inchang High School), Park Geun-seo (18, Seoul Design High School), Kim Min-hoon (18, Gwangju Jinheung High School), Kwak Do-hyun (18, Busan Public High School), and Han Gyu-min (17, Daejeon High School).

The reason for South Korea's intense preparation for this tournament is clear. In the previous championship, the 2024 Asian Baseball Championship, they finished third behind Taiwan and Japan. Last year's U-18 Baseball World Cup also saw them finish fourth after the United States, Japan, and Taiwan. The last time the U-18 national team reached the summit of an international tournament was at the 2018 Asian Baseball Championship.

This makes Eom Jun-sang (18, Deoksu High School), who serves as captain of the Lee Beon (CEO) team, particularly determined. Eom, who signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB), wore the national jersey last year but finished the tournament without a medal. This year, he returns to the international stage as captain.

After completing his first local training session, Eom Jun-sang stated firmly, "For about the past decade, Korea has not won a gold medal, and there is much talk that Korean baseball loses frequently to Japan and Taiwan. I want to win this championship and show clearly that Korean baseball is growing."

He continued, "To win, we must train harder and more intensely. Although players may be feeling some fatigue from the training, they have trained accordingly, so I believe they will deliver good performances in this tournament. The team atmosphere is that since we are already at a disadvantage, we should go all out without regrets."

The head coach also did not hide his goals. Coach Jung Yun-jin said, "I understand that Korean amateur baseball has not won a championship for a long time. This time, I sincerely hope to unite as one team and definitely win the gold medal."

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*This content was translated by AI.