*This content was translated by AI.
Ha Hyun-seung (18), who is highly likely to be selected as the first overall pick in the upcoming KBO Rookie Draft on the 21st, shared his thoughts after securing a victory against Taiwan.
The South Korea U-18 national baseball team defeated Taiwan 2-0 in the first group stage match (7-inning game) of the 14th Asian Youth Baseball Championship held at Tienmu Stadium in Taipei, Taiwan, on the 7th.
Starting pitcher Ha Hyun-seung pitched 5⅔ innings, allowing just two hits and recording 12 strikeouts without surrendering a run, earning the win.
After the game, Ha Hyun-seung said, "I didn't try to do too much. There are many good pitchers coming up behind me, and talented fielders supported me defensively. So instead of thinking about long innings, I focused on shutting down two innings with full effort. The coach instructed me to take it one inning at a time, adding another if possible, and I believe throwing according to that plan led to the positive result."
He continued, "I was nervous, but I had some experience from last year. As the starting pitcher in front of my teammates, I tried not to let my nerves affect the team's morale. I aimed to pitch confidently. However, I felt quite a bit of tension in the first and second innings, which made me realize how nervous I was."
He added, "Among national team games, this one probably felt the least tense. I think both my body and mind have grown a bit since then, so I kept pitching with confidence. This is almost the first time since middle school that I've started an international tournament as a key player. It must have been burdensome, but I'm glad I pitched well. And I'm even happier because the team won."
Taiwan's starting pitcher, Liu Lun-yu, pitched 5 innings without allowing any hits, issuing two walks and recording six strikeouts in a scoreless performance. Regarding the matchup against the opposing pitcher, Ha Hyun-seung said, "I didn't really focus on that. My only thought was to shut down the first two innings with full effort. I felt I was assigned to stop each inning sequentially, and I believe I fulfilled that role faithfully."
When asked what he wanted to say to his teammates, Ha Hyun-seung humbly expressed gratitude: "I don't think I pitched particularly well. My teammates really helped me a lot. Thanks to friends who contributed significantly—like Won Ji-woo's stolen base prevention in the first inning, Eom Jun-sang's defensive play in the first inning, and the players' diving catches—I was able to pitch well."
On that day, Ha Hyun-seung recorded two strikeouts per inning. He said, "The head coach and other coaches managed my condition very well. The training staff also took great care of me, especially regarding physical recovery, which made a huge difference." He once again expressed his deep gratitude.
Regarding the performance of key players like Eom Jun-sang, he said, "I didn't realize I had thrown 90 pitches. When I was replaced in the bottom of the fifth with two outs, I felt sorry for leaving a runner on first base to Eom. Still, Eom handled the out count very smoothly. He pitched comfortably even through the final inning, so I'm truly grateful."
Reflecting on the moment when his team scored in the sixth inning, he said, "I was at the point where my energy was starting to fade, and right at that timing, our players stepped up and gave us a run. That helped me regain strength and pitch well."
On the dugout atmosphere, Ha Hyun-seung shared, "When I play games like this, I'm not really the type who gets excited along with everyone else. Since I was focused on my pitching, I couldn't fully enjoy the dugout atmosphere. I just kept working hard. Now that I'm back at the accommodation, I plan to watch the game footage and savor the feeling."
If South Korea advances to the super round, they will face Japan. There is also a possibility of meeting Taiwan in the championship final. Ha Hyun-seung said, "First, winning has created a great atmosphere for the team. The players' spirits have improved significantly. We'll continue maintaining this momentum. I will also focus on my recovery so that if I get called upon for important games, I can contribute to the team again." He reaffirmed his determination.
Meanwhile, South Korea is placed in Group B alongside Taiwan, Singapore, and Thailand. In this tournament, head-to-head records from the group stage carry over into the super round. This means if South Korea enters the super round with one more win than Taiwan across the three group games, there is a strong possibility of reaching the final. South Korea will play against Singapore on the 8th and Thailand on the 9th to complete their group stage matches.
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*This content was translated by AI.
