KIA or Lotte... The No. 4 hitter for the national team, dreaming of becoming a second Lee Dae-ho among the top position players, says, "I want to be like senior Noh Si-hwan."

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Ho-min (18, Gyeongnam High School) has been selected to the youth national team for the first time and immediately secured the No. 4 batting spot.

As the U-18 Korean national baseball team aims to win its first title in eight years at the 14th Asian Youth Baseball Championship, Lee Ho-min is focusing entirely on his bat, putting aside the emotion of earning his first Taegeuk mark.

Lee Ho-min said, "I heard about my selection through messages from friends. Being chosen for the national team means being drafted by a professional team, so I was even happier." He added, "Since the coach trusted me and placed me at No. 4, I will repay that trust."

The reason Coach Jung Yun-jin assigned Lee Ho-min to bat fourth is clear. This year, Lee recorded a batting average of 0.420 (69 at-bats, 29 hits), two home runs, 19 RBIs, 12 runs scored, and six stolen bases, with his ability to drive in runs being his standout strength. After the Ulsan team was called up on the 27th, he continued to hit powerfully in practice games against the Ulsan Wales team, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs in four at-bats.

Coach Jung evaluated, "Since joining the national team, my hitting feel has improved even more. I just needed to control the lifting of my left shoulder when swinging. There's nothing else to criticize."

Lee Ho-min also gained confidence by facing professional pitchers directly. He emphasized, "I could clearly feel that the pitch locations and velocity from senior players like Ulsan were different from what I've faced before, but I was able to handle them well enough."

Now it's time to prove his competitiveness on the international stage. Lee Ho-min expressed confidence, saying, "I'm looking forward to facing Japan's Oda Shoki in the Super Round."

At this tournament, Lee Ho-min will wear a first baseman's glove again. He played as a first baseman through his second year but moved to third base this year after accepting the coaching staff's suggestion.

However, for this tournament, with strong defensive players like Woo Ju-ro (Daejeon High School) and Kang In-gyu (Cheongju High School) positioned in the infield, Coach Jung has assigned Lee Ho-min back to first base.

Lee Ho-min said, "A first baseman is like the mother of all infielders. I will block every ball." He added, "With less defensive burden compared to third base, I'll focus more on my hitting."

Lee Ho-min's unique friendliness also helped him adapt quickly to the national team. During the first local training session on the 5th at Taoyuan Feng Stadium, he cheered for every pitch while watching his teammates' live batting practice and even mimicked the home plate umpire's strikeout pose when a strike was called, taking on the role of a mood-maker.

Lee Ho-min said, "I'm usually introverted, but I become extroverted whenever I'm on the baseball field." He added, "If my teammates get nervous, I'll comfort them from the side and pump up their fighting spirit."

He continued, "I've become very close with my national team friends during the high school-university all-star game. Now, except for (Jang) Min-je of Chungam High School, I think we're all close." He laughed and added, "I think I'll get close to Min-je as well during this tournament. We've already started bonding by working out together at the hotel gym and sharing meals."

For Lee Ho-min personally, this tournament serves as his final showcase ahead of the 2027 KBO Rookie Draft scheduled for the 21st. This year's draft will proceed in reverse order of last year's standings: Kiwoom-Doosan-KIA-Lotte-KT-NC-Samsung-SSG-Hanwha-LG. With Kiwoom Heroes likely to select Ha Hyun-seung, Doosan Bears to pick Kim Ji-woo, and KIA Tigers to choose Park Geun-seo, attention is also focused on Lee Ho-min's draft position. If neither KIA nor Lotte selects Lee Ho-min, then KT, NC, and Samsung will have a chance to draft him.

Already regarded as the top position player prospect, Lee Ho-min said, "It's special that I can showcase my strengths to teams through national team games. It's an opportunity for my draft order to rise." He added, "I'm not sure about first-round picks since there are many strong pitchers, but among position players, I want to be the first one called."

He also said, "I hope other friends can also enter professional baseball at a higher rank through their excellent performances."

Next year, he will finally step onto the professional stage he has long dreamed of. As his role model, he cited Lee Dae-ho, another Gyeongnam High School alumnus. Lee Ho-min said, "Even though he was tall, his smooth and precise hitting left a deep impression on me. He applied the hitting theory he explained on YouTube to actual games, and the results were great." He smiled and added, "Since I switched positions from first base to third base this year, I also want to be like senior Noh Si-hwan (Hanwha Eagles)."

Coincidentally, both players are alumni of Lee Ho-min's alma mater, Gyeongnam High School. Lee Ho-min did not hide his pride in his school. He said, "There are many outstanding seniors here. I'm proud that we've produced the most alumni—three players including (Park) Bo-seung and (Ahn) Woo-seok—at Lee Beon (CEO) team."

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*This content was translated by AI.