"We must win the gold medal so our seniors can do well at the Asian Games too." Dedication praised; Kim Min-hoon and Ha Hyun-seung deliver stellar performances

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

"If our juniors do their part, won't our seniors step up and deliver?"

Jung Yun-jin (55), head coach of Deoksu High School who leads the under-18 national baseball team, expressed strong determination to win the 14th Asian Youth Baseball Championship. That momentum could carry over to the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Under Coach Jung Yun-jin, the Lee Kkeu-neun (CEO) team defeated Japan 3-2 in the first Super Round match of the tournament held at Taipei Dome on the 11th.

After defeating Taiwan in their opening group stage match, the national team advanced to the Super Round with one win and recorded a second victory. On the 12th, they aim for an undefeated run to the finals by beating relatively weaker opponent Philippines.

It was not an easy game. They started by falling behind 2-0 in the first inning, and their starting pitcher wavered again in the second. The reliever who came in next also struggled with consecutive walks, putting them in a crisis with one out and bases loaded. With more runs potentially shifting the momentum against them, Kim Min-hoon (Gwangju Jinheung High School) entered the game.

Kim Min-hoon neutralized Japan's second and third batters by relying on his signature changeup to record consecutive strikeouts, extinguishing the danger directly.

In the bottom of the third inning, a solo home run by Lee Ho-min (Gyeongnam High School) broke the deadlock, and they safely closed out the frame. However, trouble struck again in the bottom of the fourth. After Kim Min-hoon allowed a hit to the leadoff batter, he recorded two outs via a bunt fly ball and an infield fly before facing Ishida Yusei with a hard-hit ball. Park Bo-seung (Gyeongnam High School) threw his body into the play to catch the ball, relieving the tension.

From the bottom of the fifth inning onward, Ha Hyun-seung (Busan High School), the hero of the Taiwan game, returned to the mound and shut down three innings flawlessly. He allowed no baserunners and recorded five strikeouts.

The offense also stepped up. In the top of the sixth inning, a walk by Jo Hee-sung (Yusin High School) followed by a sacrifice bunt from Hwang Sung-hyun (Deoksu High School) set the stage for Eom Jun-sang (Deoksu High School)'s tying RBI single. Lee Ho-min then delivered the go-ahead hit this time, securing the comeback victory.

Coach Jung Yun-jin said, "Kim Min-hoon's performance was most crucial today. He entered the game in a crisis with one out and bases loaded after we had lost two runs, and he held them off. If the score gap had widened further from that point, it would have been a tough game. Thanks to Min-hoon holding the line, our offense also started clicking, leading to the win." He added, "Then Ha Hyun-seung came in and closed it out, which allowed us to secure the victory. Also, the content we analyzed and prepared for generally matched up well."

Overcoming Japan, a long-time rival, to reach the Asian summit for the first time in eight years is a heartening achievement that boosts morale. Coach Jung stated, "It seems like the Woo Ri (CEO) team hasn't beaten Japan in a very long time. The players had strong determination to say 'let's do this,' 'let's win gold,' 'let's be champions,' and 'we can win.' That drive, combined with national pride, mission, and responsibility of South Korea, likely contributed to our victory."

They will now have a relaxed schedule against the Philippines and focus on power analysis. Coach Jung said, "Since Taiwan and Japan are playing each other tomorrow, we'll watch that game for our analysis. We've come this far with good preparation, so now we must definitely win gold and return home." He added, "We need to win the gold medal so that at the Asian Games, our seniors can carry on this momentum and perform well too. If our juniors do their part, won't our seniors step up and deliver?" expressing his expectations.

Finally, he expressed gratitude to baseball fans. "To all the fans who love baseball, especially amateur baseball, and to the people of Korea: if you enjoyed watching us and felt happy and excited about our victory in the Korea-Japan match, we believe we have given everyone a great gift." He continued, "We will prepare well for the finals the day after tomorrow to make baseball fans even happier. We also want to show that Korean amateur baseball is not easy and that we are fully competitive."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original