'They rested too much' — KT, heading straight to the KS, will wake up their bats after two weeks... Manager Lee Kang-cheol: "We must first find our feel" [Suwon on-site]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The KT Wiz, preparing for the Korea Series, will take to the field in a live game against the Military Sports Agency (Sangmu) for the first time in about two weeks. Attention is focused on how much KT can raise their competitive sharpness after a long break, having secured a direct berth in the Korea Series by clinching the regular season championship early.

KT announced its starting lineup ahead of a practice game against Sangmu at 2 p.m. on the 27th at Suwon KT Wiz Park, as preparation for the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League Korea Series (KS).

The KT, led by Manager Lee Kang-cheol (60), will field a batting order of Choi Won-jun (right fielder) - Kim Min-hyuk (left fielder) - Ahn Hyun-min (designated hitter) - Sam Hilliard (center fielder) - Kim Hyun-soo (first baseman) - Jang Sung-woo (designated hitter) - Kim Sang-su (second baseman) - Heo Kyung-min (third baseman) - Han Seung-taek (catcher) - Jang Jun-won (shortstop). The starting pitcher is Daniel Davis.

Facing them, the Sangmu team under Manager Park Chi-wang (57) will line up with Jung Hyun-seung (left fielder) - Lee Tae-kyung (third baseman) - Park Ji-hwan (center fielder) - Jang Jae-young (first baseman) - Lee Seung-hyeon (second baseman) - Lee Seung-won (designated hitter) - Kim Byung-jun (right fielder) - Shin Yong-seok (catcher) - Yang Do-geun (shortstop). The starting pitcher is Jin Seung-hyun (23).

Jin Seung-hyun is a right-handed pitcher who graduated from Gyeongbuk High School and was drafted by the Lotte Giants in the second round, 14th overall pick of the 2022 KBO Rookie Draft. This year, as a member of Sangmu, he appeared in 19 games in the Futures League, recording a 4-0 record with 1 save and 2 holds, and an ERA of 2.63. Over 27⅓ innings, he allowed 19 hits, issued 16 walks, and struck out 28 batters, while opposing hitters posted a batting average against him of just 0.204.

This practice game holds significant meaning for KT. The team finished the regular season with a record of 90 wins, 5 draws, and 49 losses (a .647 winning percentage) to take first place, achieving their first regular season championship in five years since 2021. It marks the club's third Korea Series appearance in its history, following 2021 and 2023, as they aim for their second combined championship.

However, a direct path to the Korea Series is not necessarily an advantage. After finishing the regular season, KT began full-scale preparation training for the Korea Series on the 15th. While sufficient rest allows for physical recovery and reduces injury risk, there are also concerns that players' hitting feel may decline due to the gap in live competition.

Manager Lee also cited the recovery of game sense as the top priority for this practice game. When asked by reporters before the game what aspects he would focus on checking through the practice match, Manager Lee emphasized, "It's about feel. It means finding some feel. Not maintaining it, but finding it."

He also pointed out that it is important for pitchers to hold the line until the batters' game sense returns in the Korea Series. Manager Lee explained, "Looking at how we have done this since my days with the Haitai Tigers, I think the reason we kept winning was because our pitchers found that time for us. If the first and second starters are good, and the batters can't hit for about two games, or up to around 30 at-bats, we hold on with our pitching."

He added, "Conversely, if they loosen up from the first game, the pitchers throw very well anyway, but when the batters start hitting too, it ends within four games. If the bats don't come around at first, we hold on with our pitching."

The weather is also a variable. The KT, playing live in Suwon on this day, must prepare for the Korea Series, where temperatures are expected to drop further. Manager Lee said with a smile, "I heard it will be very cold tomorrow, and it seems like it will get really cold during the Korea Series. If it's cold, isn't that good for teams with fast pitching? We're in the cold too."

Starting with this game against Sangmu, KT will play practice games against the U-23 National Baseball Team at 6 p.m. on the 28th, and again against the U-23 team at 6 p.m. on the 30th. All games will be held at Suwon KT Wiz Park.

After training sessions on the 29th and November 1, KT will play Game 1 of the Korea Series at 6:30 p.m. on November 2 at Suwon KT Wiz Park. They will host Game 2 at the same venue on the 3rd, take a travel day on the 4th, and play Games 3 through 5 on the road from the 5th to the 7th. If the series extends to Games 6 and 7, they will return to Suwon on the 9th and 10th to determine the champion.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original