At the 2023 10th National Youth Baseball Championship in Yanggu, which celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, the Jeonnam Muan-gun Youth Baseball Team (director Kim Dong-seong) won its first championship in 8 years of its foundation.
The Muan-gun youth baseball team showed off its firepower by firing 6 cannons, including Park Sung-hoon’s 3 consecutive home runs, at the end of a batting match against Uijeongbu City Youth Baseball Team (director Nam-ki Jo), the strongest youth baseball team who won two consecutive championships from the first tournament of this year, the Sunchang-gun Cup, in the final match. We won 15-8.
This tournament, organized by the Korea Youth Baseball Federation (Chairman Lee Sang-geun), took place over 6 days from the 5th to the 10th at 7 baseball fields, including Hari Baseball Stadium in Yanggu-gun, with a total of 101 teams and 3,000 people including players and parents participating. It was held in the form of a final tournament after the preliminaries group stage, and the winners of a total of 7 divisions, including the Sprout League (U-9), Dream Tree League (U-11), Youth League (U-13), and Junior League (U-16), were selected. fought a feverish battle
In Cheongryong, the strongest league, the youth league (U-13), the Muan-gun youth baseball team met again in the final against the Uijeongbu City youth baseball team, who had lost in the first match of the preliminaries. In the beginning of the first inning, the opponent’s third hitter Jae-min Jo (Konkuk University Middle School 1) allowed a double to the right and four balls in a row, then a Muan-gun youth started with 2 RBIs and a left-handed hit to Jeong Hyun-do (Cheongwon Middle School 1) with 2 RBIs and 3 runs with 2 outs loaded. Immediately at the end of the first inning, the baseball team scored 10 runs with 8 hits, including a back-to-back home run by Jang Hoon-ho (Hwasun Middle School 1) and Park Seong-hun (Hwasun Middle School 1).
In the defense in the top of the 3rd inning with a 10-3 lead, Jo Jae-min’s sand ball, Park Min-ho (Kyungmin Middle School 1)’s right-handed double, and Yang Da-hyeok (Cheongwon Middle School 1)’s sand ball put the bases full, and Oh Jeong-jae (Shinheung Middle School 1) scored two RBIs left. He allowed 3 runs, including a hit, and 1 run in the top of the 4th inning, allowing a 10-7 chase.
However, at the end of the 4th inning, Muan-gun Youth Baseball Team’s three batters, starting with second hitter Jang Hoon-ho, Park Seong-hoon, and안전놀이터 Hwang Jae-hoon (Seji Middle School 1), hit back-to-back-to-back home runs, widening the score to 13-7. has confirmed
Park Seong-hoon, the main player in the championship who had 4 RBIs including 3 home runs in the final and a save as a closer pitcher, became the MVP of the tournament, 5 hits in 6 at-bats only in the semifinals and finals, wielding 8 hits and 3 RBIs in 16 at-bats in this tournament. Lee Seo-joon (Uijeongbu City Youth Baseball Team, Cheongwon Middle School 1, Gyeonggi-do), who contributed to the runner-up, and Hwang Jae-hoon, who led the team to the championship by recording 3 hits and 2 RBIs including a home run in the final as the team’s fourth hitter and main catcher, won the Excellent Player Award.
MVP Park Seong-hoon said, “I’m so happy to become the first winning member in 8 years. It was also broadcasted, but I don’t think I’ll ever forget the home run in three consecutive at-bats in the final. Coach taught me a lot, so I’m confident that I’ll do well in middle school, and I’m a geopo infielder representing Korea. I want to grow,” he said.
Director Kim Dong-seong of the Muan-gun Youth Baseball Team, who won the competition coach award, said, “I’ve been waiting for the first youth Blue Dragon championship. I am really grateful to the players who have worked hard, and the Muan-gun County Mayor Kim San, who always gives a lot of interest and encouragement, and Muan-gun Sports President Ryu Chun-oh, silently for the players. I give thanks and honor to the many parents who are working hard with passion,” he said.
Kim Dong-seong, the coach of the Muan-gun Youth Baseball Team in Jeollanam-do, won the Best Manager Award. /Photo = Korea Youth Baseball Federation
Lee Sang-geun, president of the Korea Youth Baseball Federation, which hosted the tournament, said, “The youth baseball tournament, which is held every May on Children’s Day and Parents’ Day along with the Gomchwi Festival, a representative festival of Yanggu-gun, has already reached its 10th anniversary. For the first time, the video-based recording service was provided to players and parents and received favorable reviews. We will continue to strive for the development of youth baseball with differentiated services.”
This competition was specially sponsored by Yanggu-gun Sports Foundation, and sponsored by Afreeca TV, baseball equipment specialist Dominion, Storm Baseball, Pin Sports, and Waniel-Diameng. In particular, the final two games of the Dream League (U-11) and Youth League (U-13) were broadcast live nationwide by Afreeca TV by caster Ahn Ji-hyun and commentator Ahn Gyeong-hyun, and received a favorable response.