Seoul’s Nowon-gu Youth Baseball Team (head coach Manak-gil) tasted the thrill of winning its first title in its 11 years of existence at the third annual Hwaseong Gunsubae National Youth Baseball Tournament, sharing the title with Gyeonggi’s Namyangju Yanol Youth Baseball Team.온라인바카라
The tournament, organised by the Korea Youth Baseball Federation (Chairman Lee Sang-geun), was held at the Hwaseong Baseball Theme Park in Gangwon-do Province for four weekends from the 1st to the 9th of this month, with a total of 108 teams and more than 2,000 players and parents participating. The teams competed for the championship in seven categories, including the Bud League (U-9), Dreamer League (U-11), Youth League (U-13), and Junior League (U-16).
In the quarterfinals of the Youth League (U-13) Cheongnyong, the strongest league, the Nowon-gu Youth Baseball Team faced Asan Youth Baseball Team from Chungcheongnam-do, the winners of the previous tournament, and scored six runs in the first inning with seven consecutive hits from the first batter, Choi Si-woo (Taerang Middle School 1), to the seventh batter, Woo Jun-woo (Yatap Middle School 1). In the bottom of the third inning, they gave up four runs on Do Geun-ho’s (Onyang Middle School 1) two-run homerun to right and Geum Seung-min’s (Moga Middle School 1) single to left to cut the deficit to 7-5, but reliever Lim Se-yoon (Taerang Middle School 1) pitched 2⅔ innings of one-hit ball to save the day.
The fourth-place game between the Anyang City Youth Baseball Team and the Anyang City Youth Baseball Team was also a close contest. The Nowon-gu Youth Baseball Team took a 4-0 lead in the third inning after a three-inning, six-strikeout no-hitter by starting pitcher Kim Min-jun (Cheongwonjoong1) and a run in the bottom of the inning on a double up the middle by second baseman Lim Se-yoon. In the top of the fifth, Kang Kyu-myung (Seongnam Middle School) tripled down the right field line and Park Jae-hyun (Youngdong Middle School) singled to left field to cut the deficit to 4-3, but Lim struck out three straight batters in the top of the sixth to end the game.
The final game was cancelled due to rain and the championship was shared with the Gyeonggi Namyangju Yanol Youth Baseball Team.
Kim Min-jun (Gyeonggi Namyangju Yanol Youth Baseball Team-Sang Myung-joong 1) with the MVP award. /Photo: Korea Youth Baseball Federation
In the tournament, he pitched 6⅓ innings with 10 strikeouts and one run allowed (ERA 1. 48) and eight hits and five RBIs, co-champion Kim Min-joon (Sangmyeongjoong 1, Namyangju Yanol Youth Baseball Club, Gyeonggi Province) was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP), while Go Woo-jin (Cheongwonjoong 1, Nowon-gu Youth Baseball Club, Seoul), who pitched a no-hitter and a perfect game in the quarter-finals to lead his team to the championship, and Go Woo-jin (Inchangjoong 1, Namyangju Yanol Youth Baseball Club, Gyeonggi Province), who went 8-for-5 with four RBIs at shortstop, were awarded the Honourable Mention.
MVP Kim Min-jun said, “First of all, I am honoured to receive the MVP award. I think I was able to do well in this tournament because of the good teaching of coach Kwon Oh-hyun. My role model is Manny Machado of the San Diego Padres because he is a smooth defender and a big infielder. I am grateful to my mum and dad who help me to play sports.”
Manak-gil, head coach of the Nowon-gu Youth Baseball Team in Seoul. /Photo: Korea Youth Baseball Federation
Manak-gil (34), formerly of the NC Dinos of the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO), who won the tournament’s managerial award, said, “I am very happy to win the tournament after 11 years of existence and two years as manager. Nowon-gu is the only district in Seoul with three well-equipped baseball stadiums, which I think was the driving force behind our victory. I would like to express my gratitude and honour to Won-sik Woo, Sung-hwan Kim, Member of Parliament, Seung-rok Oh, Mayor of Nowon-gu, and parents for their support and encouragement.”
Lee Sang-geun, President of the Korea Youth Baseball Federation, said, “I feel the decrease in the number of children due to the declining birthrate. Expanding the base of youth baseball is the most important point. We need to overcome the crisis by developing various baseball programmes in a good environment so that young players can feel the excitement of baseball. Hwaseong-gun, Gangwon-do, is helping to develop youth baseball with its good baseball field facilities.”
The tournament was sponsored by Hwaseong County, Hwaseong County Sports Association, Africa TV, muscle ligament supplement Aminoligen, baseball equipment specialist Waniel-Diamond, Storm Baseball, Finsport, DOMINION and Gold.
Players of the Nowon-gu Youth Baseball Team in Seoul. /Photo=Korea Youth Baseball Federation
◇ Winners of the 3rd Hwaseong Gunbae National Youth Baseball Tournament
Sprout League (U-9) ▲ Winner – Gyeonggi Namyangju Yanol Youth Baseball Team (Kwon Oh-hyun) ▲ Runner-up – Seoul Seongdong-gu Youth Baseball Team (Kim Hyun-woo) ▲ Most Valuable Player Lee Si-hoo (Gyeonggi Namyangju Yanol Youth Baseball Team, Satbyulcho 3)
Dream League (U-11) Cheongnyong ▲ Winner – Sejong Angels Youth Baseball Team (Jang Jae-hyuk) ▲ Runner-up – Siheung City Youth Baseball Team (Jeong Sun-ki) ▲ Most Valuable Player – Lee Min-jae (Sejong Angels Youth Baseball Team, Duru Cho 5)
Dream League (U-11) Baekho ▲ Winner – Gyeonggi HBC Youth Baseball Team (Han Sang-hoon) ▲ Runner-up – Daejeon Seogu Youth Baseball Team (Yeon Kyung-hum) ▲ Most Valuable Player – Yang Seung-woo (Gyeonggi HBC Youth Baseball Team, Judongcho 4)
Dreamers League (U-11) Hyunmoo Hyun ▲ Winner – Seoul Yonsei Youth Baseball Team (Yoon Jang-sul) ▲ Runner-up – Incheon Seogu Youth Baseball Team (Kim Jong-cheol) ▲ Most Valuable Player Cho Yoon-seong (Seoul Yonsei Youth Baseball Team, Daejeon-cho 5)
Youth League (U-13) Cheongnyong ▲ Joint winners – Seoul Nowon-gu Youth Baseball Team (Manak-gil) & Gyeonggi Namyangju Yanol Youth Baseball Team (Kwon Oh-hyun) ▲ Most Valuable Player Kim Min-jun (Gyeonggi Namyangju Yanol Youth Baseball Team, Sangmyeongjoong 1)
Youth League (U-13) Baekho ▲ Co-Champions – Seoul Seongdong-gu Youth Baseball Team (Kim Hyun-woo) & Seoul Gangnam Dogok Youth Baseball Team (Yoon Jung-ho) ▲ Most Valuable Player Kim Do-bin (Sungshin-cho 6, Seoul Seongdong-gu Youth Baseball Team)
Junior League (U-16) ▲ Joint winners – Gyeonggi HBC (Kwon Hyuk-don) & Sejong Intermediate Baseball Team (Lim Dong-jin) ▲ Most Valuable Player Hwang Je-in (Gyeonggi HBC, Shemagidokjung 8)
Article courtesy of Star News