The inaugural High School vs. College All-Star Game, organized by Hanwha Eagles in collaboration with the Korea Baseball Softball Association (KBSA), ended in a 6-6 tie after 10 extra innings.
Held at the Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon on the 6th, the All-Star Game was a great opportunity to get a glimpse of future baseball stars. It attracted a lot of attention because it pitted high school and college players against each other, which has never been seen before. Not only were there 10 KBO teams in attendance, but major league scouts were also on hand to observe the players.
The All-Star Game was organized in line with the Hanwha Eagles’ belief that supporting amateur baseball is a role and obligation of a professional organization. The full support of the KBSA and the Korea Collegiate Baseball Organization also played a role in the success of the event. The expected effects include motivating student-athletes through the big stage experience and revitalizing the stagnant college baseball.
The game was broadcast live on the Hanwha Eagles’ YouTube channel, Eagles TV. Commentators Kim Tae-gyun, the club’s permanent number 52 legend, and Lee Jae-guk, a baseball reporter, and announcer Jung Yong-gum were recruited to enhance the quality of the live broadcast.
The seats were open to fans for free. About 1,000 baseball fans visited Hanwha Life Eagle Park to watch the amateur stars in action. Hanwha Eagles also operated some food, beverage, and merchandise outlets for baseball fans at the venue.
The preliminary and final rounds of the home run race were held before the start of the game and during cleanup time, allowing fans to see the long-hitting power of the prospects. Bae Kang (Gwangju Ilgo), who qualified for the finals with four home runs in the preliminaries, won the tournament with three home runs in the finals, beating out Kim Sang-hwi (Chung-Ang University), who finished first in the preliminaries with seven home runs.
The tournament ended in a 6-6 tie in the 10th inning of extra innings.The MVP of the inaugural tournament was College All-Star Team outfielder Jeon Da-min (Youngdong University), who tied the game in the bottom of the ninth inning, trailing 5-6, with two outs and the bases loaded, with a triple over the center fielder’s head.
“It was a lot of fun just being able to participate in this game, and I’m really happy to be named MVP. I’m grateful to the Hanwha Eagles for holding such a game, and I hope that other friends can have such a meaningful experience next year.” “I would like to ask for a lot of attention to high school and college baseball, including myself, who are doing their best to become professional baseball players,” said Jeon.스포츠토토
Other honorable mentions went to Lee Seung-min from Whimungo, Park Ki-ho from Cheongju and Park Ki-ho from Cheongju, and Park Ji-hwan from Seadoo as the high school pitcher MVP. The college pitcher MVP was Jung Hyun-soo of Songwon University and the college hitter MVP was Go Dae-rae of Chung-Ang University.
Hanwha said, “We plan to continue the tournament to bring more attention to amateur baseball.