Fears were unfounded.
The 2024 KBO Rookie Draft is just nine days away. The No. 1 overall pick, Hwang Jun-seo, rebounded from an international tournament to prove why he is the No. 1 pick. It was a stellar performance that eased the worries of No. 1 Hanwha.
Hwang, who is pitching for the Korean National Team at the 31st World Youth Baseball Championship in Taiwan, started against Mexico in the fourth game of the preliminary round and pitched a one-hit, six-hit shutout to lead Korea to a thrilling 2-1 victory.
Entering the game two batters into the second inning after a leadoff walk, Hwang shut down the Mexican bats, allowing just one hit and striking out six over 5⅓ innings. Thanks to Hwang’s stellar performance, South Korea secured a 2-1 victory and a spot in the Super Round.
Hwang Jun-seo started the first game of the preliminary round against home team Chinese Taipei at the same venue on Feb. 2 and took the loss, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits with two walks and three strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings. South Korea lost the game 1-6, raising concerns.
The slump didn’t last long. He erased the concerns with an impressive performance in his next game, setting the stage for his Super Round performance.토토사이트
It was Mexico who struck first.
In the top of the second inning, No. 6 Rodriguez led off with a single to right and stole second.
With two outs, No. 8 Casillas reached on an infield error, allowing the runner to score from third. 0-1.
While Hwang kept the Mexican bats in check, the Koreans rallied late.
In the bottom of the fifth, No. 6 Cho Hyun-min singled to right, Lee Yul-ye reached on a fielder’s choice, and Cho Hyun-min stole third, putting runners on first and third. No. 9 Yeon Jun-won tied the game at 1-1 with a single to left.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Yeo Dong-gun was hit by a pitch, Lee Seung-min singled to right, and Cho Hyun-min laid down a squeeze bunt to put runners on first and third for a 2-1 lead.
With the win over Mexico, the team improved to 3-1 in preliminary play and secured a spot in the Super Round.
They will play their final preliminary round game against Puerto Rico on Saturday, which was postponed due to rain, before traveling to Taipei for the main event.