Hwang Jun-seo, ‘No. 1 overall pick’ to Hanwha, gives up 4 runs on 3 hits in 2 1/3 innings against Chinese Taipei…Korea U-18s lose 1-6
Hwang Jun-seo (Jang Chung-go3), the No. 1 overall pick in the rookie draft and a favorite to join the Hanwha Eagles, had a disappointing outing against Chinese Taipei at the Baseball World Cup. As a result, Team Korea lost their first game of the tournament.
Hwang Jun-seo started the game against Chinese Taipei in the preliminary round of the 2023 WBSC Under-18 Baseball World Cup in Taichung, Taiwan, on February 2 (KST) and threw 56 pitches in 2⅓ innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits and three walks with three strikeouts.
The U-18s, led by Lee Young-bok, have been training in Korea since March 21, playing a pair of exhibition games against Korea-Japan Jangshin University and Wonkwang University before departing for Taiwan on March 30 in search of their sixth title. The Koreans, who are in Group A with Taiwan, Australia, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and the Czech Republic, were scheduled to play their first match of the tournament against Puerto Rico the previous day (Jan. 1), but were unable to play due to rain, and will face Taiwan on Jan. 2.
Hwang Jun-seo took over the starting duties for the day. Jun-seo Hwang started his career as a high school freshman in 2021, going 1-0 with a 1.42 ERA in four games, followed by a 2-2 record with a 1.84 ERA in 12 appearances in 2022, and a 6-2 record with a 2.16 ERA in 15 games this year. He is currently the favorite to be selected by the Hanwha Eagles with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 KBO Draft, which will be held on April 14. However, his start in international competition has been disappointing.
Hwang Jun-seo took the mound with a one-run lead in the top of the first inning, and it didn’t start out well. Hwang induced a fly ball to right field against the leadoff hitter in the first inning, but Lee Seung-min (Whimun High School 3), the son of “Red Tomah” coach Lee Byung-kyu (Samsung Lions), made a throwing error that allowed the leadoff hitter to reach base, and the snowball rolled away.
After giving up a sacrifice bunt to the next batter, Hwang Jun-seo relieved Lin Chia-wei at second base with a grounder to center field, but Wang Nian-hao, the No. 4 hitter, singled to score the first run of the game. And the crisis continued. The next two batters were hit by another single, putting runners on first and second. However, he was able to strike out the next five batters to end the inning without further damage.
After getting out of the jam in the first inning, things didn’t get much better. Hwang gave up a walk to the leadoff batter and a single to the next batter, putting runners on first and second. However, he showed his crisis management skills by striking out the next two batters to end the inning. However, Hwang Jun-seo was unable to get past the third inning.
Hwang Jun-seo struck out the first batter he faced in the top of the third, getting Li Qia-wei to ground out. However, he started to falter again when he gave up a hard-hit ball to Wang Nianhao and walked the next batter to load the bases. After giving up two singles, he was relieved by Kim Taek-yeon (Incheon High School 3), who also gave up a single and was unable to keep the leadoff man from scoring, pushing Hwang’s deficit to four runs.메이저사이트
Outside of the first inning, the Korean U-18 team was unable to do much against the Taiwanese mound. Korea had the first chance to score in the first inning when leadoff hitter Park Si-hyun (Gyeonggi Commerce High School 3) reached on an error by the right fielder and stole second base. After a sacrifice bunt by Lee Chung-hyun (Chungam High School), Yeo Dong-gun (Seoul High School) scored the first run of the game from third base. Unfortunately, a fastball from the opposing catcher led to a double play, which did not lead to a run.
After the first inning, the scoreless streak continued. Korea failed to capitalize on a bunt single by Lee Sang-joon (Gyeonggi Go 3) in the second inning and a runner on second and first in the third, and in the fourth and fifth innings, the offense was stymied by Lin Wei-en (Taiwanese Taipei) for two consecutive innings. In the top of the sixth inning, with runners on first and second and third, Cho Hyun-min (Chungam High School) struck out and Lee Seung-min flied out to left field.
The gap widened to 1-5 when Kim Taek-yeon, who took over the mound from Hwang Jun-seo, scored a run on defense in the bottom of the fourth inning, and Jeon Mir (Gyeongbuk High School 3) gave up one more run in the bottom of the sixth inning to lose to Taiwan 1-6.
