The goal is to win! LG Kim Hyun-jong → KIA Kim Doo-hyun '23 Under-23 'Choi Tae-won-ho' National Team roster confirmed. September to Hangzhou

Jul 18, 2024

LG 김현종. Sports Chosun DB

What kind of report card will the under-23 national team led by head coach Choi Tae-won come back with.

The Korea Baseball Softball Association has finally confirmed the national team to participate in the 5th World Baseball Championship in Hangzhou, China, from September 6-15.

In a meeting of the performance improvement committee held on the 16th, the current association appointed head coach Kim Sang-yeop (Gyeongil University coach), field coach Seo Han-gyu (Digital Seoul Arts University coach), and battery coach Ji Jae-ok (national sports unit coach) as coaches in each field.

The final entry consisted of a total of 24 players, including 11 pitchers, three catchers, six infielders and four outfielders for each position.

KIA Kim Doo-hyun at the welcoming ceremony for rookie players last year. Photo courtesy = KIA Tigers

Son Joo-hwan (NC), who was on the preliminary list of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games national team, and Choi Hyun-suk (SSG), who was selected for the 2024 Futures All-Star, were selected as orthodox right-handers, Song Jae-young (Lotte) and Joo Seung-bin (Kium) were selected as left-handers, while Lim Hyung-won (NC), who plays various breaking balls, and Park Ki-ho (SSG), who played in the world youth last year, will keep the mound as side-arm pitchers.

Kim Si-ang (Kium), who has excellent blocking ability, and Ryu Hyun-joon (Doosan), who boasts strong shoulders, will play the role of the main maestro, while Song Ho-jung (Hanwha), who is tall but has fast feet, and Kim Doo-hyun (Kia), who plays all infield positions, will take over the axis of the infield. Choi Sung-min (KT) and Jung An-seok (Hanwha), who boast accurate hitting ability, are expected to be the center of the lineup, while Kim Hyun-jong (LG), who has strengths in the main and wide defense range, will guard the outfield.

Song Jae-young pitches in the bottom of the eighth inning of the Lotte-SSG match at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 11th. Incheon = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.7.11/

Kim Baek-san (Busan University of Science and Technology 2) and Han Ji-heon (Kyung Hee University 2) will help on the mound, Hong Dae-in (Cyber Korea University of Foreign Studies 2) and Lim Sang-woo (Dankook University 3) will perform their operations and show off their fast feet, and Lee Jung-hyun (Hanyang University 4) will show off his cool long-shot power. As the only high school player, left-hander Kim Tae-hyun (Gwangju Jeil High School 3) was selected and challenged the adult stage.

A total of 12 countries will participate in the 5th World Baseball Championship (under 23), with the top three teams in the qualifying round advancing to the super round, and the final two teams in the overall performance, which combine the preliminary round opponent's record (2 games) and super round performance (3 games), advancing to the final round.

With the aim of winning the championship, the association will convene a team from the end of August to conduct domestic reinforcement training, maximize team power, and leave for China.

▶ Under-23 World Baseball Championship Grouping

Group A: Japan, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Australia, England, China

Group B: Korea, Taiwan, Venezuela, Netherlands, Nicaragua, South Africa

lunarfly@sportschosun.com