Sekwang High School is striving for its inaugural Cheongryonggi title following its historic appearance in the finals.
Sekwang High School won against Baemyeong High School with a score of 10-2 in the semifinals of the 81st Cheongryonggi National High School Baseball Championship and the Weekend League King of Kings Tournament (organized jointly by Chosun Ilbo, Sports Chosun, and the Korea Baseball Softball Association) at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on the 10th. Having previously made it to the semifinals in 2020, the school will now aim for its first Cheongryonggi title.
The game was halted during the bottom of the first inning on the 9th because of heavy rain, with Sekwang High School ahead 1-0. The game was officially suspended at 10:19 a.m., and the match continued on the 10th at 10:00 a.m., starting with no outs and a runner on first base.
Baemyeong High School generated a scoring chance with one out and a runner on third base following Kang Seung-jae’s stolen base and Hong Joon-seo’s ground single. Choe Joo-hwan equalized the score at 1-1 with a well-timed double into the right-center field gap, penetrating Sekwang High School’s defensive setup.
The match stayed closely fought until the fourth inning. In the top of the fourth, Sekwang High School had the bases loaded with one out following Lee Si-yun’s leadoff single, a sacrifice bunt, and a hit-by-pitch. Baemyeong High School brought in second-year pitcher Kim Min-su, who became available because of the rain delay, and he got out of the situation without allowing any runs by getting the next two batters out.
However, Sekwang High School made a breakthrough in the fifth inning. Leadoff batter Kim Woo-jin hit a double to center field, and Jeon Yeong-hoon’s sacrifice bunt moved him to third with one out. Following Lee Hong-seok being hit by a pitch, Seo Jeong-hwi drove in two runs with a double along the left-field line. The inning carried on with a walk and an error, scoring four additional runs, and Sekwang High School increased its lead to 5-1.
Baemyeong High School had runners on all bases with one out in the fifth inning but couldn’t manage to score. Yang Ji-hoon hit a short fly ball to right field, which was caught by Sekwang High School’s right fielder Lee Sang-jun, who leaped forward to make the catch. The same runner was also tagged out while attempting to steal third base on a wild pitch, allowing Sekwang High School to avoid the danger. In the sixth inning, Baemyeong High School reduced the deficit to 5-2 when pinch hitter Jo Ha-jin hit a three-run home run.
Sekwang High School took the lead once more in the top of the seventh inning. With Jeon Yeong-hoon reaching on a walk and Lee Hong-seok hitting a double to right field, Lee Sang-jun hit a two-run double to left-center with two outs. Lee Seong-jun then added a single to left, increasing the advantage to 8-2.
Sekwang High School scored one run in the top of the eighth inning due to two wild pitches and added its 10th run in the top of the ninth when Kim Si-woo hit a sacrifice fly to right field. The team became the first in the tournament to reach double digits in runs across three straight games. Lee Sang-jun drove in three runs, while Seo Jeong-hwi contributed two. Baemyeong High School made three errors and walked 15 batters, which played a role in their downfall.
On the mound, second-year underhand pitcher Kim Dong-yu threw 2⅔ innings over two days, yielding three hits and one unearned run. No Su-min, Park Sang-min, and Park Joon-mo then took the field, working together to prevent Baemyeong High School from making a comeback. Park Joon-mo concluded the game with a perfect ninth inning, retiring all three batters faced and recording two strikeouts.
Director Bang Jin-ho from Sekwang High School stated, “The game started off challenging, but the players managed it effectively. Reaching the Cheongryonggi finals for the first time in the school’s history means there’s no going back. We will give our maximum effort to win the championship.” He further mentioned, “This year, we focused on younger players to provide them with experience, yet their abilities and self-assurance have improved throughout the competition. With the team’s encouraging environment, we will strive our hardest in the finals to claim the trophy.”
Jeon Yeong-hoon, who initially played as the catcher, took charge of the pitching staff and managed to reach base three times. As the sole player among the semifinalists chosen for the national youth team’s catcher position, he stated, “I didn’t become complacent after being selected for the national team and focused entirely on winning this tournament.” Jeon explained, “I’m not built for power hitting, so I concentrate on making contact and getting on base. My strengths lie in defense and energy. I encouraged the pitchers to be aggressive but to target the corners instead of just the center.” Referencing Samsung’s Kang Min-ho and Hanwha’s Moon Hyun-bin as his role models, he added, “Since Sekwang High School has never won the Cheongryonggi, we must achieve that goal.”
Baemyeong High School, which secured the Cheongryonggi title in 2017 under the leadership of Kwak Bin (Doosan), reached the semifinals of a national competition for the first time in seven years following their victory in the E-Mart Cup in 2019, although they were unable to make it to the finals.
Sekwang High School will compete against the victor of the match between Masan Yongma High School and Gyeongbuk High School for the Cheongryonggi trophy.
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