Dongguk University coach Lee Kun-yeol, who was one of the figures during the Haitai Dynasty, expressed regret at the situation in which college baseball is not receiving attention.
The 78th National Collegiate Baseball Championship, which was scheduled to be held at Hongcheon Baseball Stadium in Gangwon on the 11th, was canceled due to rain, and Dongguk University and Korea University finished as joint winners. After winning the championship, Dongguk University coach Lee Kun-yeol said in a phone call with OSEN, “Our players’ mentality was amazing. And I think I finished the tournament well without getting hurt,” he said.
Dongguk University, which played 10 games in Group A of the 2023 KUSF University Baseball U-League and recorded good results with 6 wins, 1 draw and 3 losses, won and won in this competition. In the first round, they defeated Korea Golf A 8-0. After defeating Kyungil University 7-2 in the second game, in the round of 16, they met Kyunghee University, the champion of the tournament last year, and won 14-2.
Dongguk University defeated Jeju International University 4-1 in the quarterfinals, and advanced to the final after beating Hanil Presbyterian University 13-3 in the semifinals. Although it was not possible to compete with Korea University in the final match, it bore fruit with a solid mound and the concentration of hitters.
Nevertheless, director Lee Geon-yeol was left with regret. It’s not because of the competition results. This is because college baseball did not receive attention during the tournament.
Director Lee said, “Maybe it’s because the distance is far, so scouts didn’t come very often. That was a bit disappointing,” he said. Usually, when the size of a national tournament is reached, scouts from each club directly check the skills of the players. Among them, he will be nominated as a professional he dreamed of during the rookie draft.
This year’s rookie draft will be held on September 14th. In a way, this national competition was a ‘showcase’ for college players before they challenged themselves on the professional stage. However, it is not getting much attention.
In the 2023 rookie draft, only 18 of the 110 players nominated by 10 clubs were college students. Infielder Song Dae-hyeon was the only one from Dongguk University who went to LG.
Professional clubs pay more attention to high school graduates than college students. When he is even one year younger, he has a great intention to raise him systematically in a professional club.
All 10 rookies nominated in the first round of this year wore professional team uniforms right after graduating from high school. There were no university graduates.
However, director Lee also appealed to the preciousness of the four years of college. Director Lee said, “There are some good things about raising a high school student, but my judgment improves as I go to college, study, and have a social life. He emphasized that if he goes to the pros in this state, he will adapt well.”메이저놀이터
Coach Lee continued, “There are many good players not only at Dongguk University but also among college students. There are players who can go pro and show their competitiveness. College baseball and the play of college players are getting better,” he said, wanting interest in college baseball.
