Chungam High School ace Park Gun-woo (17-2), a former member of the Youth Baseball Federation, has become the only high school sophomore to be named to the national team for the 2023 World Youth Baseball Championship.
Park was named to the Korea Baseball Softball Association’s (KBSA) roster for the 2023 World Youth Baseball Championship (U-18) on 18 April. He is the second Korean to make the list after Lee Jin-ha (Lotte Giants) last year.
Lee Sang-geun, President of the Korea Baseball Organization, said, “It is important to produce professional baseball players, but it is very significant to be selected for the U-18 national team, which is the foundation of professional baseball and the representative of student baseball. It is a great boost to the youth players and a step towards expanding the base of youth baseball.”
This year’s Chungam High School ace, Park Gun-woo, is considered one of the best innings eaters in high school. Although he is only in his second year of high school, he throws a ball that reaches a maximum speed of 148 kilometres per hour. The Korea Youth Baseball Federation said, “He combines a heavy fastball with a knife-like delivery that recalls Oh Seung-hwan’s heyday.”안전놀이터
His pitching is particularly strong. In two qualifying games for the ongoing 78th Cheongnyonggi High School Baseball Championship, he has pitched a total of nine innings, five hits, one walk and 11 strikeouts. Chungamgo advanced to the round of 16 thanks to Park’s strong performance.
Professional clubs are also interested. Kim Hyun-woo, the head coach of the Seongdong-gu Youth Baseball Team in Seoul, who discovered and coached Park during his youth, said, “From a young age, he has been following the hard training and showing sincerity. He was always considerate of his friends and led by example, which made him popular.” “When he first started playing baseball, he said it was his dream to wear the Taeguk mark on his chest, and I am so happy for him. I hope he gets a high pick in next year’s professional baseball draft.”