Kiwoom Heroes rookie Son Hyun-ki (18) is confident. He said that he thinks players who have gone to the pros are the same baseball players.
Son Hyun-ki pitched two innings of one-run, three-hit ball with one walk and three strikeouts against SSG Landers in the 2024 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at SSG Landers Field in Incheon at 6 p.m. on Thursday. Kiwoom won the game 5-4 in favor of SSG.
Son was selected by Kiwoom with the 19th overall pick in the second round of the 2024 Korean Baseball Entry Draft. He was recognized as one of the top left-handed pitchers in high school alongside Jang Chung-go and Cho Dong-wook (Hanwha Eagles) and was quickly selected by Kiwoom.
In the opening game of the exhibition series against the Doosan Bears in Icheon, Gyeonggi-do, on April 9, Son caught the eye of fans by pitching two scoreless innings with no hits and three strikeouts.
He continued his impressive performance in his second appearance. He gave up a run, but his powerful curveball and slider were still there.
However, there were times when he was shaky as a rookie. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Son allowed leadoff hitter Choi Ji-hoon to reach on a throwing error. He then struck out Guillermo Heredia, but Choi stole second and a throwing error by the catcher put runners on first and third.
Here, he gave up a hard-hit ball to the next batter, Choi Jung. It looked like he couldn’t settle down in the chaotic atmosphere. Son then gave up a single to Han Yoo-seom and a run, but struck out Go Myung-joon and Park Sung-han to prevent further damage.
“I was confident in my slider, so I threw it toward the body, but I lost power and the pitch hit the ground. It hit my ankle,” he explained.
Meanwhile, many fans came to SSG Landers Field for the exhibition game. “There were a lot of fans, and I didn’t feel cold because I was nervous. I had fans in Icheon, but the 카지노사이트 stadium was small. It was strange to throw in a stadium that I had seen on TV. I had a good experience,” he said.
When asked how it felt to face professional players in an exhibition game, Son said, “I think I’m the same baseball player. I did the same things I’ve always done. I was nervous, but when I got on the mound, I did my best to fulfill my role.”
He chose elementary school senior Heo In-seo as his favorite opponent to face in the pros. Son Hyun-ki and Heo In-seo are classmates at Suncheon Bukcho. “Before I came to the pros, I wanted to face Lee Jung-hoo, but now I want to play against my brother In-seo (Heo) at Sangsung. We fought often in high school, but I lost a lot. Of course, I also won some matches. I want to face In-seo again,” he said.