Dongguk University head coach Lee Kun-yeol, one of the leading figures of the Hae Taek dynasty, expressed his disappointment that college baseball is not getting the attention it deserves.
The 78th National Collegiate Baseball Championship, which was scheduled to be held at Hongcheon Baseball Stadium in Gangwon Province, was rained out on Nov. 11 and ended with Dongguk University and Korea University sharing the title. After the championship, Dongguk University head coach Lee Kun-yeol told OSEN over the phone, “The spirit of our players was amazing. And I think we finished the tournament without any injuries.”
Dongguk University, which played 10 games in Group A of the 2023 KUSF College Baseball U-League, won six games, tied one and lost three. In the first round, they swept Korea Golfe 8-0. In the second round, the team defeated Kyungpook National University 7-2 before facing last year’s champions Kyung Hee University in the round of 16, where they cruised to a 14-2 victory.
Dongguk defeated Jeju International University 4-1 in the quarterfinals, and then swept Hanil Jangshin University 13-3 in the semifinals to reach the final. Although they were unable to make it to the final game against Korea University, their solid pitching and batters’ focus paid off.
Nevertheless, Lee was left disappointed. Not because of the outcome of the tournament. It was the lack of attention college baseball received during the tournament.
“Maybe it was because it was far away, but there weren’t many scouts, which was a bit disappointing,” Lee said. Usually, at a national tournament, scouts from different clubs come to see the players in action, and some of them get their dream draft picks.
This year’s draft will be held on September 14. The national tournament is a showcase for college players before they try their hand at the professional level, but it doesn’t get much attention.
Of the 110 players drafted by 10 teams in the 2023 rookie draft, only 18 were college students. The only one from Dongguk University was infielder Song Dae-hyun, who went to LG.
Professional teams are more interested in high school graduates than college students. This is because they want to systematically develop them while they are still a year younger.스포츠토토
All 10 rookies in this year’s first round were drafted straight out of high school. None were college graduates.
But Lee also emphasized the value of four years of college. “There are good things about being a high school student, but when you come to college, you study, socialize, and improve your judgment. If you go to the pros in this state, you will adapt well,” he emphasized.
He continued, “There are many good players not only at Dongguk University but also among university students. There are players who can go to the pros and show their competitiveness. College baseball, the play of college players is getting really good,” he said, calling for more attention to college baseball.