The final two teams to challenge the throne of the Shinsegae E-Mart Cup National High School Baseball Championship in 2023 have been confirmed. Gangneung High School and Deoksu High School meet in the finals and hope to win the championship cup for the first time this year.

Gangneung High School and Deoksu High School will play the final match of the E-Mart Cup High School Baseball Tournament on April 11 at Munhak SSG Landers Field from 1:00 p.m. Deoksu High School defeated Masan Yongma High School (9 to 3 wins) and Gangneung High School defeated Jangchung High School (5 to 4 wins) in the semifinals to reach the final stage. An even fiercer battle is expected as these two teams came up against two schools with Jang Hyeon-seok (Masan Yongma High School) and Hwang Jun-seo (Jangchung High School) competing for the top 1 and 2 pitchers nationwide this year.

In terms of mound power, there is no choice but to raise the hand of Deoksu High School rather than Gangneung High School. Gangneung High School cannot use the mound aces Yuk Cheong-myeong and Jo Dae-hyeon on the mound for the final round. Yuk Chung-myeong, who is recovering from elbow surgery, was unable to pitch in this tournament, and Cho Dae-hyeon threw 82 pitches in the semifinals, so he cannot pitch in the final due to the rule of guaranteeing rest days (3 days rest) according to the number of pitches.

Conversely, Deoksu High School can use Jung Hyun-woo, the ‘2nd grade lefty ace’, in the finals. Jung Hyun-woo threw 59 pitches in the semi-final, so he was able to appear in the final after a day’s rest. In addition, the team’s main pitchers, Kim Seung-jun and Lee Jong-ho, are also capable of pitching in the final, so the mound’s available power is relatively more abundant.

The rain forecast given at Munhak Stadium on the morning of the 11th is also a variable. However, even if the final match ends in a rainy day, Gangneung High School cannot utilize Ace Cho Dae-hyun. Rather, it could be more unfavorable rain news for Gangneung High School as the main axis mound of Deoksu High School can take an extra day of rest.

Still, no one can predict the flow of a single game’s final. If the cohesiveness of the team’s batting line explodes on the same day, along with the unpredictable fielder variable unique to high school baseball, there is a high possibility that the comparison prediction of mound power will be colorless.

Gangneung High School expects Jo Dae-hyeon, the ‘Gangneung High Ohtani’ hitter who will lead the team not only on the mound but also on the batting line. Cho Dae-hyun led the team to the final with 4 hits, 2 RBIs and 1 run at bat in the semifinals. In Deoksu High School, outfielder Baek Jun-seo is expected to be a key player in the lineup along with Woo Jeong-an, who recorded 2 hits and 4 RBIs including a home run in the semifinals.

Above all, attention is drawn to the head-to-head confrontation between command towers with thick bones in high school baseball. Gangneung High School coach Choi Jae-ho and Deoksu High School coach Jeong Yun-jin have a long-standing relationship as coaches and coaches at Deoksu High School. Due to the nature of high school baseball, where bench intervention is frequent, a splendid showdown between the two coaches is expected in the final. After last year’s first championship winner, Cheonan Bukil High School, who will be the main character to win the second championship? 메이저놀이터