Give the alma mater the trophy
Oh Si-hoo contributed greatly to his team's 8-5 victory by starting as the fourth batter and left fielder in the final against Jeonju High School in the 2024 Shinsegae E-Mart Cup National High School Baseball Tournament at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 22nd.
Oh Si-hoo, who struck out a fly ball and struck out in his first at-bat in the top of the second and second at-bat in the top of the third, fired a tiebreaking two-run shot over the right fence from Jeon Ju-ju's "Ace" starter Jung Woo-joo in the top of the fifth inning when his team was being dragged 3-5.
This was not the end. Oh hit a double over the left field in the top of the seventh inning with no outs and runners on second base, bringing second baseman Park Joon-soon home. He even scored a point afterwards, and Deoksu added one more run due to his opponent's wild pitch in the top of the eighth inning, solidifying his win. Oh's RBI double became the final hit of the match.
After the game, Oh Si-hoo said, "I'm so grateful to my seniors and juniors. At first, I thought I wasn't sure when the ball flew, but it went over the fence. He hit a home run once at Mokdong Baseball Stadium, and this is the first time he has hit a home run at a professional stadium. I wanted to hit a long ball (against Jeong Woo-ju) at least once, and I felt very good about hitting it (homerun)." 안전놀이터
Coincidentally, Oh first started playing baseball at SSG Landers Field in Incheon. To be more precise, Oh began to realize his dream at the "Sprout Baseball Stadium" next to SSG Landers Field. In the past, the SK Wyverns (currently SSG Landers) renovated the ground parking lot of Munhak Stadium to prepare the facility, and it was planned to expand baseball fans in the mid- to long-term by increasing children's interest in baseball.
"When I was seven years old, I first started playing baseball when SK was conducting a youth program at Sprout Baseball Stadium. At first, I dreamed of watching Kim Kwang-hyun (SSG), but I became a batter because it was fun to be a batter," Oh said, looking back on his childhood.
Oh Si-hoo, who is already a big part of the team even though he is in the second grade, said, "I felt a lot of pressure at the beginning of the weekend league, but I think it got better with the coach's advice." The coach said, "You're still in the second grade, so don't feel pressured and play with confidence," expressing his gratitude to the coach.
"Whenever I hear that (the Keystone duo is the biggest player in high school), I feel good, but I also feel pressure. I just want to keep doing what I've been doing," Oh said. "I like Noh Si-hwan (Hanwha Eagles) because I like to swing confidently. I hope he will always be remembered as a player who does his best to become the best."