“When the NC (Dinos) won the championship in 2020, I was in the military, so I didn’t get to experience it. This year, I definitely want to play fall baseball here at ‘NPark’ (Changwon NC Park).”
NC’s infield prospect Kim Han-byul shared her ambitious goal.바카라사이트
Kim Han-byul had a dream day on the 27th. She started at shortstop and batted ninth against the KIA Tigers at Changwon NC Park, going 3-for-3 with a home run and an RBI in NC’s 4-0 win.
NC’s Kim Han-byul, who we recently met, said her goal was to play fall baseball at Changwon NC Park this season.
From the start of the game, Kim swung the bat like a madman. In the bottom of the second inning, with NC leading 2-0, Kim batted first and took advantage of KIA starter Yang Hyun-jong’s two-pitch 126-kilometer changeup for a single to right.
With momentum on his side, Kim continued to showcase his sensitive bat in the bottom of the fourth inning when NC took a 3-0 lead. With the bases loaded, she took advantage of Yang Hyun-jong’s two-pitch 143-kilometer fastball for a single to center field.
Then, in the bottom of the sixth inning, with runners on first and second, Kim lined a two-pitch, 143-kilometer fastball to right field for an RBI single. It was the first time Kim had three hits in a game.
“After my first hit, I had the idea of getting one more out,” she told reporters recently, “but luckily I got two more hits. It feels good that the team won,” she smiled shyly.
Kim’s performance was made all the more impressive by the fact that her opponent was left-hander Yang Hyun-jong, one of the best pitchers in the KBO. Yang, who made his professional debut in 2007, has a career record of 164 wins and 108 losses with a 3.84 ERA through 30 games.
Kim Han-byul, who went 0-for-3 against Yang Hyun-jong on June 18 against the Gwangju KIA, did the opposite this time, exploding for three hits.
He said, “Last time (June 18) against KIA, I faced Yang Hyun-jong once and didn’t get a hit. This time, I planned to attack a little faster count. It was also easier because I had faced him once before.”
In the NC, Park Min-woo and Park Gun-woo are the seniors who take care of Kim the most. In particular, Park Min-woo made a significant (?) contribution to Kim’s three hits.
Kim Han-byul said, “Park Min-woo gave me the bat. At first, I thought it would be difficult because I was low, but I got three hits with that bat. I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude.”
Selected by NC with the 61st overall pick in the second seven rounds of the 2020 Rookie Draft, Kim is a highly touted infielder with natural potential. However, she failed to fulfill her potential last year, batting just .095 in 24 games.
This year, however, she has shown a much improved performance. She’s batting .222 (10-for-45) with three RBIs in limited playing time. Kim attributes her improvement to a change in batting form.
“I changed my batting form, and it seems to be working out well so far,” Kim said. “Coach Kang In-hwa first talked to me about changing it. I was going to do it after the season, but I told the coaches that I would give it a try. I used to hit with a no-step, but now I swing with my leg up and do a leg kick. I haven’t fully adapted to it yet, but I think I’m more comfortable with it than I was at the beginning,” he nodded.
Stable defense is also one of his strengths, and he was especially favored by his coach, Son Si-heon, a former 2020 “Famous Shortstop” when he was just entering the professional ranks. Son is currently in the United States for training.
“I trained with Coach Son when I was a rookie,” Kim said. He gave me a lot of tips and tricks from his playing days. Thanks to him, I’m able to play good defense now.”
For Kim and the NC, the end of September and early October will be crucial. The 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games will be held during this time, and Kim Joo-won, the main shortstop, will be away with the national team. Kim Han-byul will be responsible for NC’s shortstop during this period.
“That’s probably the most important period when you’re fighting for position. I wish I could play every game like I did against KIA on the 27th, but it’s hard to get three hits every day,” he laughed, adding, “First of all, I want to help the pitcher a lot in defense. In the batting order, I want to get one hit when I need to, and I want to do a good job with sacrifice bunts when I need to.”
NC is currently holding on to fourth place with 43 wins, one draw and 41 losses despite the absence of key starters such as Koo Chang-mo (fatigue fracture in his left forearm) and Lee Jae-hak (metatarsal fracture in his left foot). The secret is NC’s unique team atmosphere.
Kim Han-byul said, “Whenever the team is down, our captain (Son) Asub leads the team meeting. He calms the players down and says, ‘Thank you for your hard work,’ to the younger players.” “I think the team atmosphere is stronger and more cheerful because the seniors are leading the way,” Kim explained.
Finally, Kim Han-byul did not hide her desire to reach the postseason, saying, “When NC won in 2020, I was in the military, so I didn’t get to experience fall baseball.” “This year, I really want to experience it here at NPAC,” she said.