In July 2023, Dongguk University’s baseball team finished as co-champions with Korea University (KU) at the 78th Korean University Baseball Championship. While the baseball team is performing brilliantly well, the interest of Donggukians seems to be relatively low. This is because people who are not interested in baseball may not know that Dongguk University has a baseball team. Even if they are interested in baseball, few people have interest in university baseball. There are many reasons why people love sports, but one of them is the feeling of unity with the team you support and a strong sense of belonging. The Dongguk Post has prepared a story about the baseball team to help you feel more connected and interested in Dongguk University, by allowing you to support a sports team of Dongguk.
Let us learn about the university baseball
When we think of baseball, the first thing that comes to mind is the Korean Baseball Organization, so-called KBO. It is a league where professional players from 10 teams, including the LG Twins, LOTTE Giants, and KIA Tigers, compete in games. In addition to the KBO, there are many other baseball leagues in Korea, such as independent baseball, work baseball, amateur baseball, high school and university baseball. And among these leagues, high school and university baseball will be the second most popular leagues after the KBO. This is because many players who play in the professional league join the club through a rookie nomination meeting, or draft, after graduating from high school. University players also participate in this draft and can join a professional team. The university baseball league is a stage where they show their skills and prove themselves. The most exciting thing about the university baseball league is that no big club exists. It is impossible to predict which university will win every year. Then, how can you watch the university baseball league? You can watch the game without any additional reservations or admission fees. If you cannot attend in person, you can easily access the game schedules and results online. This is because the Korea University Baseball Federation (KUBF) and the Korea University Sports Federation (KUSF) post the results and schedules of the presidential tournament, championships, and U-League matches. Also, some games are offered live on KUSF’s YouTube channel and you can find videos related to university baseball here too.
Dongguk University Baseball Team has been making great achievements
Dongguk University Baseball Team was founded in 1946. Although it was disbanded due to the Korean War, it was re-established in 1963 and has consistently shown good results. In 2013, the team won its first three gold medals of the season by winning the Spring League, the University Championship, and the National Sports Competition. In 2014, it won the Spring League, the University Championship, the KBO Governor Championship, and the National Sports Competition. It is a baseball team of Dongguk University that has won many championships and has become a prestigious school in baseball. It still maintains this status, with a 0.786 winning rate in 16 games this season, and a 2.64 Earned Run Average (ERA), which represents the average number of points a pitcher allows to his opponent in one game, is also at the top of the league. It can also be confirmed through professional players from our university that it is an excellent team. Dongguk University’s baseball team players are enrolled in the Department of Sports and Culture at the College of Arts. The Department of Sports and Culture is expected to be a somewhat unfamiliar department to you, and students in the baseball team, soccer and basketball teams are attending universities under the department. The Dongguk Post heard a vivid story through an interview with Lee Jae-ho, Dongguk University’s baseball team captain. He said that “Dongguk University baseball team is a team with consistent defensive prowess and hitters who can score points in scoring opportunities.” Also he added, “In this championship, our team had 19 players take the field due to a significant number of injuries compared to the roughly 30 players from other baseball teams. Despite the adversity, we achieved a commendable performance, and it is a relief that we finished the game well without any further injuries.” When asked about baseball’s charm, he said, “It is a long game, but I think the momentary elements that can only be seen in baseball, such as home runs and strikeouts in between are attractive.” Furthermore, when asked about his aspirations for the Dongguk University baseball team, he expressed the hope of becoming a team that achieves good results and consistently performs well.
We learned about Dongguk University’s baseball team, which clearly declares its presence in the university baseball league with excellent achievements. Amid the growing popularity of Korean professional baseball, the support of students will greatly benefit the players who are training and playing hard to join the KBO, and those who would have joined Dongguk University for their purposes, not joining professional clubs. Through the sport of baseball, you will be able to love Dongguk University more and have a thrilling experience in the process of competition. For those who are already interested in baseball, the Dongguk Post hopes it will be an opportunity to be interested in university baseball, and even if you are not interested in baseball, we recommend you cheer for and pay attention to students who are highlighting our university through the sport of baseball.