A new star has emerged for the professional baseball team KT Wiz. Outfielder Ahn Hyun-min (22) led KT to victory with hits in four consecutive games and runs batted in.
KT decorated their home game against the Kiwoom Heroes in the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League with a complete victory of 9-0 at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 3rd.
Ahn Hyun-min, who was the cleanup hitter for the first time this season, continued his hot hitting with two hits and two runs batted in from four at-bats, and starting pitcher Oh Won-seok delivered a stellar performance, recording 6 innings, 5 strikeouts, and no earned runs while maintaining a no-hitter until one out in the 6th inning, achieving his 4th win of the season.
After avenging the loss to Kiwoom the previous day (2nd), KT improved to 17 wins, 15 losses, and 2 ties (winning percentage .531) and maintained their 5th place position. Kiwoom, ranked 10th, stands at 12 wins and 24 losses (winning percentage .308).
KT scored first from the bottom of the first inning. Against Kiwoom starter Ha Young-min, Hwang Jae-kyun hit an infield single to the shortstop, and with two outs and one runner on first base, Ahn Hyun-min exploded for a one-RBI double over the center fielder. He connected on a fastball that was right down the middle for a long hit.
In the bottom of the second inning, with a single to left by Moon Sang-cheol and a walk by Cheon Sung-ho, with one out and runners on first and second, Kim Min-hyuk hit a timely single to left, adding another point. Then, Hwang Jae-kyun and Ahn Hyun-min both delivered timely hits to center, widening the score to 4-0.
Ahn Hyun-min has made hits in four consecutive games starting from the match against Doosan on the 30th of last month. On the 1st, against Doosan, he recorded his first home run of the season with a two-run homer over the center field fence after a nine-pitch duel with ace closer Kim Taek-yeon. In the match against Kiwoom on the 2nd, he soared with three hits and three runs batted in from four at-bats, including his debut back-to-back home runs. Even on this day, as a cleanup hitter for the first time this season, he continued his hot hitting.
Ahn Hyun-min, who graduated from Masan High School, was drafted by KT in the 4th round of the 2022 second draft at the overall 38th pick. He quickly completed his military service and made his first-team debut last year. He showcased his potential with his debut home run and is poised to secure a spot on the first team this year.
In the bottom of the 5th inning, KT capitalized on walks by Jang Seong-woo and Kwon Dong-jin and another walk by Moon Sang-cheol to create a bases-loaded situation with one out. Cheon Sung-ho's two-RBI double to left chased Kiwoom starter Ha Young-min from the mound. Following that, a wild pitch by the reliever Kim Seong-min allowed the runner on third to score, and then Hwang Jae-kyun's timely single to left sealed the deal. Hwang Jae-kyun went 4-for-3 with two runs batted in, while Kwon Dong-jin also had a stellar game with three hits and one walk from four at-bats.
On the KT mound, the stellar performance of starting pitcher Oh Won-seok shone brightly. He maintained a no-hitter before conceding a single to Ruben Cardenas after one out in the 6th inning, completing 6 innings, allowing only 2 hits, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts, and no earned runs, thus achieving a quality start and his 4th win of the season (with 2 losses). Oh Won-seok, who has succeeded in achieving quality starts in his last five games, lowered his earned run average from 2.97 to 2.52.
Kiwoom starter Ha Young-min collapsed, allowing 9 hits, 5 walks, 4 strikeouts, and 8 earned runs over 4⅓ innings. After recent back-to-back wins, this marked his 4th loss of the season (4 wins), with his earned run average soaring from 4.30 to 5.57.
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