Professional baseball team NC Dinos has overcome adverse conditions of playing only away games for two months and is on a seven-game winning streak. This marks the first time in five years since their inaugural unified championship season in 2020 that they have achieved a seven-game winning streak, emerging as a dark horse in the top five competition.
Under the leadership of manager Lee Ho-jun, NC swept both games of the doubleheader against Doosan on the 11th at Jamsil. Following an 11-5 victory in the first game, NC also won the second game 5-2, extending their winning streak to seven games, including one draw, since the game against Lotte on the 3rd.
NC's seven-game winning streak is notable as it comes 1,688 days after their previous streak, which started with the doubleheader against Lotte on September 20, 2020, and ended on September 26 against Hanwha. At that time, NC extended their winning streak to 11 games and capitalized on this momentum to secure the regular season championship and eventually win the Korean Series.
Before starting the seven-game winning streak, NC had a record of 10 wins, 18 losses, and 1 draw, leading to a -8 win-loss margin while remaining in 9th place until the 2nd. However, with the seven-game winning streak, they have improved to 17 wins, 18 losses, and 1 draw, approaching a .500 winning percentage and jumping to 4th place, rising five spots in just nine days.
NC's seven-game winning streak is particularly significant as it was achieved in extremely adverse conditions. NC's last home game was on March 29 against LG. On that day, three casualties occurred when a louver attachment fell from the exterior of Changwon NC Park. Tragically, a fan passed away two days later, prompting an urgent safety inspection of the venue.
Having lost their home ground overnight, the NC players began living a nomadic life. Since the 4th of last month, they have been playing on the road for 29 consecutive games in other stadiums across Gocheok, Suwon, Sajik, Daejeon, Jamsil, Daegu, Gwangju, Sajik, Suwon, and Jamsil. Though they played the games at Sajik on the 11th to the 13th as the home team, it was effectively an away game.
After going through a series of away games, the NC players only returned home for a day after finishing the game against Samsung in Daegu on the 27th. They have been under significant mental and physical stress from continuous away travel and living in accommodations, unable to properly enjoy home-cooked meals. Additionally, their routines before and after games have been disrupted. Home team players typically come out early for warm-ups or continue training after games, but this has not been possible.
During away games, only about 1 hour and 10 minutes of training time is permitted. Training after games is not possible, and NC players are forced to exercise in their hotel rooms or on rooftops. The seven-game winning streak earned under such adverse conditions and the rise to 4th place should be highly regarded.
During the seven-game winning streak, NC's batting lineup has stood out. Including one draw, they ranked first in team batting average (.324), home runs (12), and OPS (.938) over eight games. Jeon Jae-hwan has been stellar with a batting average of .457 (30 at-bats, 14 hits), 4 home runs, 9 RBIs, and 4 stolen bases, for an OPS of 1.433. Han Seok-hyun, who was called up from the second team on the 24th of last month, has also made a surprise impact with a batting average of .333 (27 at-bats, 9 hits), 9 RBIs, and an OPS of .848. Matt Davidson, who returned from a back injury, has revived with a batting average of .462 (26 at-bats, 12 hits), 2 home runs, 8 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.269.
For the entire season, NC has a team batting average of .263, ranking 3rd, and they are 3rd in home runs (35) and 2nd in OPS (.765), showcasing a competitive batting lineup. The presence of Son Ah-seop with a batting average of .359 (1st), Kwon Hee-dong with an on-base percentage of .427 (2nd), and Kim Hyung-jun with 9 home runs (4th) stands out. As the batting lineup continues to thrive, the young pitchers, who make up the majority of the mound, are gradually finding stability.
Meanwhile, a joint task force composed of Changwon City, Changwon Facilities Corporation, and the NC organization has completed safety inspections after removing 309 louver attachments, which were the cause of the accident at Changwon NC Park. However, the reopening has been delayed for over a month. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has demanded fundamental safety measures, and on the 2nd, the decision was made to indefinitely postpone the reopening, preventing the Children's Day series from being held on the 5th to the 7th.
As the reopening has been postponed indefinitely due to the lukewarm response from Changwon City, the NC organization can no longer wait idly. After searching for a temporary home ground, they have partnered with Ulsan City and will finally hold home games against Kiwoom at Ulsan Munsoo Baseball Stadium starting on the 16th. Although they will continue to live in accommodations, it is fortunate to have a temporary place. This will prevent disruptions in the league and allow the team to compete for rankings under more stable conditions. If they can endure until their ace Koo Chang-mo returns from military service on June 17, they can still aim for a spot in the top five.
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