"Now that the announcement has been made, we will really go, right?"

NC Dinos manager Lee Ho-jun met with reporters on the 23rd before the 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League season's fourth game against the Doosan Bears at Seoul's Jamsil Stadium and expressed delight at the news of returning to Changwon NC Park.

The NC team officially confirmed the reopening of Changwon NC Park by deciding to hold a home game against the Hanwha Eagles there on the 30th. Initially, NC had agreed with Ulsan City to use Ulsan Munsoo Baseball Stadium until the end of June, but made this decision after comprehensive consideration of local business, KBO League fans, and team operations.

Lee said, "I received a hint, but now that the announcement has been made, we will really go, right? I won't be lying anymore, right? I never imagined that something like this would happen in my first year as a manager. It has been quite difficult because something that shouldn’t happen has happened. As I always say, there hasn't been any room to fill the players' shortcomings, so we have continued to play in that state. The players probably wanted to hit more and wanted to play more baseball, but it must have been frustrating."

He added, "From the players' perspective, they must have missed their families and wanted home-cooked meals but couldn't, so it must have been difficult. Also, the travel distance was long. Packing, taking the bus, packing, and unpacking may seem trivial, but it’s very tough."

In the unprecedented situation of closing the home stadium, NC is soaring with a winning percentage of 1st (12 wins, 1 draw, 5 losses) in May. Lee Ho-jun said, "It’s one of two things. The players either completely collapse or, especially in such times, they perform better and show a better side to the fans. It seems we went with the latter." He added, "The veterans, including captain Park Min-woo, must have created this atmosphere, and thanks to that, the team has become stronger. However, I’m concerned that the players seem to be running too hard."

Now, if they can hold out for just one more week, NC will be able to play baseball while receiving strong support from home fans. Lee Ho-jun said, "I want to meet the home fans quickly. We also want to hear cheers in a packed ballpark. The players have surely felt sorrow during this time, but I expect their excitement to grow as they can once again hear the support of home fans."

He also did not forget to express gratitude to Ulsan Metropolitan City for readily providing the ballpark during difficult times. Lee Ho-jun said, "I am grateful to the Ulsan city officials and fans who allowed us to use the home stadium when we couldn’t even find a direction of where to go." He added, "In my personal opinion, I would like to have a rematch with Lotte in Ulsan. I hope to maintain a relationship with Ulsan going forward."

Meanwhile, NC lined up its starting lineup against Doosan starter Cole Irvin as follows: Han Seok-hyun (center fielder), Kim Joo-won (shortstop), Kwon Hee-dong (left fielder), Park Gun-woo (designated hitter), Kim Hyung-jun (catcher), Cheon Jae-hwan (right fielder), Kim Hwi-jip (third baseman), Do Tae-hoon (first baseman), Kim Han-byul (second baseman). The starting pitcher is Logan Allen. Do Tae-hoon has been registered on the first team roster, and Seo Ho-cheol has been removed.

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