Choi Chung-yeon showcased a flawless performance with 2 scoreless innings.

Choi Chung-yeon took the mound as the fifth pitcher in the 7th inning during an away game against KT Wiz at Iksan Stadium on the 24th, trailing 9-1. Choi induced ground balls from Lee Yong-hyun and Oh Seo-jin, but faced a first and second base crisis after giving a walk to Choi Sung-min and a hit to Kim Byeong-jun. However, he ended the inning by getting Choi Dong-hee out on a fly ball to first base.

In the 8th inning, Choi Chung-yeon induced a ground ball from lead-off hitter Yoon Jun-hyuk and then issued a walk to Kim Geon-hyung. He followed that by striking out Kang Hyun-woo and then induced another ground ball from Park Tae-wan.

After graduating from Gyeongbuk High School and receiving Samsung's first-round draft pick in 2016, Choi Chung-yeon played a vital role in the first team's bullpen in 2018, recording 16 holds. That year, he was selected for the national team at the Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games and earned a gold medal, also gaining military benefits.

However, he was unable to fully showcase his abilities due to struggles and injuries. He has recorded 5 wins, 19 losses, 9 saves, and 23 holds with an earned run average of 5.90 over 194 games in the first team.

Choi Chung-yeon was also named MVP of the Okinawa camp in Japan in 2023. At that time, manager Park Jin-man noted, "He fulfilled his personal promise of throwing more than 1,000 pitches and showed good performance in actual games. I appreciated that he not only trained hard but also inspired the team with his fighting spirit."

Although he has not recorded any appearances in the first team since 2023, he is a pitcher who can certainly contribute if he regains his peak condition.

Meanwhile, ‘Living Legend’ Oh Seung-hwan, who boasts 427 saves in the first team, is steadily improving his pace. In the 6th inning, he bundled up three batters: Kim Geon-hyung (Samjin), Kang Hyun-woo, and Park Tae-wan (all ground balls to shortstop). Manager Park Jin-man stated, "We need to increase his velocity a bit more," setting a prerequisite for his call-up to the first team.

Samsung lost to KT, 11-12. Although it was frustrating to finish just 1 point short, the performances of slugger prospects such as Lee Chang-yong (4 at-bats, 2 hits (1 home run), 2 RBIs, 1 run), Han Su-ho (5 at-bats, 3 hits, 2 RBIs, 1 run), and Cha Seung-joon (5 at-bats, 2 hits, 4 RBIs, 1 run) were impressive.

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