Second-year outfielder Um Ji-min (20) of Dongyi Science University showcased his powerful hitting by clearing the Monster Wall twice in the high school vs. college All-Star Game home run race.

Um Ji-min participated in the home run race at the '3rd Hanwha Eagles High School vs. College All-Star Game' held on the 2nd at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark, winning the runner-up title. Although he lost to Yooshin High School infielder Shin Jae-in for the championship, he made multiple home runs over the Monster Wall, which is a disadvantageous feature for left-handed batters, leaving a strong impression on the fans.

Um Ji-min, who graduated from Gongju High School, has a college career batting average of .263 (15 hits in 57 at-bats), 7 RBIs, 17 runs, 10 stolen bases, and an OPS of .689 over 20 games. Although his performance has not been good since entering college, he excelled in high school with a batting average of .385 (70 hits in 182 at-bats), 39 RBIs, 38 runs, 38 stolen bases, and an OPS of .929 over 55 games. He is evaluated as an offensive outfielder capable of hitting evenly to both sides.

Um Ji-min recorded 1 hit, 1 run, and 1 walk in 2 at-bats after being substituted into the All-Star Game. In a post-game interview, he noted, “I watched Hanwha Eagles games a lot when I was younger. It was a great honor to have the opportunity to represent my university today. I really played hard.”

Hanwha Life Ballpark is known as a stadium where left-handed batters find it difficult to hit home runs due to its right field Monster Wall, which is an 8-meter high two-story bullpen. Home runs that clear the Monster Wall are quite rare even in the KBO League. Only 8 Monster Wall home runs have been hit this season.

While other left-handed batters struggled with the Monster Wall, Um Ji-min thrilled fans by continuously hitting home runs over the Monster Wall during the home run race. He overcame the disadvantages of being a left-handed batter by hitting 4 Monster Wall home runs and clinching the runner-up position.

In a post-match interview, Um Ji-min shared, “If I want to clear it, I can clear it. However, when I'm practicing my swing, I try to focus on hitting the ball to the opposite field. But today, since it was a home run race, I pulled the ball, and it went further than I expected. I just felt confident, and I think that's why the results were good,” reflecting on his runner-up finish in the home run race.

“I am confident in my strength. I am confident in my power, speed, and everything,” said a determined Um Ji-min. He added, “In the early stages of the game today, I felt a bit intimidated and was late on my timing. At the end, I really wanted to hit a ball from Park Jun-hyun (Bukil High School), but the game ended in front of me, which was a real disappointment. It looked really fast from the outside, and I wanted to face it at least once.”

Park Jun-hyun, considered one of the top prospects in this year's rookie draft, threw the fastest ball of the day at 157 km/h during the All-Star Game. As Park threw the first pitch at 157 km/h, fans erupted in cheers and admiration. Um Ji-min remarked, “I am usually confident with fast pitches. I really wanted to hit one at least once,” and laughed.

Citing Son Ah-seop (NC) as his role model, Um Ji-min said, “He is a player with a great appeal due to his fighting spirit and tenacity on the field. I want to learn those aspects.” He added, “I have improved my strength through a lot of weight training. I am confident in my power for long hits as well. I believe I have improved little by little in all areas. I can play defense at all outfield positions.” He continued, “My goal is to avoid injuries for the rest of the season and get drafted by a professional team,” sharing his dreams of going pro.

[OSEN]