Hong Jia-en Faces High-Intensity Test at Yushan Cup, Weighing Draft Entry

(CNA reporter Xie Jingwen, New Taipei 12th) The Kinmen County team was eliminated from the Yushan Cup high school baseball tournament after two consecutive losses. Head coach Huang Guowei revealed that he hoped to test Hong Jia-en through this high-level competition. Hong Jia-en started against Taoyuan yesterday and took the loss but recorded a strikeout, feeling a significant gap in skill and is considering whether to challenge the professional draft.

In the 115th Yushan Cup, the Kinmen County team lost to Taoyuan in their first game yesterday and lost 2-23 to Taipei City in the elimination bracket today, suffering two straight losses and elimination. Hong Jia-en played as a batter, recording no hits, reaching base on an error in the first inning and successfully stealing a base. Head coach Huang Guowei admitted he hesitated for a long time about registering for the Yushan Cup, citing the severe outflow of Kinmen players and the difficulty of pitching rotation and high pressure under limited strength.

Kinmen County's ace pitcher Hong Jia-en is 184 cm tall. He performed well at the Black Panther Flag high school baseball tournament last year, with a fastest pitch speed of 138 km/h, leading Kinmen to its first-ever appearance in the Black Panther Flag round of 16, attracting the attention of scouts.

Huang Guowei stated that the consideration for participating in the Yushan Cup was also to test Hong Jia-en's progress on a higher-intensity stage. Hong Jia-en started the first game against Taoyuan yesterday. His performance in the first two innings was acceptable, but he encountered problems in the third inning. He pitched a total of 2 innings, allowing 11 runs (9 earned), with 1 strikeout. The team lost 0-21, and Hong Jia-en was the losing pitcher.

Hong Jia-en evaluated his start against Taoyuan, saying his performance in the first two innings was average, but he started to lose strength in the third inning. Facing high-level opponents, he said, "I felt a huge gap, and realized my own shortcomings." He considers this stimulus as motivation for improvement. Regarding striking out a Taoyuan City batter, Hong Jia-en said it was luck.

Asked about his plans after graduation, Hong Jia-en said that entering the CPBL draft is under consideration, but he is still deciding on the timing. He mentioned that the coaching staff has helped analyze the pros and cons, but ultimately, he will make the decision himself. (Editor: Zhang Mingkun) 1150612

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