Professional baseball player Jeong Jun-jae (22) of the SSG Landers put aside the disappointment of errors in the opening game and led the team to two consecutive opening victories.

Jeong recorded 2 hits and 3 RBIs in 4 at-bats while starting as the second baseman in the match against the Doosan Bears in the '2025 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank KBO League' held at Incheon SSG Landers Field on the 23rd.

After hitting a two-RBI timely hit in the bottom of the 3rd inning, Jeong Jun-jae added another run with a one-RBI timely hit in the 5th inning, leading the SSG offense. He also showcased a fantastic diving catch in defense, performing excellently in both offense and defense. Thanks to Jeong's performance, SSG won 5-2 and achieved two consecutive opening victories.

In a post-game interview, Jeong commented, "I usually have confidence in my fastballs. I entered with a plan, and a fastball came in on the first pitch, allowing me to hit it perfectly. When I scored the two RBIs, I was thinking a bit more about making contact. Instead of hitting it hard, I went for a short swing, which allowed me to create a good hit."

Jeong, who joined SSG in the 5th round (50th overall) of the 2024 rookie draft, made his first-team debut on May 3 last year. Therefore, playing in the regular season opener against Doosan on the 22nd was his first experience. Jeong exposed a disappointing performance in the opening game, committing two errors and recording no hits in three at-bats with one walk.

"I think this is the most nervous I’ve felt in baseball so far," Jeong stated. "It definitely felt different from last year. I wasn't very nervous last year, but I was very tense during the opening game, to the point where I felt a bit detached from my body. I was more nervous than in the 5th place playoff. The playoff was actually fun, but it wasn't easy to enjoy the opening game."

Jeong explained, "I originally had confidence in my defense, but after making errors, I became more tense. I worried it might affect my hitting. However, after making that diving catch today, I completely relaxed. Thanks to that, I have been getting good results since then. I think I can create a good batting rhythm from now on."

Despite the disappointing performance in the opening game, Jeong earned a chance to redeem himself by being named to the starting lineup for two consecutive games. Jeong commented, "I think now I can say I am a regular player. To be honest, I was anxious after yesterday's game. But Coach Son Si-heon reassured me in advance, allowing me to feel secure. Since the coach trusts me and is sending me out, I thought I would show what I can do tomorrow."

Starting pitcher Kim Gwang-hyun pitched 5⅔ innings, allowing 7 hits, 2 walks, and striking out 8 batters while giving up 2 runs, securing his first victory of the season. Kim received significant support from Jeong's performance and praised him in an interview, stating, "He reminds me of Jeong Geun-woo."

Hearing Kim Gwang-hyun's words, Jeong remarked, "Hearing such words makes me happy, but I feel it might be overstating it. So I need to strive to do better. I will work hard to ensure I can definitely look like Jeong Geun-woo to others."

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