TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan secured a place in this year's Junior League Baseball World Series after Taoyuan's Hsin Ming Junior High School (新明國中) completed the Asia-Pacific qualifying tournament with a perfect 5-0 record.
Hsin Ming defeated Japan in the championship game by a score of 14-0 to punch a ticket to the tournament in the US, which begins in August. Taoyuan Mayor Chang San-cheng (張善政) welcomed the players and coaches at the airport on Sunday, praising their performance throughout the tournament in South Korea, per a press release.
Chang said city officials closely followed the team's progress during the competition. He said the players demonstrated strength and consistency, winning several games by large margins. He called the achievement a major honor for the school as well as for baseball in Taoyuan and Taiwan.
The Taoyuan City Education Bureau said youth baseball at all three levels was thriving in Taoyuan. In the first half of the year, two local teams had won two national team qualification spots through competitive domestic tournaments.
Furthermore, local teams have achieved success in international competitions. Hsin Ming, for example, defeated teams from Hong Kong, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands during the tournament to claim the Asia-Pacific crown, per the press release.
The bureau noted that the school has a long tradition of investing in youth baseball, as Hsin Ming has won the Junior League Baseball World Series six times. The city government said it will continue to support grassroots baseball by improving training resources and the competition environment, hoping that more Taoyuan youth can continue to achieve glory for Taiwan baseball.
