DAEJEON, South Korea – Cal Poly Pomona baseball alumnus Cody Ponce made history once again on Wednesday, this time setting the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) single-season strikeout record with his 226^th punch out of the season. The record-breaking strikeout came in the top of the fifth inning against the NC Dinos at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark, breaking a record that was set in 2021.
 
Ponce, a native of Upland, previously set the KBO single-game record with 18 strikeouts back on May 17^th against the SSG Landers. He then became the fastest pitcher in league history to reach 200 strikeouts in a season, and the first to ever win their first 16 straight decisions. In June, he was named the starting pitcher of the All-Star Game with 1.62 million votes, the third-most of any player selected for either team. He was also named the KBO League MVP for the month of April.
 
The Hanwha Eagles ace has put together one of the best pitching seasons in KBO history, with a league-leading 1.76 ERA and a perfect 16-0 record in 26 starts. The Bronco alum currently leads the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts, as he looks to claim the league's pitching Triple Crown. In 163.2 innings this season, Ponce has a 0.90 WHIP while registering at least eight strikeouts in 19 of his 26 starts.
 
The conversation around Ponce's historic performance this season has surpassed just the Choi Dong-won Award (the KBO League equivalent of the Cy Young Award), as now there is serious consideration of Ponce working his way toward the league MVP.  
 
The Eagles are currently 5.0 games back behind the LG Twins with a 72-51-3 record, as Ponce looks to carry the team both into the postseason and to a KBO League title.
 
A member of the Cal Poly Pomona baseball team from 2013-2015, Ponce helped lead the Broncos to the 2015 NCAA Division II College World Series, where they would finish in the national semifinals. In 185.2 innings thrown for the Green & Gold, Ponce posted an impressive 2.42 career ERA with a 14-10 record across 47 appearances. He is one of just four pitchers in school history to throw at least 85 innings and not allow a single home run, while also ranking Top 10 in both saves and ERA. Furthermore, he only allowed 22 extra base hits in his CPP career for a jarring .596 opponent OPS.
 
Following the 2015 season, Ponce was drafted in the second round (55th overall) by the Milwaukee Brewers, the fifth-highest MLB Draft pick in school history. After spending five seasons in the minor leagues, Ponce made his Major League debut on August 2, 2020 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, becoming the 12th Bronco to appear in an MLB game. Since then, he spent three seasons in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) League, including throwing a no-hitter on August 27th, 2022 for the Nippon Ham Fighters. He is now in his first season in the KBO League playing for the Hanwha Eagles.