Long Beach Coast Finishes Unbeaten, Wins KBO Fall League Title

ULSAN, South Korea — Long Beach Coast completed an unbeaten run through the 2026 Ulsan-KBO Fall League on Saturday, defeating the Ulsan Whales 6-2 in the championship game at Ulsan Munsu Baseball Stadium.

The American independent-league selection finished the tournament 10-0-2 across 12 games. Cooper Best supplied the defining performance, tying the final twice with a triple and a home run before Long Beach broke the game open late.

Best answers both Ulsan leads

Ulsan struck first in the opening inning. Park Moon-soon singled, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored when Kim Seo-won lined an RBI single to right. The Whales then loaded the bases but could not add to their 1-0 lead.

Long Beach pulled level in the fourth. Benjamin Rosengard singled, stole second and scored when Best drove a ball off the center-field wall for a triple. The Whales escaped the inning without further damage and moved back ahead in the seventh when Ha Jae-hoon drew a bases-loaded walk.

That advantage lasted only until the bottom half. Best led off with a solo homer to right, his second game-tying extra-base hit. Later in the inning, Cuba Vess delivered the decisive swing, driving an 0-2 pitch off the right-field wall for a two-out RBI double and a 3-2 Long Beach lead.

Long Beach added three insurance runs in the eighth, with Logan Johnston and Jeter Ibarra producing the key hits. Ulsan could not answer in the ninth.

Best finished 2-for-4 with a home run, triple and three RBIs. His two biggest swings erased both Ulsan leads and turned a close final into a showcase for the power that carried Long Beach through the tournament.

An unbeaten title for a team assembled quickly

The championship was unusual even before the first pitch. Long Beach entered the event after a Mexican team withdrew and brought together players from multiple American independent clubs, including Long Beach Coast and the Oakland Ballers. The group had little preparation time before traveling to South Korea.

Former Seattle Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu led the team. Long Beach went 8-0-2 in preliminary play, posting the tournament’s best record, then reached the final with a 4-2 comeback victory over the LG Twins. Rosengard ended that semifinal with a two-run walk-off homer in the ninth inning.

The Whales also reached the championship game dramatically, scoring twice in the ninth to beat the KIA Tigers 2-1. Their runner-up finish continued an encouraging first year for the Ulsan-based club after it also reached the KBO Futures League championship series.

The KBO created the Fall League to give domestic and international prospects additional competitive games during the offseason. Twelve teams from South Korea, the United States, Japan, Australia and China took part in the 2026 edition.

Long Beach’s first appearance ended without a loss. What began as a late invitation for a newly assembled roster finished with a trophy, a 12-game unbeaten streak and one of the tournament’s clearest championship performances.