NC Taylor Widener talks about the success of his second start in the Futures League. The right-hander will make his debut on April 28 at home against Hanwha.

Widener, who joined the NC 안전놀이터 organization this season, made two appearances in exhibition games, going 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA. After being sidelined for the start of the regular season with a sore back, he rehabbed and made his first start against the Giants on April 18. He pitched three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out three.

On the 23rd, Widener threw a six-inning no-hitter (one hit, two walks, three strikeouts) in a home game against Samsung. He topped out at 148 mph and mixed in a slider and circle changeup.

After his second outing, Widener thanked the club’s Future Team on Instagram, saying, “I’m happy to be healthy and able to throw on the mound after my last outing, and I’m especially grateful for the in-depth care I received in the C-team training portion of the game.”

“My slider and changeup went in better than in my last outing, and I was satisfied with my three strikeouts against Samsung’s batters. I look forward to making a good showing in front of the fans soon,” Widener added.

Meanwhile, manager Kang Myung-hyun said on the 23rd against Sajik Lotte, “Widener was much more stable than in his last two appearances. He was throwing a variety of pitches, including sliders and changeups, and I think he’ll be able to show what he’s capable of when he gets to the first team.”

“He doesn’t have a lot of variety in his pitches, but he’s the type of guy who overwhelms hitters with his pitches, so we value his strikeout ability. He’s definitely got his stuff, so I think he’ll do a good job.”

Widener, who is ready to return to the first team, will start against Changwon Hanwha on April 28.