It's so hot!
Have you heard anything about the Prefab squad lately?
I can't say I have.
Now that you mention it, I haven't been seeing them around so much.
Did they decide to disband on their own or something?
They're playing games.
Playing games?
That's right.
They've been playing two away games each week against other schools.
Since that old geezer's been in the coaching business for a while,
he's pretty connected with coaches from other teams.
And you gave him permission to do this?
What permission?
I've no reason not to let him.
It's a pity the Prefab hut that we've prepared for them
is going to have to be torn down earlier than expected.
That geezer really is an idiot.
And how have they performed in those practice games?
Five losses in five games.
Oh my.
Mitsuru Adachi
（Serialized in Shogakukan's 「Weekly Shonen Sunday」）
Created by
Toshihiro Nakazawa
Nobumasa Sawabe
Planning
Masato Hayashi
Rei Anami (TV TOKYO)
Shin'ichirou Tsuzuki
Planning Assistance
Toshisato Okuno Shin Omura Takenori Ichihara
Masato Hayashi
Supervisors
Original Planning Assistance
Michihiro Tsuchiya
Series Composition
Yuji Kondo
Main Character Design
Maho Takahashi
Tomoyuki Matsumoto
Koichi Imano
Art Design
Subcharacter Design
Prop Design
Kayoko Ono
Miki Tsubouchi
Hiromi Komine
Yutaka Kuramoto
Art Director
Color Design
Photography Director
Editing
Nobuhide Tanaka Toshiyuki Kuroiwa
Kotaro Nakagawa
Takeshi Takadera
HALF H・P STUDIO
Music Producer
Music
Sound Director
Sound Production
「Summer Rain」
Lyrics／Composition: Kentaro Kobuchi
Arrangement: Kobukuro
Kobukuro
（Warner Music Japan）
Opening Theme
Shogakukan Music & Digital Entertainment
TV-TOKYO Music
Warner Music Japan
Music Assistance
Ryosuke Sakurai
Animation Producer
Animation Production
Shunji Aoki Naohiko Furuchi
Producers
Osamu Sekita
Director
Shogakukan Shueisha Production
Production Studio
SUBTITLED BY ANBU
You're out!
Game over!
Thank you for the game!
Hey.
Good game.
Thanks a lot.
Sorry I kind of forced this on you, Kojima.
Please don't be.
I've heard the rumors.
Best of luck, Coach Maeno.
Kitamura,
that was some nice pitching.
Thank you!
He showed us some nice pitching in more ways than one, didn't he?
Coach Maeno.
Oh my, this is a surprise.
I never expected you to need anything from me.
The principal wants to see you.
Don't you mean the Acting Principal?
Just hurry up, if you will.
Sure thing.
Well, then.
Take care of the rest for me, Manager.
Yes, sir.
Is that score sheet supposed to be a secret?
Six losses in six games, huh?
That's right.
Come on, old man.
You shouldn't be entering the training grounds without permission.
Ah, please excuse me.
Grandpa!
Hey, Hiroko.
I don't see Akaishi and them anywhere.
The Prefab squad practices behind this area.
Behind?
Come on, you.
Go wash those stinky clothes over there already.
Oh, sure.
And who are you again?
Speak for yourself.
This is Shido, the first-string team's manager.
Shido?
Yeah, she's Vice Principal Shido's daughter.
Call him Acting Principal, will you?
This is the first-string team's laundry, isn't it?
Why aren't you washing it?
You've looked pretty bored every time I've seen you.
What did you say?
I'd prefer that outsiders mind their own business, thank you.
Hurry up and take them.
Yes, sir.
Don't worry.
Soon you won't have to worry about doing the prefab squad's laundry.
Could you say that one more time?
Are you going deaf now?
Like I said,
you're fired and I'm disbanding the prefab squad!
I see.
That's fine.
However...
I'd like if you let us play the first-string team one more time before that happens.
With both of our positions as coaches on the line, that is.
You can kick me out after that if you don't like me.
You have all the right in the world to do so.
However!
You have no right to be taking away the dreams of these hard-working kids
without even giving them a chance!
You fool.
Do you really think you can beat the first-string team in an actual game?
We can win!
... I think.
A re-match against the prefab squad with our positions as coaches on the line?
What a waste of time.
He really needs to learn his place.
Are you going to refuse?
No.
It'll be a burden if he decides to drag this out and make a big fuss about it.
I'll just use this opportunity to clean them out once and for all.
But in case things turn out for the worst...
In case?
Well, I mean...
That shouldn't be a problem for you.
Your plan would remain unchanged.
If they were to somehow have a team that could beat the first-string in an actual game,
then they'd be good enough to challenge for the Koshien.
That'll never happen, though!
Like you said,
this is in case things turn out for the worst.
It'd be advisable to get this cleaning done as quickly as possible.
Let's do it before the trash starts to smell.
But don't they smell already since they're fertilizer?
Ah.
I forgot about that.
We're playing the first-string?
That's right.
And whichever coach loses has to resign?
That's right.
If we lose, the prefab team will be disbanded?
That's right.
Setting who's right or wrong aside,
I don't think we're quite ready at the moment...
Don't worry.
They're nothing but a collection of powerhouses.
They're not what you'd call a "team".
So we can win!
... I think.
That's the spirit!
What's important is that you feel that you can win.
Right, Coach?
And who are you, may I ask?
This is my grandpa.
Hello.
Grandpa?
I think we've met somewhere before...
No, I believe this is our first time.
We'll have to disband if we lose, huh?
And if we win, we can kick that Sunglasses bastard out.
We can win...
or so he thinks?
Even when we haven't filled the holes that the twelfth graders left behind?
I guess we should practice.
Hey, Azuma!
We can leave now, you know.
Azuma!
Let him be.
More importantly, what happened to Miki?
I haven't seen him around since yesterday.
Oh, really?
Now that you mention it, he got into another fight with the coach two days ago.
He's really stubborn, isn't he?
Yeah, he is.
A high, inside fastball!
You folded your arms well there.
You get full points for that swing.
It's hot even after the sun goes down, huh?
Did you go see that girl from the café again?
Call her Ichiyo!
Her name's Ichiyo.
Is the food at the dorms any good?
Yeah.
Are you eating your veggies?
I'm eating them.
I see.
Now, then.
I better get going before Mom starts to worry.
Oh yeah,
those tropical fish you bought laid eggs yesterday.
I'm taking good care of them, so don't worry.
See ya.
Nii-chan.
Yeah?
I'm going to make it to Koshien.
No matter what.
Just enjoy it more.
Baseball, that is.
You're transferring schools?
Yeah.
Too bad things had to end so early.
Are you serious?
I want to play baseball.
The kind of baseball where we'd all be hugging each other after a win.
Say, Azuma.
Even that Coach must have started coaching because he liked baseball, right?
I can't say.
I'm not going to become like him when I grow older.
I swear it.
Who are they?
They're middle schoolers that will be joining our team next Spring.
Middle schoolers?
They're, without a doubt, better talents than the players we have this year, with the exception of you.
I'm going to feature them in our beat down of the prefab squad,
so you should look forward to that.
That's a relief.
Looks like we'll be able to fill the hole Miki left behind, then.
Miki?
I don't know a Miki.
Come on, give it up, guys!
Are you guys trying to destroy the prefab squad before I even get there?
It's not like they're getting rid of the baseball team altogether.
You'd probably make the first-string with your skills.
You actually think that coach would let someone who can't even play in official games on the team?
I wouldn't want to join that team anyway.
Like I said,
it'll all be fine if we win.
There's no way you guys could win!
I don't know what kind of special training you guys did over the summer,
but you don't even have enough players to begin with!
She's right about that.
If only we had someone with a strong shoulder who could take center field...
There's no way you'd find someone in time for the game!
All right, you pass.
And you'll be playing center field.
Wait a second!
I'm still in middle school!
It's okay.
Rumors say that the first-string squad will be using middle schoolers as well.
I don't like this.
What don't you like?
Could you at least play me in a different position?
Huh?
I'm a pitcher.
I see.
In that case...
Ko!
I'll make you take center field willingly, then.
You haven't squared up against him since elementary school, have you?
Are you okay with playing center field now, Tsukishima?
All right, start practicing!
I'm sorry to trouble you like this, Coach Itoyama.
You even let us borrow the training grounds...
Oh, no.
Anything I can do to help.
I'll be rooting for you guys from behind.
Just four more days until the showdown.
You've been letting those pitches go for quite some time.
Are you waiting for a breaking ball or something?
Ichiyo's not around right now.
Yeah, your dad told me.
What a let down.
Oh?
So you can hit, after all.
That was a nice hit.
You're a fussy one.
Do you want to take a swing or something?
Sorry.
Your foot...
Didn't I tell you?
I have no problems doing everyday tasks now.
I don't have to run to first base even if I hit the ball, right?
Junpei Azuma.
I knew I heard his name before somewhere,
but I never would have thought that he's the Junpei Azuma.
All right!
Take five!
We get five minutes!
Thank God.
Jesus.
That geezer really isn't what he looks like.
This is apparently the first time he's been like this in all his years of coaching.
He really wants to win it or die trying.
Die trying?
He probably would have made the Koshien at least once
if he'd have gotten into this mindset a long time ago.
Yeah.
His baseball knowledge is out of this world.
He could have become a famous coach by now
if he had focused less on his love of baseball,
and more on actually winning games.
It's still not too late.
Rest time's over!
That geezer's probably not going to croak.
Don't just sit around!
Yeah.
You all right, Aoba?
You'd better worry more about yourself—
"Because I'm never going to collapse before you do!"
Right?
That's exactly why I'm worried.
Help me up, Tsukishima.
Are you all right, Senpai?
Get a hold of yourself.
You're not going to play in tomorrow's game?
Are you injured or something?
Injured, you say?
It's just a bruise.
I don't think anything's broken.
W-What are you...
Please prove to me that the first-string squad is strong even without me.
What?
It'd be meaningless if you couldn't.
All I want is a clearer view to the Koshien.
That's all.
You punk...
Are you going to cut me like you cut Miki?
All you have to do is win.
If you still think you need me, that is.
That's quite some confidence you have there.
I, at least, like to think that I know my place.
If you'll excuse me.
Are you all right, Coach?
Your hand's bleeding—
Don't mind me!
Three strikeouts after three consecutive hits?
Are those three middle schoolers really that good?
Nope.
Our top pitcher just doesn't know how to start a game properly.
I would have brought you back home in due time even if you hadn't outdone yourself like that.
You have let me down many times in the past, you know.
That's because you tend not to expect anything from me.
Next time, on Cross Game Episode Sixteen:
How should I know?
You idiot.
This is where I show my true skill.