Your big day's coming up tomorrow, isn't it?
The tryouts for the Women's National Team...
Yes.
I'm sorry that I'll be missing practice because of it.
Haven't you heard?
We don't have practice tomorrow.
Somebody said that you'd get all anxious if we did.
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
Tetsuya Takeda
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
Shin'nosuke Wada (TV TOKYO) Naohiko Furuichi
Producers
Osamu Sekita
Director
Shogakukan Shueisha Production
Production Studio
SUBTITLED BY ANBU
You didn't have to come see me off.
I'll only be gone for a day.
Then at least carry your own luggage.
Well I can't exactly let Azuma carry it, can I?
That's not the issue here!
Don't hold back.
Show all those girls from around the country exactly what Aoba Tsukishima's made of.
Will do, Azuma.
What was I going to say...
Well since you're sort of my teacher, you'd better make the team, okay?
What do you mean "sort of"?
I'll be off, then.
And thanks for seeing me off.
Azuma?
Did you bring an umbrella?
I guess it's a good thing we don't have practice today.
Yeah.
It's been too long!
Have you been well?
Y-Yes...
You somehow seem more feminine.
Really?
Well it has been a year since that game, you know.
We still talk about that game all the time!
We played evenly against the Ouka Girls University team, after all.
Watching you play totally turned things around for our team.
I even went back and restudied how to call pitches during a game.
I'm sorry for having been so rude back then.
Oh no; if it wasn't for that experience,
we probably wouldn't have been able to come close to winning the National League.
We owe you.
Oh no...
All credit goes to me for calling Tsukishima to come play for us in the game, of course.
You really do resemble Senda in that way.
In what way?
This is the first time you're trying out for the National Team, right?
Y-Yes.
I didn't even know these things existed.
The tryouts are so much fun!
There aren't very many occasions like this
where you get to see so many girls who like baseball gather in one place!
Even though we're all rivals in the end, it kind of makes you feel happy, doesn't it?
When you think "everyone here is just like me," that is.
Looks like we have quite a few of them riding with us in this shinkansen, too!
I saw a few back at the station, too.
The level of the participants has gotten higher since last time, too.
This will be a good motivational factor, I'm sure!
Y-Yes.
I wonder if Ao's there yet.
She should be soon.
They should show this on TV.
I mean, they're picking who will represent Japan, aren't they?
They're going to.
They'll make the tryouts so exciting that people will want to show it on TV
Aoba and the others will, that is.
Woah, there's so many of them!
Go sign in for all of us, will you?
Don't forget to sign in for Tsukishima, too.
Sure thing!
So all these girls play baseball, huh?
Look, Tsukishima!
Fukuda's here.
That's Hiromi Fukuda, the ace of the Sapporo Ladybirds, who won last year's Summer Championship.
And that over there is last year's MVP;
Kyushu Himawari Girls University's big bat, Micchi Suenaga.
So all the big guns are here, huh?
Maybe I can get their autographs.
Just listen to yourself!
We're high school champions ourselves, remember?
You're being scary, Yuki.
Is that you, Tsukishima?
Yes?
Ozaki?!
I knew it!
I thought I'd meet you again here.
That game was so much fun!
I hope we both make the team.
Thank you.
But I'm only here to see how well I fare against the others.
Really now?
Let's go Ozaki.
Coming.
It's Sawaguchi!
See ya!
B-Bye!
Sorry to have kept you waiting.
Here, this is your number.
They want you to pin it on to your uniform.
Eighteen...
You get a number based on how old you are.
I'm number forty-four, by the way.
Number eighteen...
the last number that can sit on any given team bench at the Koshien.
Welcome to the Women's National Team tryouts.
I'm Takei, the National Team coach.
Half of you will be disqualified by the end of today's selection.
I hope you all do well to make the first cut.
Today's tryout will consist of pitching for pitchers,
and free batting for the fielders.
I'd like to see you all perform at your usual best.
I'll be expecting great things.
Now then, everyone start your warm-ups!
Yes, sir!
That guy's also the head coach over at Ouka Girls, right?
He just said he was "expecting great things" from us,
but he's probably just going to pick a bunch of girls from Ouka, isn't he?
What?
N-Nothing.
What's wrong?
Oh no, I was just wondering who she is.
That's Megumi Shimano from Ryuou Girls Academy!
That's Shimakei!
Shimakei?
Remember that guy who used to bat cleanup for Ryuou?
She's the cousin of the Tadashi Shimano.
She does look just like him.
And that's not the only thing.
She also has his baseball talent.
Her team eventually lost,
but she hit for the cycle during the Summer Championship game.
It sure is pouring outside, isn't it?
We'd normally have more customers at this hour.
The weather's really unpredictable, isn't it?
Sorry.
Huh?
What are you apologizing for?
Oh, something.
Are you worried about Aoba?
I'm sorry!
Why would I be worried about her?
But look at your tenpura.
You've only eaten the fried coating from it.
Bring it!
I can do it, too!
Huh?
Damn it!
How about this?
Why can't I turn it into a home run?
Next: number twenty-one, Shimano.
Yes, sir.
Looks like it's finally Shimakei's turn.
I guess we'll get to see just how good she is.
I've got their attention!
I'll have to stand out today, for both Tadashi and me.
Almost!
Y-You've got to be kidding!
How does it look?
Sawaguchi, Fukuda, Terai.
Only the veterans seem to be standing out so far, just as we thought.
I don't know about that.
Here I go.
Hey!
I'll be throwing a curveball next.
O-Okay.
How fast was that pitch just now?
130km/h.
130km/h?!
Her first pitch was even faster.
What do you think of Tsukishima's performance?
What's up with that girl?
Her pitches have gotten even faster.
Her control's gotten better and her changeups have a lot more movement on them.
She's amazing, isn't she?
She's still a 10th grader;
that just means she'll only get better, right?
Don't you find that frustrating?
You pitched for the team that won the High School Tournament, didn't you?
How could you be so approving of her?
Of course I'm frustrated.
But more than that, I'm happy,
for being able to have a player like her around.
Regardless of whether she's older or younger than I am,
seeing her makes me want to play even better.
It's all thanks to her that I decided to continue playing baseball in college.
She makes me feel as if I'm capable of more.
I understand what you're saying.
But I'm different.
If she's going to become a rival, than I'll just have to beat her down head-on.
She'll have to go over my dead body if she wants to claim the title of "National Team Ace".
And that concludes the first round tryout regimen.
We will announce the first round cuts—
Please wait!
What is it?
It makes no sense to me we're batting against pitching machines in a tryout for the National Team.
What did you say?
I believe that in order to be chosen, one must be able to demonstrate an ability to hit live pitches.
What are you insinuating?
Please let me square off against a pitcher who's of National Team quality.
What are you saying, Shimano?
That's impossible!
He's right;
we can get a good enough evaluation just from the pitching machines.
Sounds interesting.
Coach!
Shimano does have a point.
But be warned, this will reflect greatly on your evaluation.
I'd expect no less.
All right, then.
Would anyone else like to participate?
Coach!
Yes!
I'd like to nominate myself as pitcher.
Sawaguchi...
I would like to try as well.
Me, too.
Yes, please.
I would.
I would, as well.
I would.
Tsukishima!
I would.
Yes, I would like to, as well.
We'll decide who faces off against who by drawing lots;
you'll be facing off against the person who has the same number as you do.
I won't allow any changes.
Let's have the batters draw first.
And now, the pitchers.
Number five...
Who's pitcher number five.
It's me.
I must be lucky; I got the easiest looking one.
All right, let's have you square off, then.
Mina...
Kojima.
I wonder if Yuki will be okay.
She faced off against that pitcher during the summer Tournament.
We won that game, but she still managed to hold down Matsuyama.
Don't worry.
Her face says she'll do fine.
All right!
Out of everyone she could be facing, she's up against Sawaguchi.
Koganezawa sure lucked out.
Don't worry.
She did hit a ball off her before.
But I'm sure Sawaguchi remembers that, too.
Her eyes are saying she's trying to repay a favor.
As if I'll let a high schooler hit a ball off me twice!
A line drive to the pitcher.
That wasn't a bad pitch.
It just wasn't good enough for Ozaki.
It's finally time.
Huh?
She won't be of any challenge, I bet.
I'll show them exactly how good I am and claim that cleanup hitter's spot for myself.
Now, don't be scared; I don't bite.
Your face is scary, though.
Strike!
Wait... wait a second here!
Strike two!
I've got to hit it!
The Shimano family name rests on it!
Strike three!
All right!
I will now announce the numbers of those who made the first cut.
Number four,
number fifteen,
number eighteen,
number twenty-two...
I'm sorry you didn't make it, Kojima.
No, it's okay.
I just wasn't good enough this time around;
after all, the batter totally sent my ball flying during that last square off.
Kojima...
Forget about me,
I'm so happy that you, Yuki, and Koganezawa all made the first cut.
Congratulations.
Tsukishima?
Yes?
I'll catch up to you little by little,
so you have to make the National Team, okay?
Next week's second round tryouts will be conducted in the form of a scrimmage.
You and Ozaki will end up on different teams.
I hope you'll remember that.
Okay...
Aoba!
Use a net, it's dangerous.
Don't worry.
I wouldn't be able to keep being a pitcher if I was scared of getting hit by the ball!
Just how far is he planning on sending those balls?
How can I be a pitcher if I'm scared of home runs?
Azuma could go a little easy on her, too.
Not in a million years.
He wouldn't do anything that would make Aoba not like him.
I wouldn't mind if you pitched it a little more towards the inside corner.
That was a good pitch.
One more!
They seem to be having fun.
Kitamura!
What is it?
We're running out of cold spray.
I'll put in an order to your store, so could you bring some over?
Thank you for your order!
Would a hundred cans be okay with you?
I'm not trying to freeze a mammoth here, you idiot!
I was just joking.
I'll make it eighty cans, then.
What did I just say?!
She's really frustrated.
About not being able to try out,
about not being able to play baseball,
and also about the fact that her injury is not affecting the team in any significant way.
She's frustrated about it all.
You just know everything about Aoba, don't you?
I told you, I don't blame you for it at all.
You should at least blame me a little.
Next time, on Cross Game Episode Thirty-Seven:
It's because I got some good sleep.
Aoba looks the cutest when she's asleep.