Sorry, wrong person.
H-Hey, wasn't that Seishu's Azuma just now?
Yeah. That was him, all right.
That was their cleanup hitter, Yuhei Azuma.
Look, it's Azuma!
You're right.
It's Azuma!
Don't be wandering off on your own like that;
you're famous, remember?
That's Seishu Academy's ace Ko Kitamura!
Don't you two wander off like that;
we're all famous, remember?
Who's he?
Seishu's number six?
I don't recognize him.
I'm Kei'ichiro Senda, leader of Senda's shock corps!
You better remember it!
Enda?
Henda?
Tenda?
Sonda?
Anda?
What's his name again?
You're doing that on purpose, aren't you?!
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
The day's finally here, isn't it?
Are you worried?
I-I can't say that it's not on my mind.
I mean this will be the last summer for Ko and the boys,
and if these boys don't make it to the Koshien, Seishu probably won't get another chance to—
It'll be fine.
How can you say that?
There are no absolutes in baseball.
I'll be helping out with the store for a bit even after I get married.
You dummy, wouldn't you have to ask his parent's permission before you decide such a—
They're the ones who suggested it.
Of course, all this depends on whether Seishu actually makes it to the Koshien.
They will!
Of course they'll make it!
They definitely will!
You shouldn't walk out in the middle of the road like that; it's dangerous.
Hello there, Coach Daimon.
Do you remember me?
You're Yuhei Azuma's...
That's right.
I'm Junpei, his older brother.
If you recall, I was absolutely opposed to your recruiting of my brother.
Indeed you were.
And what brings you to a place like this?
Oh, I'm actually a temp coach for Seishu at the moment.
I see.
So you've come to scout.
That's fine.
We don't usually disclose our practices to the public,
but given my deep relation to Seishu, I'll make a special exception—
Oh, it's okay.
We don't have time to scout teams that we might not even be facing in the long run.
Our first opponent's school is up ahead on this road,
so we just happened to stop by that's all.
We're going to Tokyo... what was the school again?
Tokyo Matsunami High School.
Oh yeah, Tokyo Matsunami High School.
I'll have to remember that.
You sure are putting a lot of effort into your first opponent, who I might add, is a no-name school.
Who were you guys playing in the first round again?
I can't say.
I've neither heard of them
nor have I the intention of remembering them.
Oh, I see.
In that case, I'll be seeing you here again if Kurokoma manages to beat that team.
Excuse us!
The road to Koshien is far, isn't it?
Why can't they let us pass through four rounds from winning one game or something.
Would you still be happy if you made it to the Koshien like that?
Who knows.
The Newspaper Club is asking us for our starting roster for the upcoming game
so they can publish it before anyone else.
They're an enthusiastic bunch, aren't they?
First batter: Senda (SS), 12th grade.
Second batter: Mitani (CF), 11th grade.
Third batter: Nakanishi (3B), 12th grade.
Fourth batter: Azuma (1B), 12th grade.
Fifth batter and captain: Akaishi (C), 12th grade.
Sixth batter: Kitamura (P), 12th grade.
Seventh batter: Ehara (2B), 11th grade.
Eighth batter: Hama (RF), 11th grade.
Ninth batter: Yashiro (LF), 11th grade.
And that's it for the starting lineup.
On top of that, we have three pitchers, two catchers, and six bench players in reserve,
making a total of twenty players on the roster.
I'll make sure they get that.
I can't wait to find out how far we'll make it with these guys!
Are you talking with the wind chime, Nomo?
Hey, is there something going on?
Oh, Risa Shido's having a photo shoot here at the school.
Please excuse our intrusion.
Could you guys all leave this room for a bit while we take some photos here?
We've already got the okay from the school.
Come on, chop chop.
Could you put this shoddy painting away somewhere, too?
S-Sure.
That stuck-up bitch hasn't changed at all, huh?
I heard her last photo book sold pretty well.
Yeah, I heard she's been appearing in some movies as a supporting actress here and there, too.
She's apparently got a few die-hard fans too.
Could you shut that door over there? It's kinda noisy.
That's good.
Yeah, that's it.
Yup, looking good.
That's awesome!
I'll take it!
And that's a wrap for now.
Let's take five.
Good work, Risa.
It's so hot in here.
Oh yeah, didn't you use to be the manager of the baseball team, Risa?
All right, why don't we do the next set with you dressed up at the baseball team's practice field?
We'll go with the "beautiful and supportive team manager sweating under the scorching sun" as our concept.
That sounds great.
Let's go with that.
Right, Risa?
It's tomorrow at ten.
What is?
The baseball team's first game.
Don't worry, we'll definitely be done before then.
I never did anything worthy of being called a manager back then, though.
It's okay.
You're just playing one in front of the camera, that's all.
You're just playing one.
Just playing one, huh?
Why don't we ask if we can borrow one of the uniforms and have her stand on the mound, too?
What a great idea!
We'll take it!
And since I'll be "playing" the role of the manager...
Let them concentrate on practice!
Don't bother them for even a second, you got that?!
All right, guys, bring it in.
Grats on making the starting lineup, Yashiro.
I heard there was fierce competition for the left fielder's position.
Hey, Tsukishima?
Say...
What is it?
If, and I mean if...
if I get two hits in tomorrow's game, would you go out on a date with me?
How about with me if I hit a triple?
How about if I steal two bases?
Please go out with me if I get on base three times.
You punks...
What do you guys take baseball for!
Hold it right there!
Two home runs.
Oh, nothing.
I'll strike out at least ten guys so please don't go out on a date with me.
Is our ace running again?
What the hell's that supposed to mean?!
Looks like it'll be over after this inning.
Yeah.
Despite that, everyone's had good at-bats.
You're right.
Would you go out on a date with me if I get two hits?
Yashiro (LF): One infield hit.
How about with me if I hit a triple?
Mitani (CF): Two sacrifices and a single to center field.
How about if I steal two bases?
Ehara (2B): One walk, no hits, zero stolen bases.
Please go out with me if I get on base three times.
Hama (RF): On base twice; one base hit and one hit by a pitch.
Two home runs...
Oh, nothing.
Azuma (1B): Walked three times; one home run.
Not even a single one of them actually...
Oh, nothing.
Strike three!
How many strikeouts did he get?
I'm talking about Ko.
Let's see...
One more out!
Nine, I think.
One more out!
Strike one!
Do you think this team even practices swinging every day?
Doesn't look like it.
You couldn't hit a grade schooler's pitch with a swing like that.
There's no point in us keeping track of the number of strikeouts in this game, then.
Of course not.
Let's accept it.
He's a totally different pitcher from the one we faced during scrimmage.
Strike two!
You guys can get a hit off that guy, can't you?
Don't you worry.
I have absolute confidence when it comes to hitting fastballs.
All right.
Let's leave, then.
Strike three!
So we win with the game being called and Ko getting ten strikeouts, huh?
Double digits in just five innings is quite impressive, wouldn't you say?
That punk!
All right!
On to the next one!
We don't know who it is yet, though.
The opponent.
You're right.
Finally decided to wake up?
I was just lying down for a bit.
Here.
A change of clothes, among other things from home.
Akane came all the way here just to drop it off for you.
Why didn't you wake me up?
Akaishi told me to let you keep sleeping.
Akaishi!
If you're looking for Akaishi, he went to see Akane off.
There's nothing wrong with that though, right?
Seeing as how you two aren't officially going out yet.
When's dinner?
At seven.
I see.
Did you really want to avoid going out on a date with me that much?
Huh?
You got ten strikeouts in five innings.
Ten strikeouts?
You didn't know?
I don't keep count of these things during the game.
All I do is look at Akaishi's mitt and pitch.
Ten, huh?
I didn't know I had that many.
Strikeouts, huh.
I don't mind that you're giving it your best against every batter,
but you won't last to the finals if you don't know when to channel your energy
and when to hold back, especially with the long road ahead.
Huh?
I didn't know you preferred daft pitchers like that.
T-This isn't about my preference, you know!
Okay.
I'll think about it.
Tsukishima!
I bought some fireworks!
Let's go shoot some later.
Let's celebrate our first round victory!
I told you, Bakaishi!
We're late to the game because you took your time on the toilet.
It's not like I can just stop midway, you know!
What inning is it?
It's the top of the sixth.
Kurokoma's probably leading by a mile, aren't they?
No, it's a close game.
And Kurokoma's in a jam.
Batting fourth: Miki (P).
Miki.
Miki?
Is that Miki the Miki?
Yeah, that's him.
You're transferring schools?
Yeah, I want to play baseball.
Miki!
The kind of baseball where everyone would be celebrating wildly when they win.
Safe!
I knew you'd do it!
Nice at-bat!
He looks pretty happy.
If you two had played in that game two years ago with the coaches' jobs at stake,
the Prefab team would have had to disband for sure.
Announcing a substitution for Kurokoma Vocational:
Pitcher Hirao will come on for Kiryu.
They're bringing on their number eleven for their number ten?
He probably thinks that it's a pitiful display to have his ace pitch against a no-name team.
I guess he hasn't changed.
Looks like he hasn't learned anything from that game.
Even a coach like him must have got into baseball because he liked it at first, right?
I'm never going to become an adult like him.
Never.
He keeps pitching tough no matter how many times they land a hit against him,
and no matter how much his defense team drags him down.
Up until middle school he used to be a hard working ace and cleanup hitter;
his senses as a baseball player was top-grade even among the players Daimon had gathered at Seishu.
You're out!
Look, they're down to one man.
Yeah.
They have runners on second and third thanks to that grounder to second base just now, though.
With only one run separating both teams.
How is it possible that we've only managed one run while getting ten hits?
This is ridiculous.
Score another run and get this game in the bag already!
And of course,
he won't let that one run happen.
His pride won't allow it.
That last batter froze up, didn't he?
He even had to shoulder the coach's pride, after all.
Do you think we got the shorter end of the stick with this result?
We might have.
And that's why I was rooting for Kurokoma the whole time.
Yes, that was totally a lie.
In any case, they're a no-name school—
A no-name school no longer.
You don't get it at all.
Huh?
Aoba Tsukishima is charming as a girl.
Hey, what would you say my charm is?
Why are you asking me?
You've known me the longest, haven't you?
There are things you don't notice about a person when you're too close to them.
Next time, on Cross Game Episode Forty-Four:
A careless pitch?
We have Aoba Tsukishima in the ranks of our 11th graders.