Here goes my "Let's Draw Nomo" Song!
Two balls came flying in.
Small balls came flying in, too.
But hold on, here's one more.
Just barely scrape the surface for a fine play.
Cross one, two, and three mountains.
The sign for "victory" is V! V! V!
Then we have ourselves another V! V! V!
And surprise! We're done!
That's game, set, and Nomo's done!
They're attacking as if they know our weaknesses.
Yeah.
They've been sending scouts over to spy on us these last few days.
Don't you think that's enough?
Yeah.
I wanted to get a little more used to it, though.
It's a little early for this, but we've got no choice.
They did score a run on us, after all.
Strike two!
Strike three!
That straight ball is indeed on the fast side,
but he can't keep throwing those forever.
We'll wear him out with bunts.
We have data on our side.
If we play based on our scouting, we can't lose this one.
You got that?
Yes, sir!
All right!
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
Fukashi Higashi (TV TOKYO) Naohiko Furuichi
Producers
Osamu Sekita
Director
Shogakukan Shueisha Production
Production Studio
SUBTITLED BY ANBU
You're out!
What are you doing?
At least get the bunts down!
His balls are hopping right in front of the bat!
Don't give me excuses!
I'm sorry.
That's three failed bunts.
U-Um...
The ball was really fast and it suddenly hopped out of nowhere.
Strike three!
Wow.
What's wrong, Aoba?
Oh, nothing.
I'm sorry, the ball hopped—
It hopped , you say?
Yes.
A pitcher who can throw balls that aren't even buntable only comes around once every ten years!
Nice pitching!
You guys sure are fired up.
People wouldn't be able to tell that we're behind if they saw you guys now.
Now that you mention it...
All right, bring it!
He's just been throwing those low inside balls this whole time.
I'll squeeze him out here!
Strike three!
Huh?
He was outwitted on that one, huh?
Yeah.
Judging by the fact that the coach put those scouts he sent to spy on us on the bench,
he's trying to rub it in our faces that he knows what our weaknesses are.
But even if they were attacking our weaknesses,
we won't fall for the same offensive pattern three times in a row.
Yes.
Except that...
our boys haven't really picked up on anything at all.
A home run.
Unfortunately for them,
we were the ones who noticed that they were spying on us.
What kind of pitch did he throw you?
Why would it be anything other than a normal pitch?
Did he throw it up or down?
Was it inside or outside?
Was it a fastball or a breaking ball?
Let's see...
Forget it.
Ball four.
They walked that guy again!
That makes it three times now, doesn't it?
They're not going to take any chances with him.
And they're right not to.
Yeah.
We're still just inexperienced high schoolers.
We may be good at hitting certain types of pitches, but we're bound to slip up sometimes.
In the same way, we can sometimes still hit pitches we're not good at hitting!
Strike three!
That last pitch was an easy one down the middle.
It was so easy that I flinched.
Safe!
Come on now!
You'll eventually give up runs if you keep throwing slow balls like that!
Damn it to hell!
He may be the pitcher, but he has the fastest feet on the team!
He likes to shorten his swings, so there are no holes in them.
I'm sorry.
Had we been a more polished team, I'm sure your data would have nailed us down.
Shimano sure is slugging those balls.
Nice shot!
Thanks.
But are you sure it's okay for you to be ditching practice like this?
Apparently it's better for me to stay away when we have reporters over.
Must be one of Shimano's schemes, huh?
Who the heck does he think he is?
He really needs to get his head checked.
He's been handing out autographs around school like he's some sort of star.
As if anyone wants his autograph!
But there's no doubting that he's a star when it comes to the Koshien.
Don't hold back because he's your senior; beat him down already!
You're actually much better than him, aren't you?
Yeah.
Then—
It doesn't matter, though.
I won't be able to get serious against that guy.
Besides,
even if I don't beat him down now,
he won't get very far past high school baseball.
However...
My baseball career isn't going to stop after the Koshien.
So I'll just take it easy for now.
It seems like you're going to find out who you'll be playing against in your first game today.
Are you planning to make any last minute changes?
No.
No matter who we square off against, we're just going to play our game.
Seishu has a strong left-handed slugger, much like your Shimano, named Azuma in their ranks...
I've heard of him before, but I can't say I know very much about him.
Anything about their ace, Kitamura?
Not really.
I have no idea what he's like.
I guess at this point they'll have no choice but to start letting you bat.
Where should I hit it to?
To the left?
Right?
Or down the middle?
Why don't we try for center?
What are you guys talking about?
Come on, now.
Who exactly is that guy?
He's the freeloader over at Kitamura Sports.
Definitely not someone you'd want your second-string pitcher squaring off against.
All right.
I guess I'll have to reply to that with three strikeouts.
Just watch, Azuma.
No.
Follow Akaishi's signals and pitch carefully until the very end.
We have to be courteous against our opponents.
Yes, sir.
He decided to top off the last inning with three strikeouts, huh?
Come on, Akaishi!
He has very little experience on the mound, and not a great variety of pitches in his arsenal.
He has good control, with A-class speed,
but he's a little shaky in the stamina department;
we need to shake him and make him throw as many pitches as possible before the second half, eh?
Next time you two see a guy like him, just tell me...
that he's a pitcher who only comes around once every ten years.
150km/h...
Thank goodness.
About what?
He's still only throwing 150km/h, right?
Only?
Just how many high schoolers in Japan do you think can throw 150km/h?
But you only fall for guys who can throw 160km/h, right?
That's what you used to say when you were little.
Voltron's foot.
King Polar Bear.
A flying billboard.
Detective Colombo.
They're all things I wanted to become when I was little.
Did you really think I'd stay true to every little thing I said when I was little?
Right?
Dreams, huh?
It was Wakaba's last dream.
What about center field?
W-Who was playing center in that dream?
Who knows.
I know.
Ko's pitching while Akaishi's the catcher
in a jam-packed Koshien.
Oh yeah, Nakanishi was there too.
Strikeout after strikeout,
the Alps Stand at Koshien was really fired up.
You were all smiles while playing center field, too.
Girls can't play in the Koshien, you know.
Does it matter?
It is a dream, after all.
And then what happened?
People were shouting, "One more out! One more out!"
And then...
the alarm clock went rrrring!
Yeah, yeah.
Could you teach Ko how to pitch properly next time, Aoba?
Why should I?
Please!
He'll become really good, I promise.
It's time to go, Wakaba!
Be right there!
Well then, Daddy,
Ichiyo,
Aoba,
Momiji,
Nomo,
I'm off.
Summer's here again, Waka.
The one at-bat that he managed after the series of four balls flew 140m.
Yuhei Azuma, the amazing clean-up hitter, eh?
150km/h, 140m...
They sure managed to stand out while beating a team like San'nou.
Exaggerated statistics, I'm sure.
They must be doing it to get us at Ryuou all fired up.
I see.
Well they haven't been getting as much attention as us,
especially since we have you in our ranks.
What's that supposed to mean?
T-That was meant in a good way, of course.
Where's Mishima?
Oh, I let him rest for today.
He said his injury from last year was acting up a little again.
I see.
You shouldn't push that guy too hard.
He's an important clean-up hitter candidate.
For next season, that is.
Y-Yeah.
Any knots in your shoulders?
Nope.
Any pain in your knees?
Nope.
Hey, do you really think I threw 150km/h?
You seem happy about it.
This is 150km/h we're talking about!
Isn't it awesome?
Don't bother yourself with numbers.
It does build up confidence, though.
The fact that you convinced me to stay with this team is what should make you confident,
not numbers.
Why can't you share some of that confidence with me?
Kitamura!
Some reporter from a newspaper wants to interview you.
Sure.
Hold on a second.
Don't tell me you're going to go in like that.
Why not?
Two of your buttons are undone right there.
Who cares.
Come on, change into this.
Fine.
And the back of your head is still sticking up from sleeping!
It's springing up, geez.
What?
Oh, nothing.
I just thought you sounded like Wakaba just now.
Seishu's Kitamura, you ask?
Yeah, aren't you curious about him?
Well, he is a tough guy to face as the first opponent.
I mean, you can't doubt that a 150km/h pitch is quite amazing.
What are you talking about?
Are you forgetting who deposited the pro league-bound Mineshima's 152km/h pitch into the stands?
I just got lucky with that one.
You may be saying that now, but your face is gleaming with confidence.
Oh stop it.
Hey, Mishima!
Now's not really a...
I just want to practice hitting to the opposite field.
I'll try not to stand out.
I-I see...
In any case,
I'm just glad that he's actually willing to square off against me.
I mean, imagine if he were to walk me when he can throw a 150km/h fastball.
You can't hit that far across the opposite field and not expect to stand out.
That's... amazing.
Yeah, well...
he's not our secret weapon for nothing.
Do you mind if we wrap it up here?
I want to practice.
S-Sure, thanks.
Thanks for your time.
Time to change out, Mishima!
You're Mishima?
Could we have some of your time?
You talking to me?
Well, when we interviewed Seishu's Kitamura yesterday
and asked who he was afraid of squaring off against most,
he mentioned your name.
And not Shimano?
Yeah.
When we asked him the same thing,
he said he should be able to hold him down somehow.
It didn't seem like he was trying to sound tough when he said it either,
so it really caught me by surprise.
Well that's a surprise.
What's with these watermelons?
They're from Azuma-senpai's big brother.
How nice of him.
You're on a diet, remember?
Hey, guys!
I'm sorry to ask this,
but do you guys think I can have two of the watermelons back?
I gave some to the baseball team just now,
but I accidentally gave more than I could spare for my deliveries.
It'd look bad if I were to go and get them back, so...
Do me a favor, okay?
Hey, we got the watermelons.
Thanks, guys.
Could you load them up in the truck while you're at it?
What a punk.
Oh, and good luck on your next game!
Man,
was he born laid-back like that?
No.
He's only been like that after his playing days were forced to an end.
He tried to break my fall when I fell while playing around on the steps,
and then he pushed himself into trying to smile it off, and hasn't blamed me once for it.
He was only a stone's throw away from the Koshien,
and even had pro scouts all noticing him...
He should have just let his stupid brother fall.
And because he didn't,
the only thing he has to regret is pushing himself to smile it off.
I'm sure he was only forcing himself in the beginning.
But I still can't imagine you playing around the steps.
That's because you don't need to.
Imagine the game that's coming up in two days instead.
That, I can do.
You'll hit four home runs,
while I'll throw a shutout.
Wait, I guess four is too much.
It's not.
Compared to the possibility of you pitching a shutout game against Ryuou, that is.
Oh, really?
What is certain however,
is that we'd have a chance at winning if they actually do start Mishima on the bench as they say.
I guess I'll have to pitch in a way that Aoba won't be mad about first and see how it goes from there.
What?
Nothing.
You just laughed at me, didn't you?
I didn't.
We're finally playing Ryuou.
Yeah.
I'm glad that I formed a battery with you.
Are you talking about Wakaba's dream?
I'm talking more than that.
Don't I have the control part down good today?
You've got more than just control down today...
It'd be your guys' fault if we didn't make it to the Koshien with me and Kitamura on the team.
Next time, on Cross Game Episode Twenty-Seven:
You might be right about that.