Those who shone at Koshien Stadium and those who didn't
all want to go back.
I think they feel it strongly.
They know what worked for them, what didn't,
and what they need to do to get stronger.
That's the road to winning the national title.
I'm Masashi Yuki from Akado Middle School!
I'm Kaoru Yui from Mamiya Senior.
I'm Hirofumi Asada from Muto Middle School!
I'm Takeshi Mogami from Akebono Middle School.
I'm Takuma Seto from Daikyo Senior.
I'm Koshu Okumura from Daikyo Senior.
What they experienced in Koshien Stadium, what they learned from it,
and what they'll need from here on out...
They've all been steeped in it.
Start by looking for and feeling with your skin
the kind of baseball we want to play.
Yes, sir!
Those words of encouragement for the new recruits
lit a fire under the current team, as well.
First-years will have a physical skills test on Field B!
Second and third-years will practice on Field A!
After a break, there will be fielding practice with runners!
Pitchers will be fielding as well!
Yes, sir!
The 59 second- and third-years
received 35 new recruits.
The team now has 94 members.
Seeking to make consecutive Koshien appearances...
Let's go!
Yeah!
...the new Seido High School baseball team is now setting off.
Meiji Jingu Secondary Stadium
Game 1 10:00 Start Time Third Base Side First Base Side Seido – Eigen
Game 2 12:30 Start Time Third Base Side First Base Side Toga – Koetsu
Tokyo Spring Tournament A Block, Round 3
Seido – Eigen (W Tokyo) (E Tokyo)
Foul!
Eigen's pitcher has some good fastballs.
Is he holding Kominato down?
Just look at his haircut!
And eyes!
He's so cute!
He didn't really shine at Koshien Stadium.
People talked about how he uses a wooden bat, though.
I'm on second.
Bring me home, Haruichi.
I use a wooden bat in practice,
but if it hits even a little off center, the ball doesn't go anywhere.
Is he fouling off all the hard pitches?
Swing speed, and power to go the distance.
I know that's what I'm lacking.
That's why I'll stay calm...
and aim for the pitches I know I can hit!
Kominato hits it between the left and center fielders!
Kuramochi makes it home from second base!
They've added a run in the bottom of the fourth!
Nice work, Haruichi!
I knew you could do it!
Ignore
So stubborn.
He's decided to keep that style.
He cut his hair and made up his mind.
Ball!
Calm down, Koji.
It's still early in the game.
You've only given up three hits.
Your pitching is proving effective against this lineup, too.
Show them what you've trained to do between tournaments.
It's gone!
That felt good.
It's a two-run homer to the back screen!
Well done, captain!
He was waiting for a high fastball!
Press Box
How many does that make in high school?
I think that makes 32.
I thought he'd have more.
He's been inconsistent in the past.
We'll see how much he'll improve.
Every ball club needs a good catcher.
If he shines in the summer tournament, he could get drafted.
How did it feel?
Perfect.
Keep it going.
He dug out a low breaking ball!
A double over the center fielder!
The Seido batters look unstoppable!
Satoru Furuya is showing his batting skills today!
Nice, Furuya!
Furuya-kun!
Like this! This?
Like this!
If you aren't going to pitch, I'm leaving.
Seido
Eigen
Seido's really good!
Hey, Eigen is swapping pitchers.
He was looking good for a while.
Seido faced the best pitchers in the country at Koshien Stadium.
Their seed got them a bye to the third round,
but it looks like their engine's up and running.
Top of the fifth inning
Third!
Yeah!
That was a hell of a sinker!
Yeah!
Seido strands runners on second and third with a grounder for a much-needed third out.
Seido
Eigen
Kawakami, the starting pitcher, holds Eigen to one run this inning.
Nice pitch.
The course was good, too.
You mean it?
Look at the stands.
I've been complimenting you too, you know?
He just knows your heart's not in it.
They're pretty far ahead.
Will they call the game if Eigen doesn't score this inning?
Is Furuya-senpai not going to pitch?
I wanna see him throw
one of those 150 km/h pitches.
Seido High School is making substitutions.
Replacing Yamaguchi-kun at first base is Maezono-kun.
Replacing Kanemaru-kun at third base is Higasa-kun.
Replacing Kawakami-kun at pitcher is Sawamura-kun.
First baseman Maezono-kun will bat seventh.
Third baseman Higasa-kun will bat eighth.
Pitcher Sawamura-kun will bat ninth.
Those are the substitutions.
Huh?
Who was that? Sawamu... ra?
Oh, the guy who screwed up at Koshien Stadium?
He really fell flat on his face.
When is Furuya-kun gonna pitch?
Yeah! What the hell?
I'm sick of waiting!
I need to review what I trained for in the off-season.
Hip joints... Lower body strength...
Stabilizing my form...
Faster pitches...
Precise control and faster pitches...
They aren't easy skills to acquire.
But if you can commit to methodically creating a firm base to work from,
you'll be able to make the most of your abilities.
Enhancing my core fastball...
And finding a surefire pitch that only I can throw.
Eijun-kun, start with the leadoff batter.
Let's wrap this up.
So you finally speak!
Let's use this chance to settle our differences, Haruichi-kun!
It's only during games. I'm blocking you out otherwise.
Haruichi-san!
It doesn't look like Furuya-kun will be pitching today.
Yeah.
The fans who came to see him will be disappointed,
but the searing-hot mound in the summer will be
very different than when he pitched in the cool spring invitational.
No pitcher can pitch the whole summer, no matter their skill.
Kawakami-kun's
and Sawamura-kun's growth
are vital for the team to earn a national title.
Everyone, please help me out!
He's facing the right way.
How about using just your fastball today?
That trickster face!
You can do it, right?
Show them what you've got.
Oh, man...
Is this the last inning?
What's a called game?
What about Furuya-kun?
Baseball rules are too complicated.
Strike!
Th-That was fast!
Is this how fast he pitches?
It looks like the ball is coming right at me!
Gotta move!
Yeah!
Two strikes!
Damn. I can't time his pitches.
How fast are they?
The ball has too much momentum!
Three inside pitches!
He got the batter to swing at a high pitch and struck him out!
That pitch was 135 km/h!
He's pitching faster.
The ball has momentum when it gets close.
It's hard to see the point of release,
and the pitch is hard to hit.
I can try to connect with the ball further out so I don't swing late...
But I think he throws change-ups, too.
Strike!
Low and outside!
He threw it right where the catcher's glove was!
Nice, Sawamura!
He's looking good today!
They love him!
Yes, that's it!
So you can throw these!
You put so much pressure on yourself at Koshien Stadium
that you didn't have a chance to pitch like this.
Yeah!
Even when he swings for the fastball, he swings late.
What is it about those pitches?
Is it time yet?
The change-up to kill him off!
Wow...
His pitches aren't incredibly fast,
but there's something about how he throws it.
An high inside pitch!
That's two strike outs in a row!
Two pitches outside, then one high and inside.
Nice!
It's not just the course, but the height, too.
None of the pitches are wasted.
The catcher is fueling the pitcher's intensity.
It's bullish calling.
And this pitcher who responds with ever stronger pitches is just...
Well, here's their cleanup. He's got a sharp swing.
If your fastball is off, he'll send it flying.
Wrap it up!
You can let him hit, too!
Get it done, Sawamura!
Two outs!
Restless
Don't screw it up!
Restless
A cutter-like fastball to the right-handed batter's chest.
A fastball you grip like an eagle, that looks like it's going to sink.
A pure, high-quality fastball with a clean spin.
What I want is your individuality.
Let the pitch go wild with your will...
A fastball only you can throw...
I can go further.
Higher.
And then, beyond there...
with him!
Tachikawa City Baseball Field
Tokyo Spring Tournament B Block, Round 3
Akikawa – Minamidai (W Tokyo) (E Tokyo)
Aw, a double play.
They had a chance there at the end.
I guess they'll call the game, then.
Hey, isn't that Shunshin Yoh?
Why's he the ball boy?
Is he injured or something?
Still, keep your heads up.
The JHBF disqualified him from participating?
So we won't get to see him pitch this summer, either?
Unbelievable.
He's so talented, but they won't even let him sit on the bench.
Fuchu City Baseball Field
Tokyo Spring Tournament B Block, Round 3 Ichidai Third – Kawamura (W Tokyo) (E Tokyo)
Not yet...
I need the ball closer... to the batter.
He looks at it and it's strike three!
The batter doesn't swing and the game's over!
Was that an inside slider?!
Crazy!
How could he swing at that?!
It's over already?
Kawamura
Ichidai Third
Ichidai Third advance to the fourth round in a called game!
Nice pitch, Kosei!
Nice pitch!
I want to pitch more.
I was feeling pretty good.
But you guys had to run up the score.
He's mad at us for scoring?!
I was joking.
That didn't sound like a joke!
Damn it, we'll score even more now!
Then you'll have an easy time pitching!
What are you so mad about?
Shut up!
Even with the lopsided score, he didn't lose his focus.
He got on the mound to improve.
I deeply appreciate how Manaka boy and Ohmae boy
worked with us in the off-season.
It's all to improve your pitching.
With his fighting spirit ablaze as it is, Amahisa boy is unstoppable.
So they called the game.
They were too strong.
They won easily even with Furuya playing outfield.
Seido, the land of pitchers!
Makita Kurohira
Seido Eigen
(Called in seventh inning)
I can't wait for Maezono to get back into a rhythm!
Honestly, I was trembling at those last three straight strikeouts.
His fastballs are faster!
Sawamura is definitely improving!
If this had happened at Koshien Stadium...
I still remember how he stumbled at Koshien Stadium!
It's fine for today,
but you might not get to pitch like that next time.
I hope you'll remember how it felt today.
Yeah, I got it!
Meiji Jingu Secondary Stadium
Third base line Baseball office Competition office Officials room Locker room
First base line Broadcast room Executive suite Locker room Jingu Tournament Headquarters
He's really good.
The way he threw, you can tell he's powered up since the fall.
None of his pitches were change-ups. They were all fastballs.
Hey, you're right!
Of his eleven pitches, none missed the plate.
For three pitches, the batter didn't swing.
Two times the batter swung late and hit it foul.
Six times the batter swung and missed.
That's crazy!
I thought he was the kind to pitch to contact.
His pitching style is different from Furuya-san's,
but batters swing at and miss his fastballs.
He really is a core pitcher for the team.
I thought he was just all talk.
Wh-What's wrong, Yuki-kun?!
I want to play
There's some kind of aura around you!
If they keep this up, they'll face Kasuga First High in the quarterfinals
and Ichidai Third High in the semifinals.
Those are matches we didn't get to see in the fall or summer.
I'm excited to see Amahisa-kun and Furuya-kun pitch against each other.
A Block Round 3 Seido 11 – 1 Eigen (Called in seventh inning)
With a score of 11-1, Seido defeats Eigen High School in a called game,
Tokyo Spring Tournament Seido wins their first game.
winning their first match of the Tokyo Spring Tournament.
Meiji Jingu Stadium
April 7th
What's going on today?
Is it a college game? Look at all the people.
Huh? The secondary stadium's balcony seats are sold out?
It's only 9:00.
Meiji Jingu Secondary Stadium
There's only 5,000 seats, right? Of course they'd sell out.
Game 1 10:00 Start Time Third Base Side First Base Side Inashiro Industrial – Yakushi
Game 2 12:30 Start Time Third Base Side First Base Side Kumode – Shadai
A semifinal team from the spring invitational
is playing the runner-up team from Koshien Stadium.
Todoroki, knock it flying!
Hit it hard, Raichi!
Look at 'em all! Couldn't you get 1,500 yen per ticket with that demand?
It doesn't matter to us how many people come.
I could make a food stall and sell Todoroki yakisoba for 800 yen.
What do you think?
Does it have any toppings?
A lot of people are watching our team!
They're just here to see Raichi.
Sanada-san actually spoke to me.
Whoa, really?
Yakushi High School
Why are these guys talking like fans?
Sho Taniguchi (first-year)
Daigo Kuroki (first-year)
What's up with that?
Got that right. We joined Yakushi to play baseball.
Right, Tomobe?
Sakito Tomobe (first-year)
Quit reading over there and stand up!
I can't right now.
Because you're reading a pervy book in public!
Taiga Hayakawa (first-year)
Why aren't there any cheerleaders here?!
That's the only reason I came!
Their bench looks pretty relaxed.
Are they not afraid of us?
They're probably confident because of their winning streak at Koshien Stadium.
They're riding high.
No, that's the kind of team they are.
But once the game begins,
Inashiro Industrial
Shinji Akamatsu (first-year)
we'll see which team is made up of champions.
Yoji Mitsuishi (first-year)
Akimitsu Yoshizawa (first-year)
Good point.
Ryohei Shima (first-year)
Let's get this game started.
I wanna get to hitting soon!
"Go Straight."
Two powerhouse schools are facing off!
Yakushi High School made the semifinals in the spring invitational,
while Inashiro Industrial were the runner-up at Koshien Stadium last summer.
Wow, the stands are full for a third-round game.
Sanada-kun looks way more intense than last year.
How long are you gonna go on about being in the invitational?
On the next episode of Ace of the Diamond Act II:
"King."
Next Time
Let's win the national title!