The first-years' abilities will inspire the organization.
Strengthening the team is the top priority.
It's a message from the coach that things won't stay as they are.
In order to reach nationals,
new blood was added, and the team grew to 94 members.
For the Seido High School baseball team, this spring...
began the battle for the 20 spots in the summer
and the numbers they would wear.
Challenge accepted!
I accept your challenge!
Meiji Jingu Secondary Stadium
April 12th Fourth day of the Tokyo Spring Tournament
Tokyo High School Baseball Tournament Third Base Side First Base Side Game 1 10:00 Start Time Hodai First – Seido Game 2 12:30 Start Time Kasuga First – Ueno Academy
A lot of fans came came to the stadium
to see the incredible pitching that Furuya showed in the Invitational.
In today's game, Furuya is having trouble controlling the ball
and has allowed several runners on base since the first inning.
I need to step in!
No, you don't!
But the fielders defended well,
Hodai Seido
and helped minimize the runs conceded.
They also did their best on offense in order to support Furuya.
Hodai
Seido
The top of the order got up to bat,
and the cleanup added some runs for insurance.
Then...
Plop
Having returned to the lineup,
Maezono got a long-awaited RBI hit.
That's good!
It doesn't matter how it looks!
Furuya's control gradually settled,
Hodai
Seido
(Called in seventh inning)
and Seido defeated Hodai First when the game was called in the seventh inning.
Kasuga First scouts
Teito scout
Yes, his pitches were just as fast as ever,
Ichidai Third High scout
but his control was severely lacking.
Nothing like how he pitched in the Invitational.
He was very uneven.
He's intimidating when he's in the zone,
but there are plenty of ways to attack him.
I didn't get to pitch!
Inashiro scouts
Yeah, the nineteenth and twentieth spots
were filled after the school entrance ceremony.
#19 Masashi Yuki
#20 Kaoru Yui
Learning what calls to make when the pitching is that erratic...
Seeing their expressions and hearing what they say...
Just being on the bench is teaching me so much.
Yui, as in the Yui from Mamiya Senior?
Masashi's got a great build.
He's got the same aura as Tetsu.
Seido Spirit Dorm
Was that Kasuga First's ace pitching today?
He was #2 in the fall.
His sliders looked good.
Tokyo Spring High School Baseball Tournament 96 participating teams 95 games Tokyo High School Baseball Association
Seido
Seiko and Teito are playing at Meiji Jingu tomorrow.
Inashiro's playing Bito.
They've got Ichidai Third against Tsurugashima and Sensen against Ugumori at Hachioji.
Mukai facing the Seiko batters sounds incredible.
We'll go check out Jingu Stadium.
I hope we get to see other pitchers besides Narumiya.
Should we scout Teito too?
Sanko's got Amahisa to watch out for.
Okay, got it.
Maki from Sensen, too.
Thank you for the food!
Okay, Miyuki-senpai, let's get going!
Where?
There you go kidding again!
I don't want to let the pitches I would have thrown
in today's game go to waste!
Go to waste? They're hardly perfect.
All the more reason to work on them!
Um...
If Sawamura-senpai is going to be pitching, would you mind if I went along?
I couldn't get a read on him in the bullpen during the last game.
You're on the bench, so you should get used to catching.
Go ahead and catch for this idiot.
Hey, don't give your job to a first-year!
Casual speech with the captain...
Listen, young man!
If you want to catch for me, you'll have to finish three bowls of rice first!
Yes, sir! This is my third.
Is that true, Kanemaru?!
Yeah, that's his third bowl.
W-Well done, um...
Yui.
Miyuki, I'll go, too.
Sure.
Me too.
You pitched today, with a lot of extra pitches for the guys you walked, too!
Yeah, Furuya should stay and reflect on the game with us.
Shock
Thanks for that, Nabe.
See ya later!
Thanks for the food!
They're going to practice more?
It doesn't make sense... I have less and less appetite every day.
Asada!
You're a pitcher, right?
How about joining us, once you're done eating?
I don't think so. I can't exercise right after eating.
I'm sorry.
I can't believe I turned him down!
I see. Another time, then!
He's not mad?
Is it really okay?
He just turned down an invitation from a second-year.
He's got guts.
Furuya-san is a little absentminded.
Looks like you're having trouble finishing the meals.
When I was new, I used to put some of my rice on Zono's plate.
Keep that between us.
Boom
Then I won't leave a single bit.
I'll finish every meal.
Oh, really?
Boom
Damn... I'm not making any progress.
Why's he feel the need to put on that big show?
Is he miffed he didn't make the bench?
This is fun.
What are you smiling about, Kazuya Miyuki?!
You should act more like a captain!
Shut up!
Hiroomi, wanna go up to the gym?
The gym and weight room are already full,
thanks to all the regulars.
Then, I guess we'll go where we always go.
Kenichi Oka (second-year)
Yeah.
I feel sorry for the third-years who lost their spots on the bench,
but I'm more pissed about the first-years who got spots ahead of us second-years.
Where we practice, the street lights don't reach.
It's a dim, lonely place.
We swung our bats there because we wanted to go higher.
To make it to the bench.
Hiroomi Takatsu (second-year)
Damn it.
April 14th
Back to the future!
Rise
Twitch
Wait a minute, Boss...
Thump
Did you come from the future...
Rise
Terminator!
Is that him?!
He's going all-out talking in his sleep again.
I'll head out.
That was fast!
Okay, see you later.
He gets dressed really quickly, don't you think?
I've never seen him after he just woke up.
I couldn't get much sleep again.
I don't want to run.
I don't want to eat.
It's still not settling well into my mitt.
I need to catch it more firmly.
12-6.
Yes, sir!
I like what I'm seeing.
Keep pitching.
Damn it.
Yeah, it breaks at that speed.
It's a little tricky at first.
You'll have to keep catching until you get used to it.
Our team has a lot of unique pitchers.
Yes, sir.
Ono...
Man, that guy doesn't know how to go easy.
12-6.
What pitch should I master today?
Don't get greedy.
Here we go, Miyuki-senpai!
And this one doesn't know how to keep quiet.
Your pitches are looking good!
He's easy to pitch to.
Put the next one over here.
He's got a flexible style of catching.
It's a relief that he actually talks to the pitcher.
Hey, hey, hey!
If you keep looking away, you might get hurt, Captain!
Seiko's batters only got five hits and one run.
Mukai-san really is something else.
Inui-san bopped one, too.
I wonder what their first-years are like.
Taku.
Yeah?
You don't need to sit with me.
You can go if you're done eating.
Okay.
I'll go swing a bat for a while.
I'll be there after I finish all of it.
Players must eat three bowls of rice!
He still needs work on getting under fly balls.
Yeah, but his arm looks pretty good.
He was handling the infield earlier, too.
It's scary to let him play infield,
but he's easily handling the outfield.
April 19th
Tokyo Spring Tournament Quarterfinals
April 19th Spring Tournament 10:00 Teito – Ugumori 12:30 Inashiro Industrial – Kokaidai Sugata
Meiji Jingu Secondary Stadium Game 1
Teito – Ugumori (East Tokyo) (East Tokyo)
Whoa, get a load of them.
Their new first-years make them look even more like delinquents.
What is this, Rookies?
It must be true that stupid attracts stupid.
Hey, Taiyo, they'll hear you!
That's why I'm saying it.
Well, I think it's time to go hunting for elite, preppy boys.
It feels so great to make idiots like them cry.
Line up!
It's time for today's first game!
As the team that took down Sensen's giant pitcher Maki,
Ugumori is undoubtedly stronger this year.
and Teito has powered up in the off-season, outplaying Seiko Academy.
I can't wait to see this game!
Meiji Jingu Secondary Stadium Third Base Side First Base Side Game 1 10:00 Start Time Ugumori – Teito Game 2 12:30 Start Time Inashiro Industrial – Kokaidai Sugata
These teams are a dangerous combination!
Teito and Mukai have the advantage in ability.
Kokaidai Sugata
If only they had some good pitchers besides Umemiya.
Teito will be tough to beat.
Inashiro Industrial
I'd like to give Ugumori some payback.
Mei, who do you think will win?
If everything goes as expected, Teito.
But Ugumori can certainly turn the tables.
So which one's gonna win?
Ugumori Teito
We'll just beat whichever one wins!
I don't care about the third-place qualifier game!
Inashiro Industrial #20 Shinji Akamatsu (first-year)
Get 'em!
Knock it flying!
He's attacking the inside.
If the batter's getting jammed, the pitch must be dipping later than usual.
Ugumori
Teito
He's sure throwing a lot of fastballs.
Ugumori swings a lot, so the game is going fast.
I thought he'd throw more breaking balls.
The ones he has thrown have been very effective.
He throws fastballs to rack up the count, so we have to swing at them.
When your opponent likes to swing, attack the inside.
While testing the batters,
they're experimenting with our new style, which limits the number of pitches.
They're a bunch of bold jerks.
A fly to left field for the third out.
Teito's Taiyo Mukai has held Ugumori scoreless again this inning!
His pitches have gotten faster, right?
It's amazing he can throw that fast from the side.
He's completely shutting down Ugumori's batters!
They lost in the first round of the fall tournament,
but I've heard they had the off-season from hell.
Grab it, like this!
Since it's not as hot, they say spring works in favor of the pitchers.
This game is a battle of teamwork.
The pitchers are the key to victory.
Then Mukai definitely has an advantage.
No, Umemiya's a good pitcher, too!
Yeah!
He's only given up one run in five innings.
With Ugumori, you never know until the end.
Okay, let's turn it around!
They've got some sort of hidden power.
Let's go warm up, Itsuki.
Yes, sir!
Ugumori's trying to make an opening Teito won't give them.
If the score doesn't change, Ugumori may have a chance.
Did you get the LINE from Nabe?
Teito's Inui got a two-RBI hit.
First-years, be on the ground at 2:00!
We'll be doing batting drills on field B, so be ready!
Yes, sir!
Great, I've wanted to do batting drills for a while!
I thought we wouldn't get to use a ball while the tournament was going on.
This is my chance. This is my chance. This is my chance.
This is my chance This is my chance This is my chance
I have to eat all of this? Really?
Thanks for the food!
I'll see you later.
I'm one of the last to finish again.
Asada!
Once you're eating, let's play some catch!
That'll warm us up for afternoon practice.
Y-Yes, sir. I'll be there.
Whoa, I can't believe I said yes!
Okay, let's do it!
It was out of guilt for turning him down last time!
Okay, I'll wait right here!
Huh? But that makes it harder to eat...
What's going on?
Is Sawamura roping a first-year into practicing with him?
The first-year rooming with us hasn't been feeling well,
so he's trying to cheer him up.
Cheer him up?
I'll head out.
That was fast!
When did he get changed?!
I never get to talk to him!
I get the feeling he's avoiding us.
Us? Me, too?
He's not used to living in a dorm,
and he has to share a room with two upperclassmen.
He takes a long time to eat,
so he might be close to cracking.
We can't let that happen!
It must have been when you beat him up in that game on the first day!
You crushed him in everything he was good at!
That's not just immature, it's a terrible thing to do!
You look and talk mean! It's no wonder he's scared of you!
You have the unmistakable air of a former delinquent!
It's like living in a cage with a wild animal!
Oh, man, it's so scary!
You're really asking for it!
I understand!
As his senior, I'll go break a leg!
Leave everything to me!
He's in that zone again, huh?
With that dumb face he makes.
I can picture it now.
Well, Sawamura spends more time with the kid.
Me leaving wouldn't solve anything.
I suppose.
Our first-year is a cocky kid.
Why's he always glaring at me?
You go too easy on them, so they take advantage.
I don't mind. It's fun.
And this is where the Sawamura family's secret sauce makes an appearance!
It's got mustard and, um...
a lot of other stuff!
You pour it over a piping hot steak!
Once the meat soaks up the sauce,
you take a big bite with rice!
Um...
Why are you telling me this?
I thought talking about delicious food would help you eat.
Well? Feeling hungry?
I'm full.
Instead of "I can't," say "I can't yet!"
Just say that when you feel ready to quit!
That's what I've always done and will continue to do!
They said that on TV yesterday.
The only enemy is inside yourself!
You need to crawl up from here!
Now eat those last three bites all at once, Asada!
Not three at once...
Knock it off.
Your idiotic shouting has made me lose my appetite.
I feel sick.
Huh?
Even though he eats slowly, he finishes everything.
We don't need any cheap encouragement.
We're fighting in our own way.
Could you please leave? I'm tired of looking at you, Senpai.
T-Tired of looking at me?
Leave?
Wh-Wh-What's your problem?!
You're a first-year, right? Yeah, a first-year!
Tell me your class, name, and your roll number!
Koshu Okumura. I play catcher.
Don't you remember being in the bullpen with me?
Are you only interested in first-years if they have a spot on the bench?
I-I remember seeing you.
And it doesn't matter what class I'm in.
Wh...
What a cocky first-year!
What a jerk!
"Battle, Battle"
"Battle, Battle."
Don't run away.
Keep on coming!
I don't like your eyes.
Do you think you can beat me?
I'm going to crush your resolve and your pride!
Our game tomorrow is against Kasuga First High.
They're a powerhouse school from the eastern division.
What do you think about testing our numbers at some point?
Just a little.
On the next episode of Ace of the Diamond Act II:
"Debut."
Let's win the national title!
Next Time
"Debut"