The 100th National High School Baseball Championship Commemorative Games (Asahi Shimbun, Japan High School Baseball Federation sponsored by Mainichi Newspaper Company, Hanshin Koshien Stadium Special Cooperation) opened on the 5th in Hanshin Koshien stadium in Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture. The crown prince couple attended the opening ceremony and before the first game, Hideki Matsui (44), the former major league at the star ridge (Ishikawa) OB, started the ball ceremony.
In commemoration of a big milestone tournament, the 56 most representative schools in history ranked from all over the country. In the opening ceremony, captains of 15 schools participating in the first convention (1915) following local competitions also participated. Hamasaki Takahiro, captain of Tottori Nishi (then Tottori Naka), who won the first match in the opening match, served as the leader of the march on the admission.
In the player oath, Omi (Shiga) captain Yuu Nakao said, "I am thankful that baseball has been formed in the memorable year of the 100th tournament, I will smile, give emotions to the people, make it the hottest, earnest summer I will swear that. "
The tournament is 17 days including the rest day. If it is going well it will have a final on 21st. Through the competition, the "Koshien Legend starting ball formula" will be held by former ball girls who colored history, before the first game (semi-finals are second games).