Baseball U18 World Cup 5th in Japan To win the international tournament, September 8th 23:21
The World Cup under the age of 18 under the age of 18 in South Korea won the third victory of Taiwan and finished the 10th and 10th days. Japan ended in 5th place without the medal acquisition that had continued for 3 tournaments.
This time, aiming for the first victory of a long-cherished desire, we launched a project team in October last year and made a new effort. One of them is the spring camp.
About 30 people learned about the characteristics of referees at international competitions and practiced using wooden bats for 3 days from April 5 immediately after the Senbatsu High School Baseball in spring.
Toho High School player, Toho High School, who participated in the training camp, said, “I was able to imagine the international tournament by listening to how the foreign pitcher was fighting. I was able to join the team as a result of the April training camp.” I said.
Member selection was also different. This year's international tournament is held every other year for the World Cup and the Asian Championship. Last year, 17 out of 18 Asian Championship members participated in the previous summer Koshien.
That's why in the World Cup, 7 out of the 20 selected were players who lost the summer regional tournament.
Director Yuji Nagata only stated that the member selection was “selected by the project team of the Technology and Promotion Committee”, but based on the overcrowding schedule after finishing the summer Koshien and dealing with wooden bats It seems to be a thing.
In the pitchers, Seiryo High School pitcher Yoshinobu Okukawa, who won the runner-up in the summer Koshien, was not thrown in the first league due to exhaustion, while the pitcher of Soshi Gakuen who was not in the summer Koshien 206 games were played in 4 games, and Daiya Miyagi of Konan High School threw 159 balls in 3 games and left the results.
Team defense rate is 1.58, and strikeout strikes are 93 times in 2/3. Corresponding to different strike zones and balls, it showed the quality of Japanese pitchers.
On the batting line, Toya High School's Yuya Ishikawa and Kumada missed their participation in the summer Koshien, and participated in the training of JR Tokai, a strong baseball player for 10 years from early August.
Saying that he was ready enough, such as confirming the compatibility with wooden bats, Ishikawa marked 9 RBIs including one home run, and Kumada scored 8 RBIs, and both left over 30%. .
On the other hand, the team batting average stayed at 25%, 5 minutes, and 9%, and it cannot be said that it was able to support the pitchers compared to the fact that both the United States and Taiwan, which advanced to the final, marked over 30%. (Recorded at the end of the semi-final)
It can be said that when Japan was not able to hit, it was asked whether they could carry a game that their opponents hate. And in a new initiative during the tournament, I have fought with an analysis coach such as the opponent team.
It was Tatsuji Shimada, the former director of Kochi High School. During the tournament, coach Shimada went to a rival team game with a video camera and examined the characteristics of the batter's swing, such as the bat coming out from the bottom or tending to pull, the pitcher's sphere quality and type And, it was that he analyzed the traps and advised Nagata and the players.
In the second match against Canada, Manager Nagata said, “Canada was“ slowly weak ”. I told them to talk to the battery and assemble with a changing ball.” I used it for 7 times and showed good pitching to take 18 strikeouts.
In addition, one of the batters said, “By watching the video, I was able to enter the bat with the quality of the ball and the habit. I felt it.
Still, Shimada coach said, “I am sorry that I could not connect to the result. I felt it was necessary to analyze the opponent, so I would like to verify how to provide information to the players.” .
This World Cup ended with a disappointing result of 5th place, but in order to become a team that can win the international competition, it is necessary to verify these efforts and advance the team creation to be able to meet the competition more in shape. There is.