The summer national high school baseball season will begin on the 6th at Koshien Stadium.
Third graders, who will be the “last summer” this year, have been affected by the new coronavirus since the beginning of their enrollment.
Overcoming many difficulties, the stage of the dream was seized.
What are your thoughts on that?
(Koshien coverage team, Yasuhiro Namimatsu)
2 years and 4 months of hardships
Exactly "difficulties continue".
For today's third-year students, the activities of the baseball club in high school can be summed up in one word.
From the time I entered school, the spread of the new coronavirus spread, and many schools were closed, and I couldn't even see my teammates for about two months.
The first summer national high school baseball was canceled, and after that, there was a time when we couldn't practice as a whole.
In addition, the game continued without the support of the players pushing their backs.
Overcoming repeated difficulties, I seized the last summer.
In such a third grade, there are players who have acquired their abilities in a harsh environment.
With the refusal of senbatsu
Last summer, Kyoto Kokusai High School entered the best 4 despite its first appearance, and high expectations were placed on Senbatsu this spring.
However, the new corona infection spread within the team, and I decided to withdraw from the competition just before.
Ace pitcher Rudai Morishita is also infected.
His condition did not improve quickly and left him with pain in his dominant left elbow.
There was a period of about two months without pitching practice, but he said, ``We only have summer. I have been working on
In the finals of the Kyoto tournament, where I had to participate in Koshien, I started and pitched well in the official game for the first time after withdrawing from the Senbatsu.
Pitcher Morishita, who also hit the game-winning home run, is enthusiastic, saying, "My feelings for Koshien are stronger than other teams. I want to rampage until spring."
Third-year students who overcame difficulties and gained strength
Morishita is not the only 3rd grader who has overcome difficulties and gained strength.
[Omi (Shiga) pitcher Yoto Yamada] Yoto Yamada
, the captain of Omi High School (Shiga), who participated in Senbatsu on behalf of Kyoto International and won the second place, is one of them.
He is characterized by his spirited play in pitching and batting, and aims to reach the top of the national team, which he had just fallen short of.
Pitcher Yamada is burning with his fighting spirit, saying, "I am happy that I can play baseball at Koshien and that I am working hard every day to become the best in Japan. I want to bring the championship flag back to Shiga in the last summer."
[Takamatsu Shogo (Kagawa) Shogo Asano]
In addition, Shogo Asano, the captain of Takamatsu Shogo (Kagawa), is a professional slugger who has hit 64 home runs in his high school career.
Expectations are rising for the home run at Koshien that continued last summer.
[Tomishima (Miyazaki) pitcher Atsumi Hidaka]
And Tomishima High School (Miyazaki) ace pitcher Atsumi Hidaka pitched the local tournament by himself, centering on the fastest straight of 148 km, and his ERA was 0. It was a point stand.
Leading the battle for victory is Osaka Toin, who will win back-to-back spring and summer titles
It's a tournament full of attractive players, but I feel that Osaka Toin High School, who are aiming for their third spring/summer title in a row, have a big lead in the battle for victory.
In Senbatsu, they hit 11 home runs, which is a tournament record, and won the championship. Since the new team was launched last fall, they have lost only once in 37 official games.
Coach Nishitani Koichi said, ``There are no outstanding players, and their individual strength and skills are inferior to the past two times, when they won consecutive spring and summer titles.'' In addition, we have been thorough in fighting together as a team.
The Osaka tournament backed it up.
Of the regular fielders who are third-year players, seven batting averages exceeded 30%, and there was no break in the line-up.
The pitching staff consisted of five pitchers, with 20 hits in seven games, only one run scored, and a champion's game that never allowed the opponent to lead.
Furthermore, when I observe the players during the game, they are always running, including the reserve members.
The scorer who enters the bench also speaks out and encourages the team.
He overwhelmed his opponents with his unflinching appearance.
spread the influence of corona
This year's tournament will be held with the general public for the first time in three years.
There is no limit on the number of people, and the environment that inspires the baseball players is returning.
However, the recent surge in infections has already had a major impact on the tournament.
The opening ceremony was absent from six schools that were judged to be infected with the new coronavirus.
Furthermore, in the evening of the previous day, the entrance procession, which had been planned to include all players from the representative schools, was changed to a format in which only the captains marched.
The Japan High School Baseball Federation and other organizations have adjusted the schedule and allowed the replacement of players until the last minute of the game so that the baseball players would not have to withdraw from participation and drink tears as they have in previous tournaments. trying to make an effort
I hope that the baseball players who have overcome the coronavirus and made it to Koshien, which they have longed for, will continue to fight until the very end and show a passionate play.