April 2, 2011, the second-to-last day of this year’s Spring Koshien Tournant.
The tournant this spring has reached its most intense stage. The remaining four teams are none other than the elite among elites, the giants among giants, representing the pinnacle of baseball across tens of thousands of high schools in Japan.
Kyushu International University High School, with a total appearance of 9 tis in Spring and Sumr Koshien, has an autumn season record of 10 wins and 1 loss, a batting average of 0.350, and 10 ho runs. Their batting lineup is incredibly powerful, nearly on par with Nihon University Third;
Tokai University Sagami High School, with a total of 16 appearances in Spring and Sumr Koshien, including 2 Spring Koshien championships and 1 Sumr Koshien championship; since autumn, they have a record of 8 wins and 2 losses, a batting average of 0.361, 2 ho runs, and 19 stolen bases. Having secured the runner-up title in last year’s Sumr Koshien, Tokai University Sagami retains 5 main players in their current lineup, a championship-caliber team trained through major events;
Nihon University Third, with a total of 30 appearances in Spring and Sumr Koshien, including 1 Spring Koshien championship and 1 Sumr Koshien championship; they are the strongest team in Japan since autumn, with a record of 11 wins and 0 losses, a batting average of 0.342, 13 ho runs, and 16 stolen bases. With ace pitcher Yoshinaga Kentarou at the helm of the mound, their "Takayama-Abegami-Yokoo" lineup has helped the team score 22 points in this tournant, undoubtedly the strongest batting lineup of the tournant;
Waseda Industries, with a total of 47 appearances in Spring and Sumr Koshien, and one championship in each— the last ti Waseda made it to the Spring Koshien finals was in 1957; back then, the main pitcher was Wang Zhenzhi during his high school years.
Since autumn, due to the absence of an autumn regional tournant in the Tokyo Region, Waseda has had significantly fewer official gas than other teams, with a record of 7 wins and 1 loss, that one loss was in the Tokyo tournant finals against their opponent today, Nihon University Third.
Similarly, compared to the other three schools, Waseda’s average batting is slightly lower, with an average of 0.318, just over the three-tenths mark; however, compared to the other teams, Waseda’s advantage lies in their solid defense—their ERA is the lowest among the four finalist teams, reaching a frightening 1.08; considering only the gas where Lin Guanglai pitched, this number could even drop below 1.
At this stage of the ga, no opponent is an easy target, and each match requires giving it their all, as a small error on the field could cost the entire effort of the match.
Around twelve o’clock noon, under the leadership of coach Izumi Minoru and Director Sasaki, Waseda’s players departed from the hotel and took a bus to Koshien Stadium—the Tokyo regional match against Nihon University Third was scheduled as the second match of the day.
Although the first match between Tokai University Sagami and Kyushu International University High School had not completely finished, before Waseda’s players set off, the score of this semi-final had already reached 5:0, with Tokai University Sagami leading; unless sothing unexpected happened, the powerhouse team from Kanagawa Prefecture would enter the Koshien finals for the second consecutive ti, continuing their pursuit of a national championship.
But at the mont, Waseda’s players had no mood and did not dare to pop the champagne and think about the finals—the semi-final was just around the corner, and their opponent was none other than the familiar Nihon University Third. The previous encounter between the two teams was an unforgettable experience for all the players present.
In the finals of the Tokyo tournant, Lin Guanglai alone hit three ho runs—according to everyone’s previous experience, such a performance by their main player was enough to defeat any opponent;
But this Nihon University Third was not a team that could be evaluated with common sense: every counterattack by Lin Guanglai was t with a response from Nihon University Third’s terrifying lineup; and Waseda’s own lineup, in that ga, could not provide any support to the main player—this disparity was precisely the key factor that led to the crushing defeat in that final.
On the bus to the stadium, coach Izumi Minoru stood at the front of the compartnt, still giving last-minute instructions to his players:
"We’ve discussed many tis over the past two days on how to play this match, on what to do—now I’ll repeat it one final ti."
"First of all, forget about that last loss; I stand responsible in saying that if you, today, were to play against the you from back then, you could easily beat them."
"Today, our pitcher on the mound is Guanglai—you are most aware of his level; with him there, the lineup of Nihon University Third is not so fearso."
"Of course, I want you to understand that our entire team is a collective—I want you to show from the very start of the ga the determination to win every aspect of the match, and stay relentless in the battle against the opponent at every bat. Even if you are struck out, try to exhaust the opponent’s pitch count as much as possible!"
"Yoshinaga Kentarou is very strong! But he also has a fatal flaw! As long as we continue to aggressively attack and disrupt his mindset, he won’t last till the end of the 9-inning ga!"
"Yes, I understand that Nihon University Third is the champion of the Shengong tournant, and they are like a mighty lion wanting to make Koshien their territory—then let ourselves be the hyenas!"
"In terms of individual strength, we might not match up to Nihon University Third, but when facing a pack of hyenas, even the king of beasts will feel fear!"
When he said this, coach Izumi Minoru, usually gentle and amiable, appeared ferocious, his eyes reddening—a complete surprise to Waseda’s players. It was only at this mont that everyone present rembered that their coach had also been part of the Showa boys of that enthusiastic baseball era.
Under coach Izumi’s inspiring leadership, all the players present erupted with spirited "Os" shouts. Their voices even penetrated the bus, drawing glances from pedestrians along the road.
The bus, filled with Waseda’s players, slowly drove into the dedicated parking lot at Koshien Stadium. As the players alighted from the bus, they were instantly surrounded by reporters responsible for filming—especially around Lin Guanglai, where even more people gathered.
Besides the reporters taking photos, a considerable number of fans were gathered at the entrance of the player tunnel, equipped with related support items, continuously cheering for the players from outside the railings.
The match hadn’t even started, yet Waseda’s players could already feel the fervent atmosphere before the big showdown.
As the Kanagawa representative Tokai University Sagami defeated the Fukuoka representative Kyushu International University High School 6:1, they beca the first team to enter the finals of this year’s Spring Koshien Tournant.
Led by staff, the prepared Waseda players walked out from the sowhat dim player tunnel into Koshien Stadium—Lin Guanglai still rembered how, over half a year ago, in the sa semi-final here, they lost to the eventual Spring Koshien champion Konan High School, indirectly achieving the opponent’s Spring-Sumr double championship.
And today, their opponent is again the top favorite, also the Shengong tournant champion, Nihon University Third High School.
Gazing at the bustling Alps Stand not far away, Lin Guanglai stood outside the first base dugout, silently vowing to himself:
"This ti, we will not lose again!"
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