After three whole rounds of matches, only the final 8 teams remain in Koshien—it already signifies that they are among the best nationwide to all the players who have made it this far.
Similarly, for all the schools that have reached this stage, irrespective of what goals they set before coming to Koshien, they can now start dreaming of that lofty, nearly unattainable dream; if they still don’t have the courage to fight for the championship now, then they wouldn’t have made it this far.
Entering the quarter-final phase, the remaining eight teams will draw lots again to determine their next opponents and their semi-finals grouping until they’re either eliminated or play in the final Chapter of sumr.
The eight teams in the 93rd Sumr Koshien Tournant are:
Hyogo Representative, the host team Toyo Oji Hiji: Their ace pitcher, right-hander Hara Ki, is exceptionally talented and has outstanding control, recognized as the current top pitcher in the Kansai Region; naturally, the host team wishes to shine before the locals and keep the crimson championship flag at ho.
Aomori Representative, Koushing Academy: As the representative of the disaster-stricken Tohoku Region, this year marks their school’s return to the Koshien top eight after an 8-year absence. They carry not only the ardent expectations of disaster area residents but also the nearly century-long Koshien dominance dream of the Mutsu region.
Hiroshima Representative, Shuiming Manor: Among the top eight teams, Hiroshima’s baseball club is the youngest, established in 1993, with less than twenty years of history. Although major sports journals consider them a C Level team, their progression through extra innings in this year’s Sumr League has demonstrated their resilience—any opponent who underestimates them as an easy get might pay the price.
Okayama Representative, Kansai High School: With the dual-pitcher combination of Mizuhara Kouto and Katada Yuuta, Kansai High School made an upset in the first round of the tournant—eliminating the Senbatsu High School Baseball Tournant’s final four, Kyushu International University, with a walk-off hit in the bottom of the ninth inning, a 3-2 win. The Okayama representative aims to reach the Sumr League’s top four for the first ti in school history.
Nara Representative, Chiben Gakuen Junior & Senior High School: With a rigid approach emphasizing elitism, the hardball baseball club has under 30 mbers. Under such elite training, Chiben Gakuen’s players have not only developed extraordinary skills but also considerable willpower—perhaps this is why they managed an astonishing coback in the recently concluded third-round match.
Chiba Representative, Narashino: The runner-up in the Kantou Conference, losing by just one point to the Senbatsu champion; in the sumr Chiba local tournant, they averaged over 7 runs per ga—the offensive cohesion of Narashino makes them undoubtedly the strongest team in this Sumr League, and also a favorite to win as they return to the Sumr League after ten years, determined to make up for the spring.
Wakayama Representative, Chiben Wakayama: The undisputed superpower of Wakayama Prefecture, this year’s Sumr League marks the seventh consecutive ti Chiben Wakayama participates, the 19th ti in school history; reaching the finals four tis and winning thrice in the Sumr League makes them one of the top teams in all of Japan—the young Chiben Wakayama players vow to replicate the glory of their predecessors.
The last one, West Tokyo Representative, Waseda Industries: No need for more introductions, just know that they’re the Senbatsu champions, the Kantou king, and boast the most gifted and strongest high school player in all of Japan; the whole team moves with a single goal, that is, to achieve the historical seventh Senbatsu consecutive edition victory, etching everyone’s nas forever into the Koshien annals.
The evening after the end of all third-round matches, Takano Ren announced the upcoming schedule, and the draw results for the final matches are as follows:
August 17:
First match, Toyo Oji Hiji (Hyogo) versus Koushing Academy (Aomori);
Second match, Shuiming Manor (Hiroshima) versus Kansai (Okayama).
August 18:
First match: Chiben Gakuen Junior & Senior High School (Nara) versus Waseda Real (West Tokyo);
Second match: Chiben Wakayama (Wakayama) versus Narashino (Chiba).
In Shuiming Manor, upon learning their next opponent, Lin Guanglai hurriedly asked the intelligence team for the opponent’s information, just preparing to start carefully studying the matchup when his phone suddenly rang.
"Guanglai—You have to avenge in the match the day after tomorrow!!!"
Just after hitting the answer button, a familiar yet sowhat weak voice ca through the phone.
On the other end was Watanabe Kensuke, the captain and main catcher of Yokohama High School, who was also a close friend of Lin Guanglai.
Before Lin Guanglai could speak, Watanabe Kensuke continued his rant:
"I’m telling you, Guanglai—when playing against Chiben Gakuen, don’t overthink it, just play your ga. I might be saying this because I can’t accept the loss, but their strength is really diocre."
"If it wasn’t for Yanagida Yuuya getting hit on the foot by a ground ball in the ninth inning, we at Yokohama would definitely not have lost!"
After saying this, Watanabe Kensuke let out a deep sigh, evidently still unable to co to terms with that past third-round match, which was also the final match of his high school career.
After spring’s rash pitching change led to a reversal by the opponent, Yokohama High School officially established a main lineup centered around second-year Yanagida Yuuya—learning from the spring’s lesson, this Yokohama High School lineup is balanced in offense and defense, focusing on team baseball, enabling them to erge from the fiercely competitive Kanagawa Prefecture.
Yokohama had quite a bit of luck this sumr, drawing the only bye in the first Koshien match, advancing to the second round without effort;
Perhaps due to resting too long, they blew a 5-0 lead in the second round, as their opponents quickly caught up in the top half of the sixth inning; but then, Watanabe Mototsugu tily made adjustnts, and the team made it through with a walk-off hit during extra innings;
In the third round against Chiben Gakuen, Yokohama also established an early 4-1 lead, maintaining it until the top half of the ninth;
Seeing the team on the verge of advancing, who would have thought, during the top half of the ninth inning, ace pitcher Yanagida Yuuya was hit on the ankle by a strong ground ball hit by a Chiben Gakuen batter and had to be replaced;
The replacent Soma Kazuhiro had no warm-up ti at all, had to face a loaded bases situation imdiately, and ultimately couldn’t handle the pressure and conceded consecutively.
The entire top half of the ninth was like a nightmare for Yokohama’s players, conceding 8 runs in the inning, turning a 3-run lead into a 5-run deficit in an instant.
This score ultimately couldn’t be changed, Chiben Gakuen played out a show at Koshien, while Yokohama High School, a strong team, finally beca a backdrop for the coback and will likely be reviewed by various programs many tis for years to co.
Though Watanabe Kensuke has accepted the result for the loss, he hasn’t completely co to terms with it in his heart—after consoling his disappointed friend and congratulating him on graduating, Lin Guanglai confidently promised Watanabe Kensuke:
"Don’t worry, Kensuke—this coming day after tomorrow, just watch from your dorm in Yokohama as I avenge you!"
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