And now, the final representative from Kanto - Jyousou Gakuin.
Looking at their schedule, they got about as easy of a schedule as Kisaradzu Sougou, but perhaps not the same results. They struggled to beat Fujishiro and Tsuchiura Kohoku in the prefecturals, and had the same issues against Sano Nichidai and Hiratsuka Gakuen before narrowly falling to Kisaradzu Sougou.
As such, their prospects are immediately pegged to be even weaker than that of the already weak runner-up.
For them to have any chance, the pitching has to hold up. For that, Sasaki-kantoku turns to two underclassman pitchers, ace Suzuki Shouta (鈴木 昭汰) and #10 Kashimura Yuuta (樫村 雄大). Suzuki was actually part of the U15 national team. He has supposedly ticked up his fastball to the upper 130s and has the standard fare of pitches (slider, curve). There's less information on Kashimura, but he too apparently has the standard selection on pitches.
Even though these are the main 2 pitchers, Sasaki-kantoku has brought along 2 other pitchers - #11 Sugawara Kazuhiro (菅原 一泰) and #18 Inoue Masaki (井上 真幸). And apparently he's not afraid to use 1B Ishii Daiki (石井 大貴) on the mound either (2 IP in all). None of the pitchers are dominating in nature though, but still they are tasked with keeping the scoring low in order to keep the offense in the game.
They'll be under constant pressure as the team just batted a shade over 0.300, with just 3 players over said average. Leading the pack is tablesetter/captain Ugusa Kouki (宇草 孔基) who went a cool 14-26 with 6 SBs. LF Arahara Hiroki (荒原 祐貴) hit 0.423, but they were all singles.
This team will struggle to score runs, and the pitching will be stressed to the limit from the words "Play ball". The first 2 rounds they might have a chance in, but after that, witha game against Kousei or more likely Osaka Touin, and they might as well prepare their return trip home.
Monday, March 16, 2015
Reviewing the field - Kanto semifinalist Kendai Takasaki
And now to the semifinalists of the Kanto tournament. First up, the one who lost to the eventual champs - Takasaki Kenkoudai Fukushi (i.e. Kendai Takasaki).
They're a private school yes, but they play like the dog that nips at you constantly - playing to their competition, good or bad. You can bever count them out of a game, and perhaps that's testament to their coach Aoyagi-kantoku.
So you can look at their stats all day long, but this team may be the one exception whereby we throw them out the window. But, since that's what I have to go on, I do a pump fake and bring those papers back in.
I'm going to look at offense, because that's where the team is the most gritty. The team, up until their defeat against Urawa Gakuin, hit the ball. Not hard, but hit the ball. Their team racked up double digit hits in every game except for 2, and in both games still got 8 hits. And this wasn't against no-name competition either. It was against schools like Kiryuu Dai-ichi, and former champs Maebashi Ikuei, and the aforementioned Urawa Gakuin (they got 17 hits in that one!). But unlike their profile in prior years, they do not really run, averaging just 3 SBs per game.
7 of their starting 9 in fact, hit over 0.300, and their #5 hitter 1B Ooshima Kyouhei (大島 匡平) went 10-19 with half of those hits going for extra bases! I could highlight other hitters, but the fact really is, this team at the plate does not cheat itself - ever.
On the mound, Aoyagi-kantoku used a mess of pitchers in every game except 3, and they were the 3 biggest games on their schedule - the prefectural final, and the first 2 rounds of the super-regional.
Why are they the most important? Well, winning the prefectural final means facing a 2-seed in the first round of the super-regional. And the first 2 rounds would get them to the semifinal where the odds of being omitted from the field is almost nil.
And so it was that ace Fukui Tomoya (川井 智也) would take the hill. In each progressive game though he would give up more runs, 3 to Meishuu Gakuen Hitachi, and 6 to Matsudo Kokusai.
Now, Aoyagi-kantoku has supposedly brought 3 other pitchers to Koushien - #10 Hashidzume Naoya (橋詰 直弥), #17 Miyamoto Takahiro (宮本 隆寛), and #18 Takahashi Ryousuke (髙橋 涼輔). Problem is, none of them seem usable. Hashidzume and Takahashi have terrible ERAs, while Miyamoto was used early on, but was never seen past the prefectural semifinal. Weirdly however, Miyamoto was part of the Nomo Baseball Academy and travelled to the US. Even weirder, while wearing the #1 jersey, he never pitched a game...
Ube Koujyou isn't a completely soft opener, and a possible game against Tenri might not be great either, but while the pitching will be always a query, but you can never count out this team in any game.
They're a private school yes, but they play like the dog that nips at you constantly - playing to their competition, good or bad. You can bever count them out of a game, and perhaps that's testament to their coach Aoyagi-kantoku.
So you can look at their stats all day long, but this team may be the one exception whereby we throw them out the window. But, since that's what I have to go on, I do a pump fake and bring those papers back in.
I'm going to look at offense, because that's where the team is the most gritty. The team, up until their defeat against Urawa Gakuin, hit the ball. Not hard, but hit the ball. Their team racked up double digit hits in every game except for 2, and in both games still got 8 hits. And this wasn't against no-name competition either. It was against schools like Kiryuu Dai-ichi, and former champs Maebashi Ikuei, and the aforementioned Urawa Gakuin (they got 17 hits in that one!). But unlike their profile in prior years, they do not really run, averaging just 3 SBs per game.
7 of their starting 9 in fact, hit over 0.300, and their #5 hitter 1B Ooshima Kyouhei (大島 匡平) went 10-19 with half of those hits going for extra bases! I could highlight other hitters, but the fact really is, this team at the plate does not cheat itself - ever.
On the mound, Aoyagi-kantoku used a mess of pitchers in every game except 3, and they were the 3 biggest games on their schedule - the prefectural final, and the first 2 rounds of the super-regional.
Why are they the most important? Well, winning the prefectural final means facing a 2-seed in the first round of the super-regional. And the first 2 rounds would get them to the semifinal where the odds of being omitted from the field is almost nil.
And so it was that ace Fukui Tomoya (川井 智也) would take the hill. In each progressive game though he would give up more runs, 3 to Meishuu Gakuen Hitachi, and 6 to Matsudo Kokusai.
Now, Aoyagi-kantoku has supposedly brought 3 other pitchers to Koushien - #10 Hashidzume Naoya (橋詰 直弥), #17 Miyamoto Takahiro (宮本 隆寛), and #18 Takahashi Ryousuke (髙橋 涼輔). Problem is, none of them seem usable. Hashidzume and Takahashi have terrible ERAs, while Miyamoto was used early on, but was never seen past the prefectural semifinal. Weirdly however, Miyamoto was part of the Nomo Baseball Academy and travelled to the US. Even weirder, while wearing the #1 jersey, he never pitched a game...
Ube Koujyou isn't a completely soft opener, and a possible game against Tenri might not be great either, but while the pitching will be always a query, but you can never count out this team in any game.
Reviewing the field - Kanto runner-up Kisaradzu Sougou
Kanto's runner-up, Kisaradzu Sougou, should be credited with getting to the Kanto final. But it should be said that they perhaps got the softest run the entire way though as a team in a metropolitan region could have had.
In fact, the best brand-name team that they faced in the prefecturals might have been Chiba Keiai, and they're a borderline tier 3 school. The minute they started facing an actual Koushien powerhouse, they struggled. They managed to hold out versus Jyousou Gakuin, but then got annihilated by Urawa Gakuin in the final.
It should also be said that Gojima-kantoku basically threw the final against Urawa Gakuin, refusing to throw in the false #1 Suzuki Kenya (鈴木 健矢) and their true ace, 2nd year #10 Hayakawa Takahisa (早川 隆久).
Why do I say that Hayakawa is the ace? Because while he wasn't used as much (36 IP vs. Suzuki's 42), he was not used early on while Suzuki was sent out for their opening game. And despite the soft competition, he did not give up a run.
Not one.
Soft run or not, giving up no runs in what amounts to 4 full games is still impressive. His K/IP clip is under 1 though, so the case for it being a truly soft 0.00 ERA is perhaps strengthened. What cements it is that he throws in the low 130s with a slider in the 100s and a slow curve in the 90s. Doesn't mean that he isn't a great pitcher, just that he's probably above the average guy.
Now off to the offense, and that's where things really start to fall apart. The team hit a paltry 0.282, which given their opposition is not good. Even worse, their ISO falls in at 0.080, and their SLG is just 0.020 higher than their OBP.
Apparently Gojima has gone for a lineup by matchup basis as only 3 players played all 12 games. Not surprising that those 3 - leadoff hitter LF Kido Ryou (木戸 涼), cleanup hitter SS Himura Atsushi (檜村 篤史), and 2B Koike Kazuki (小池 航貴) - had the highest averages. Behind them, there is no member of the numbered starters who hit over 0.250, and the two that played 11 games, perhaps are in more for defensive purposes.
This is a soft runner-up school that perhaps gets a chance to get right early, but Okayama Ridai Fuzoku isn't a no-name squad either with their constant headbutting against Kanzei in-prefecture.
In fact, the best brand-name team that they faced in the prefecturals might have been Chiba Keiai, and they're a borderline tier 3 school. The minute they started facing an actual Koushien powerhouse, they struggled. They managed to hold out versus Jyousou Gakuin, but then got annihilated by Urawa Gakuin in the final.
It should also be said that Gojima-kantoku basically threw the final against Urawa Gakuin, refusing to throw in the false #1 Suzuki Kenya (鈴木 健矢) and their true ace, 2nd year #10 Hayakawa Takahisa (早川 隆久).
Why do I say that Hayakawa is the ace? Because while he wasn't used as much (36 IP vs. Suzuki's 42), he was not used early on while Suzuki was sent out for their opening game. And despite the soft competition, he did not give up a run.
Not one.
Soft run or not, giving up no runs in what amounts to 4 full games is still impressive. His K/IP clip is under 1 though, so the case for it being a truly soft 0.00 ERA is perhaps strengthened. What cements it is that he throws in the low 130s with a slider in the 100s and a slow curve in the 90s. Doesn't mean that he isn't a great pitcher, just that he's probably above the average guy.
Now off to the offense, and that's where things really start to fall apart. The team hit a paltry 0.282, which given their opposition is not good. Even worse, their ISO falls in at 0.080, and their SLG is just 0.020 higher than their OBP.
Apparently Gojima has gone for a lineup by matchup basis as only 3 players played all 12 games. Not surprising that those 3 - leadoff hitter LF Kido Ryou (木戸 涼), cleanup hitter SS Himura Atsushi (檜村 篤史), and 2B Koike Kazuki (小池 航貴) - had the highest averages. Behind them, there is no member of the numbered starters who hit over 0.250, and the two that played 11 games, perhaps are in more for defensive purposes.
This is a soft runner-up school that perhaps gets a chance to get right early, but Okayama Ridai Fuzoku isn't a no-name squad either with their constant headbutting against Kanzei in-prefecture.
Reviewing the field - Kanto champs Urawa Gakuin
I mentioned in a previous post that I thought Urawa Gakuin, given their recent performance, may be locked and loaded for a deep run at Senbatsu.
I say this because in their 14 games during the fall taikai, they gave up more than 1 run just 3 times.
Three.
And that includes the games they played at Meiji Jingu. That's mighty impressive no matter how you look at it. They also included teams such as Toukou Gakuen and Kisaradzu Sougou. Not top tier, but relative mainstays.
This was accomplished not only on the back of ace Eguchi Shouri (江口 奨理), but on 3 other pitchers led by Ogura Kyousuke (小倉 匡祐). Only one other has made the roster, and that was the next man down, Imamura Kazuto (今村 一登). Now, Ogura appears to be the clear #2 that Mori-kantoku goes to, sending him out to start the super-regional semfinals and finals as well as the Meiji Jingu final. Interestingly, they're both southpaws, so that should be interesting to see if lefty-righty matchups become a problem.
Offensively, the team posted good numbers despite the deep run. 7 of their 9 starters batted over 0.300. The only problem is that they had an ISO of 0.095, which is very low. So they can get on base at a good clip, but it looks like they need to string hits together to score runs - which for the most part wasn't too hard to do - though perhaps Toukou Gakuen had a new ace that stymied them to the tune of 2 hits.
Their cleanup hitter, Yamazaki Kouta (山﨑 滉太) does not profile as your traditional cleanup man. He did drive in 16 in his 14 games, and got 6 extra base hits in his 18, but they were all doubles. There's some XBH pop in the bottom of the lineup as well in the form of LF Araki Yuuya (荒木 裕也). He has a 3B and HR to his name as well as 15 RBIs. We'll see if he stays in the 7-hole or gets moved up.
The depressed ISO is a bit concerning, but the hits do seem to keep coming despite the competition. The inability to get a big hit though could prove to be their undoing like in the Meiji Jingu title game. Still, they have the resume to make a deep run, especially given their draw.
I say this because in their 14 games during the fall taikai, they gave up more than 1 run just 3 times.
Three.
And that includes the games they played at Meiji Jingu. That's mighty impressive no matter how you look at it. They also included teams such as Toukou Gakuen and Kisaradzu Sougou. Not top tier, but relative mainstays.
This was accomplished not only on the back of ace Eguchi Shouri (江口 奨理), but on 3 other pitchers led by Ogura Kyousuke (小倉 匡祐). Only one other has made the roster, and that was the next man down, Imamura Kazuto (今村 一登). Now, Ogura appears to be the clear #2 that Mori-kantoku goes to, sending him out to start the super-regional semfinals and finals as well as the Meiji Jingu final. Interestingly, they're both southpaws, so that should be interesting to see if lefty-righty matchups become a problem.
Offensively, the team posted good numbers despite the deep run. 7 of their 9 starters batted over 0.300. The only problem is that they had an ISO of 0.095, which is very low. So they can get on base at a good clip, but it looks like they need to string hits together to score runs - which for the most part wasn't too hard to do - though perhaps Toukou Gakuen had a new ace that stymied them to the tune of 2 hits.
Their cleanup hitter, Yamazaki Kouta (山﨑 滉太) does not profile as your traditional cleanup man. He did drive in 16 in his 14 games, and got 6 extra base hits in his 18, but they were all doubles. There's some XBH pop in the bottom of the lineup as well in the form of LF Araki Yuuya (荒木 裕也). He has a 3B and HR to his name as well as 15 RBIs. We'll see if he stays in the 7-hole or gets moved up.
The depressed ISO is a bit concerning, but the hits do seem to keep coming despite the competition. The inability to get a big hit though could prove to be their undoing like in the Meiji Jingu title game. Still, they have the resume to make a deep run, especially given their draw.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Reviewing the field - Tokyo/Kanto floating bid Nishogakushadai Fuzoku
It would seem with these schools that these bids come one year too late. One year after their team hits their peak. Most times, the team cannot live up to their prior performance and quietly bow out.
Hopefully, this is not one of those cases.
It helps that the team was able to head to Natsu Koushien last year after being passed up for Yokohama. It also helped that despite most of the numbered starters were seniors, it was mostly in number only as quite a few underclassmen took the field.
What generally does not help though, is losing your ace. With the loss of Oguro, the ace number fell to their next in line, Ooe Ryuusei (大江 竜聖). He shouldn't be phased by the big stage though as Ichihara-kantoku gave him innings last summer - though he did falter a bit against Okinawa Shougaku.
Their road this year was on paper much harder than that of the eventual champions. First off was a game against Souka in block play. Sure, they aren't a powerhouse, but they're not the pushover you'd be expecting.
After that, in the super-regionals, they faced 3rd level teams such as Hino, Waseda Gakuin and Yukigaya before clashing with Kanto Dai-ichi yet again. And once again, they had the last word - albeit in 11 innings. And while Ooe would fight valiantly in the final, they would eventually fall.
What's concerning is that it appears that it's the Ooe show all the time. Unlike last year, there does not appear to be a 2nd pitcher that the team goes to. Kishida remains from last year, but does not appear to be trusted at all. It'll be interesting to see then if Ichihara-kantoku has an ace up his sleeve, else despite some of the good peripherals (>K/IP), he's not unhittable by any stretch of the imagination.
Offensively, the teams isn't lost at the plate, and do have strong numbers from a team in Tokyo. Remember though, that while they did face Kanto Dai-ichi and to some extent Toukaidai Sugao, the competition I mentioned earlier while above-average, are not powerhouses - so surprisingly there is some inflation to take into account.
It also focuses around a pair of plaeyrs, leadoff batter 3B Miguchi Eito (三口 英斗) and LF Okada Kouki (岡田 浩輝). Both were on th roster last summer, and Miguchi played in both games.
Again it boils down to pitching for this squad. If Ooe is all they really have, they will probably struggle to win multiple games. If they have someone else reliable as well, then barring running into a powerhouse, they could be a Best 8 squad.
Hopefully, this is not one of those cases.
It helps that the team was able to head to Natsu Koushien last year after being passed up for Yokohama. It also helped that despite most of the numbered starters were seniors, it was mostly in number only as quite a few underclassmen took the field.
What generally does not help though, is losing your ace. With the loss of Oguro, the ace number fell to their next in line, Ooe Ryuusei (大江 竜聖). He shouldn't be phased by the big stage though as Ichihara-kantoku gave him innings last summer - though he did falter a bit against Okinawa Shougaku.
Their road this year was on paper much harder than that of the eventual champions. First off was a game against Souka in block play. Sure, they aren't a powerhouse, but they're not the pushover you'd be expecting.
After that, in the super-regionals, they faced 3rd level teams such as Hino, Waseda Gakuin and Yukigaya before clashing with Kanto Dai-ichi yet again. And once again, they had the last word - albeit in 11 innings. And while Ooe would fight valiantly in the final, they would eventually fall.
What's concerning is that it appears that it's the Ooe show all the time. Unlike last year, there does not appear to be a 2nd pitcher that the team goes to. Kishida remains from last year, but does not appear to be trusted at all. It'll be interesting to see then if Ichihara-kantoku has an ace up his sleeve, else despite some of the good peripherals (>K/IP), he's not unhittable by any stretch of the imagination.
Offensively, the teams isn't lost at the plate, and do have strong numbers from a team in Tokyo. Remember though, that while they did face Kanto Dai-ichi and to some extent Toukaidai Sugao, the competition I mentioned earlier while above-average, are not powerhouses - so surprisingly there is some inflation to take into account.
It also focuses around a pair of plaeyrs, leadoff batter 3B Miguchi Eito (三口 英斗) and LF Okada Kouki (岡田 浩輝). Both were on th roster last summer, and Miguchi played in both games.
Again it boils down to pitching for this squad. If Ooe is all they really have, they will probably struggle to win multiple games. If they have someone else reliable as well, then barring running into a powerhouse, they could be a Best 8 squad.
Monday, March 9, 2015
Reviewing the field - Tokyo champs Toukaidai Sugao
Next up, we head to Tokyo and the champs Toukaidai Sugao.
Tokyo is generally a tough region to play in. Many schools, and many opportunities to have that one trip-up that eliminates you from the tournament. But Toukaidai Sugao got quite a few breaks on their way to the title.
After a walk through block play, their draw put them in a quadrant for the super-regionals which did not have a quality team until Teikyou in a possible quarterfinal match. When they did face them, they faced a team that appears to have had their best days behind them.
On the other quadrant on their half of the bracket, Waseda Jitsugyou and Nichidai-san wound up drawing each other. Even then, Toukaidai Sugao didn't face the winner Soujitsu. Instead, it was Houseidai who had pulled off the upset in the prior round.
And their final break was that their final opponent, Nishogakushadai Fuzoku, had to play Kanto Dai-ichi yet again in the semifinal, and that game went 11 innings. Meaning that they would be even more fatigued come the final on the next day.
All this led to Toukaidai Sugao winning the title and earning the automatic bid. However, they were exposed when they hit the Meiji Jingu tournament as after a underwhelming win against Shizuoka, Urawa Gakuin demolished their pitching depth and sent them home.
Their staff ace is a 3rd year by the name of Katsumata Shouki (勝俣 翔貴). He can hit the low 140s, but there is little mention about his pitching, and more about his hitting. His stats from the fall, given the level of competition he faced is substandard. While he carried a sub-2 ERA, his WHIP was over 1.30. And given their next guy, Hanyuu Yuuta(羽生 優太) did well against Urawa Gakuin at Meiji Jinguu save for one bad inning, it does not bode well on the mound for the champs.
Offensively, a BA of 0.290+ and an OPS of 0.760+ in Tokyo wouldn't be bad for the champions. But again given context of their competition it again is a bit lackluster. Outside of their ace, a player to watch would be their CF no less Koiso Kazuki (小磯 和貴) who had a double against Shizuoka and a HR against Urawa Gakuin.
Given all these factors, Toukaidai Sugao looks more like a rural super-regional champion than a metropolitan one, and whose stay at Senbatsu will be as such.
Tokyo is generally a tough region to play in. Many schools, and many opportunities to have that one trip-up that eliminates you from the tournament. But Toukaidai Sugao got quite a few breaks on their way to the title.
After a walk through block play, their draw put them in a quadrant for the super-regionals which did not have a quality team until Teikyou in a possible quarterfinal match. When they did face them, they faced a team that appears to have had their best days behind them.
On the other quadrant on their half of the bracket, Waseda Jitsugyou and Nichidai-san wound up drawing each other. Even then, Toukaidai Sugao didn't face the winner Soujitsu. Instead, it was Houseidai who had pulled off the upset in the prior round.
And their final break was that their final opponent, Nishogakushadai Fuzoku, had to play Kanto Dai-ichi yet again in the semifinal, and that game went 11 innings. Meaning that they would be even more fatigued come the final on the next day.
All this led to Toukaidai Sugao winning the title and earning the automatic bid. However, they were exposed when they hit the Meiji Jingu tournament as after a underwhelming win against Shizuoka, Urawa Gakuin demolished their pitching depth and sent them home.
Their staff ace is a 3rd year by the name of Katsumata Shouki (勝俣 翔貴). He can hit the low 140s, but there is little mention about his pitching, and more about his hitting. His stats from the fall, given the level of competition he faced is substandard. While he carried a sub-2 ERA, his WHIP was over 1.30. And given their next guy, Hanyuu Yuuta(羽生 優太) did well against Urawa Gakuin at Meiji Jinguu save for one bad inning, it does not bode well on the mound for the champs.
Offensively, a BA of 0.290+ and an OPS of 0.760+ in Tokyo wouldn't be bad for the champions. But again given context of their competition it again is a bit lackluster. Outside of their ace, a player to watch would be their CF no less Koiso Kazuki (小磯 和貴) who had a double against Shizuoka and a HR against Urawa Gakuin.
Given all these factors, Toukaidai Sugao looks more like a rural super-regional champion than a metropolitan one, and whose stay at Senbatsu will be as such.
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Reviewing the field - Tohoku's Meiji Jingu Bid Hachinohe Gakuin Kousei
And now to the school indebted to Sendai Ikuei - Hachinohe Gakuin Kousei. There were on the outside looking in having lost in the super-regional semifinal, but were reprieved when Sendai Ikuei won the Meiji Jingu tournament, thereby giving the region one extra bid. And much to the script, the JHBF went with the bigger name over Yamagata's Tsuruoka Higashi.
Kousei, as they now like to be called, got a free pass to the prefectural finals with their win in the summer. They took full advantage of it, blowing through the field all the way to the finals where they eked out a 5-4 win over Aomori Yamada.
Their games in the super-regional were also underwhelming. A 3-1 win over Yamagata Jyouhoku and a 4-1 win over Noshiro Shouyou put them in the semifinals, but a 7-2 loss to Sendai Ikuei ended things.
Kousei has been pretty much rebuilding since their 3 consecutive final appearances. 2 pitchers have been promoted to take over duties on the mound. They are 3rd years Goya Kaito (呉屋 開斗) - who wore #18 last spring, and Nakagawa Masashi (中川 優) - who wore #11. Nakagawa appears to have more pitches at his disposal (slider, curve, change and fork), but Goya's results on the mound are much better.
The only other holdovers from last spring are C Baba Ryuusei (馬場 龍星) and SS Adachi Yuuya (足立 悠哉). Both of them played against Yokohama last year and did well (though Yokohama didn't deserve to be there in the first place).
I found a roster for the team, and a starting lineup:
The problem is that last year they had pitchers that were supposedly better than this pair and got routed by Ryuukokudai Heian. The offense, who again consisted of mostly seniors, was ineffective. While they get to go back to Koushien, it seems unlikely that they will be able to improve on that performance. Consider them still in rebuilding mode.
Kousei, as they now like to be called, got a free pass to the prefectural finals with their win in the summer. They took full advantage of it, blowing through the field all the way to the finals where they eked out a 5-4 win over Aomori Yamada.
Their games in the super-regional were also underwhelming. A 3-1 win over Yamagata Jyouhoku and a 4-1 win over Noshiro Shouyou put them in the semifinals, but a 7-2 loss to Sendai Ikuei ended things.
Kousei has been pretty much rebuilding since their 3 consecutive final appearances. 2 pitchers have been promoted to take over duties on the mound. They are 3rd years Goya Kaito (呉屋 開斗) - who wore #18 last spring, and Nakagawa Masashi (中川 優) - who wore #11. Nakagawa appears to have more pitches at his disposal (slider, curve, change and fork), but Goya's results on the mound are much better.
The only other holdovers from last spring are C Baba Ryuusei (馬場 龍星) and SS Adachi Yuuya (足立 悠哉). Both of them played against Yokohama last year and did well (though Yokohama didn't deserve to be there in the first place).
I found a roster for the team, and a starting lineup:
- CF Arai Shouki (新井 勝貴)
- RF Kasumi Shouta (加角 翔太)
- SS Adachi Yuuya (足立 悠哉)
- LF Sawada Shunichi (澤田 俊一)
- 1B Nakajima Yuuki (中嶋 勇希)
- 2B Nakazaki Jyukiya (中崎 寿希也)
- 3B Endou Taisei (遠藤 大誠)
- C Baba Ryuusei (馬場 龍星)
- P Goya Kaito (呉屋 開斗)
The problem is that last year they had pitchers that were supposedly better than this pair and got routed by Ryuukokudai Heian. The offense, who again consisted of mostly seniors, was ineffective. While they get to go back to Koushien, it seems unlikely that they will be able to improve on that performance. Consider them still in rebuilding mode.
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Reviewing the field - Tohoku runner-up Oomagari Kougyou
And now our first surprise in Akita's Oomagari Kougyou. Akita in the Tohoku region is generally the weakest of the 6 prefectures. So to see a school - and not one necessarily top tier - get to Koushien is shocking.
It wasn't a fluke either. Early on, you might have thought it was as they struggled to win the Nanbu regionals beating teams like Oomagari, Yokote and Yokote Jyounan. They continued to struggle, but this time it was more understandable as they face the top teams, defeating Kakunodate, Akita Chuo, Akita Shougyou and Noshiro Shouyou to claim the title.
After a scare in the opening game of the super-regionals against Matsushima, they had to play 2 against Hanamaki Higashi. Fortunately for them, Hanamaki Higashi already had to do that the round before against Higashi-Nihondai Shouhei. Hanamaki Higashi couldn't play 2 extra games, and lost a slugfest. And while they defeated Tsuruoka Higashi the next day, they couldn't win 4 games in 4 days, getting drubbed by Sendai Ikuei in the final.
While the loss against Sendai Ikuei could be looked at as a negative, it was their 4th game in as many days. It might not be a positive for them if you were considering their title chances, but they seem to be solid otherwise.
The game starter for Oomagari Kougyou is not their ace number, but #7 Takeda Ryuusei (武田 龍成). I can't find much info on him other than the video though. But while he occupies the cleanup spot, it's the projected 5th batter Nakamura Kazuki(?) (中邑 一生). Against Hanamaki Higashi in the replay and Tsuruoka Higashi he delivered with 2 2-RBI triples in his first AB.
The lineup used against Hanamaki Higashi in the replay I will use as their starting 9 absent of a full roster
It wasn't a fluke either. Early on, you might have thought it was as they struggled to win the Nanbu regionals beating teams like Oomagari, Yokote and Yokote Jyounan. They continued to struggle, but this time it was more understandable as they face the top teams, defeating Kakunodate, Akita Chuo, Akita Shougyou and Noshiro Shouyou to claim the title.
After a scare in the opening game of the super-regionals against Matsushima, they had to play 2 against Hanamaki Higashi. Fortunately for them, Hanamaki Higashi already had to do that the round before against Higashi-Nihondai Shouhei. Hanamaki Higashi couldn't play 2 extra games, and lost a slugfest. And while they defeated Tsuruoka Higashi the next day, they couldn't win 4 games in 4 days, getting drubbed by Sendai Ikuei in the final.
While the loss against Sendai Ikuei could be looked at as a negative, it was their 4th game in as many days. It might not be a positive for them if you were considering their title chances, but they seem to be solid otherwise.
The game starter for Oomagari Kougyou is not their ace number, but #7 Takeda Ryuusei (武田 龍成). I can't find much info on him other than the video though. But while he occupies the cleanup spot, it's the projected 5th batter Nakamura Kazuki(?) (中邑 一生). Against Hanamaki Higashi in the replay and Tsuruoka Higashi he delivered with 2 2-RBI triples in his first AB.
The lineup used against Hanamaki Higashi in the replay I will use as their starting 9 absent of a full roster
- CF Sasaki Shunichi (佐々木 駿一)
- SS Akagawa Shun (赤川 駿)
- 2B Nakano Seiya (中野 星夜)
- P Takeda Ryuusei (武田 龍成)
- RF Nakamura Kazuki (中邑 一生)
- 3B Sawatari Akito (佐渡 敬斗)
- 1B Okamoto Atsushi (岡本 昌真)
- LF Odajima Kouta (小田嶋 康太)
- C Suzuki Taira (鈴木 平)
Their chances at senbatsu are probably not good, but at the same time you cannot completely discount their run given playing Hanamaki Higashi twice and easily understandable excuses against Sendai Ikuei.
Reviewing the field - Tohoku champs Sendai Ikuei
Sendai Ikuei comes into Senbatsu as probably the favorite to beat - this despite the fact that they weren't even the qualifier out of Miyagi (that was Rifu, by the way). What is even more impressive is that in their 16 games, they lost only once (that was early on to Seiwa Gakuen), and only one other team was within 5 when the siren sounded (that was Urawa Gakuin after they lost 4-1 in the Meiji Jingu title game!). All this while beating teams such as the aforementioned Rifu, Tohoku, Hachinohe Gakuin Kousei, and Kyushu Gakuin.
Leading the way is staff ace Satou Sena (佐藤 世那). He throws right around 140, and reportedly actually has a forkball, sinker and splitter instead of the usual curve and slider.
Offensively, the team looks to catcher and cleanup batter Gunji Yuuya (郡司 裕也). He was 5-12 in the Meiji Jingu taikai and drove in 6 runs. The person who really revved things up as the tournament progressed was #3 batter Hirasawa Taiga (平沢 大河). Despite being the SS, he hit 5-10 with a 2B, 3B and a HR plating 5. That 3-4 combo may be a force to be reckoned with.
The roster as of the Meiji Jingu tournament was as follows:
Leading the way is staff ace Satou Sena (佐藤 世那). He throws right around 140, and reportedly actually has a forkball, sinker and splitter instead of the usual curve and slider.
Offensively, the team looks to catcher and cleanup batter Gunji Yuuya (郡司 裕也). He was 5-12 in the Meiji Jingu taikai and drove in 6 runs. The person who really revved things up as the tournament progressed was #3 batter Hirasawa Taiga (平沢 大河). Despite being the SS, he hit 5-10 with a 2B, 3B and a HR plating 5. That 3-4 combo may be a force to be reckoned with.
The roster as of the Meiji Jingu tournament was as follows:
- P Satou Sena (佐藤 世那)
- C Gunji Yuuya (郡司 裕也)
- 1B Sasaki Ryousuke (佐々木 良介)
- 2B Yatsu Koudai (谷津 航大)
- 3B Satou Shouta (佐藤 将太)
- SS Hirasawa Taiga (平沢 大河)
- LF Kii Kaishuu (紀伊 海秀)
- CF Aoki Reima (青木 玲磨)
- RF Sasaki Tooya (佐々木 柊野)
- (P) Domeki Yuuki (百目木 優貴)
- (P) Kobayashi Yuuta (小林 勇太)
- (C) Wakasa Takeru (若狭 武瑠)
- (IF) Seto Taichi (瀬戸 泰地)
- (IF) Sasaki Keita (佐々木 啓太)
- (C) Maeno Koudai (前野 広大)
- (OF) Yoshino Katsutoshi (吉野 克駿)
- (OF) Saida Kaito (齋田 海斗)
- (OF) Tateyama Takehiro (立山 貴大)
Their strong showing throughout the fall taikai will put them as one of, if not the favorite. If there is an apparent weakness it might be the bottom of the lineup (minus ace Sena). They did relatively little at Meiji Jingu and giving up free innings to the opponent might catch up with them.
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Reviewing the field - Hokkaido champs Toukai Dai-yon
Over the next month or so I will be trying to review all 32 teams that have qualified for this year's Haru Koushien noting players to watch, and chances in the tournament. First up is the Hokkaido champs Toukai Dai-yon.
Toukai Dai-yon makes a return trip to Koushien after qualifying for the Natsu Koushien last summer. It certainly wasn't an easy trip back as they had lost all of 4 of their declared roster from the summer. But they advanced out of the regionals despite narrow victories over Sapporo Ryuukoku, Sapporo Asahigaoka and Sapporo Ootani.
Onto the super-regionals, and they certainly faces tougher competition rallying from down 2-1 to defeat Kitami Kougyou 3-2 in the bottom of the 9th in the quarterfinals before trading blows with Hokkai eventually winning 3-2.
From the Meiji Jingu roster it looks like former #18 Oosawa Shiiya (大澤 志意也) has taken over duties as the staff ace. He's not a dominator on the mound, topping out at a reported 138 with a standard curve/slider combo. If you wish to follow him, you can do so. I can add more players who have twitter accounts if you like to follow them. Just let me know.
The roster as of the Meiji Jingu tournament was as follows:
Toukai Dai-yon makes a return trip to Koushien after qualifying for the Natsu Koushien last summer. It certainly wasn't an easy trip back as they had lost all of 4 of their declared roster from the summer. But they advanced out of the regionals despite narrow victories over Sapporo Ryuukoku, Sapporo Asahigaoka and Sapporo Ootani.
Onto the super-regionals, and they certainly faces tougher competition rallying from down 2-1 to defeat Kitami Kougyou 3-2 in the bottom of the 9th in the quarterfinals before trading blows with Hokkai eventually winning 3-2.
From the Meiji Jingu roster it looks like former #18 Oosawa Shiiya (大澤 志意也) has taken over duties as the staff ace. He's not a dominator on the mound, topping out at a reported 138 with a standard curve/slider combo. If you wish to follow him, you can do so. I can add more players who have twitter accounts if you like to follow them. Just let me know.
The roster as of the Meiji Jingu tournament was as follows:
- P Oosawa Shiiya (大澤 志意也)
- C Oogawa Kouhei (小川 孝平)
- (1B) Nakajima Hiroki (中島 弘貴)
- 2B Kanemura Kousei (金村 航成)
- 3B Saitou Ryuusei (斎藤 龍生)
- SS Tomita Yuuki (冨田 勇輝)
- 1B Sou Kangi (邵 広基)
- LF Sakon Taisei (左近 太勢)
- CF Yamamoto Kousei (山本 浩平)
- (OF) Miyazaki Hayato (宮崎 隼斗)
- CF/(P) Watanabe Atsushi (渡邉 敦史)
- (C) Nouguchi Daiki (納口 大樹)
- (OF) Sakamoto Towa (酒本 永遠)
- (IF) Tachibana Sou (立花 奏)
- (IF) Yoshida Yuuma (吉田 祐真)
- (IF) Murase Wataru (村瀬 渉)
- (OF) Ueno Daiki (上野 大貴)
- (P) Gon Towon (権 濤源)
I haven't really found much information on the team, but given their path in the fall and their 10-0 loss to Urawa Gakuin at Meiji Jingu suggest that their time will depend on their matchup.
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