Natsu Koushien Qualifying - Blitzkrieg through the country (Tokai)

A majority of the prefectures kicked off play this last weekend. There's a lot to go through, so we're going to blitz through all of them to let you know where the major players are, or in some cases aren't. Unless otherwise stated by the prefecture themselves, I will refer to quadrants by number going top-down from left to right (Upper left = 1, lower left = 2, etc.)

Mie - 1st round (in progress)
Ugh, I'm still salty about Mie not defeating Osaka Touin. I think they got jobbed by them, but that's a story I've hashed out already. I know Mie is a private school, but it feels like they have the blue collar mentality of a public school. That might be because they're in Matsusaka, which is known for such things.

• "A" Zone - Inabe Sougou Gakuen
• "B" Zone - Kaisei
• "C" Zone - Tsuda Gakuen
• "D" Zone - Mie

Only Inabe Sougou Gakuen got the 1st round bye, but all 3 of the seeded teams advanced with no issue (though Kaisei did have to play 9).

Aichi - 2nd round (in progress)
I'm not sure why this prefecture is the way it is, but I figure it's because they want to reward consistent play throughout the year? Not only are there byes, but in each of the 8 blocks, the seeded teams get double byes. For single elimination, that's unprecedented. And it's not like it's produced winners, save for Chuukyoudai Chuukyou in 2009 (Dangit Nihon Bunri).

• "A" Block - Touhou
• "B" Block - Aichi Sangyoudai Mikawa
• "C" Block - Kyouei
• "D" Block - Chuukyoudai Chuukyou
• "E" Block - Aichi
• "F" Block - Aichi Keisei
• "G" Block - Chikusa
• "H" Block - Oobu

Touhou, Chuukyoudai Chuukyou and Aichi Keisei (Tier 3), are all seeded. Ichiro's alma mater, Aikoudai Meiden, is in "D" Block, along with Chuukyoudai Chuukyou. Yikes.

Gifu - 2nd round (in progress)

Gifu has a good run in 2007-2009, but have not had success much as of late.

• "A" Block - Nagara, Kenritsu Gifu Shougyou
• "B" Block - Minokamo, Shiritsu Gifu Shougyou
• "C" Block - Oogaki Nichidai, Seki Shoukou
• "D" Block - Chuukyou, Oogaki Shougyou

Last year's champions, Gifu Jyouhoku, isn't seeded, and will have to play Chuukyou should they advance far enough. Kengifushou, Shigifushou, Oogaki Nichidai all occupy different blocks. But note that here, the block winners draw into the semifinals, so it's not guaranteed we'll get a Kengifushou v Shigifushou matchup for instance. All 8 teams are still alive through 2 rounds.

Shizuoka - 2nd round (starting)

Man, it seems so long ago that Tokoha Kikugawa was taking names all the way to the finals. And then I thought it was rubbing off on their sister school, Tokoha Tachibana. But Shizuoka as a whole has mustered 1 win in their last 6 appearanecs.

• "A" Block - ② Nichidai Mishima, ⑤ Yamaguchi
• "B" Block - ③ Mishima Minami, ⑤ Kakegawa Nishi
• "C" Block - ④ Toukaidai Shizuoka Shouyou, ⑤ Hamamatsu Shuugakusha
• "D" Block - ① Tokoha Tachibana, ⑤ Shizuoka

As for Tokoha Kikugawa, they are in "C" Block with a possible 3rd round matchup with Hamamatsu Shuugakusha. Games have been delayed a day, so the seeded teams will start play today.

Natsu Koushien Qualifying - Blitzkrieg through the country (Kinki)

A majority of the prefectures kicked off play this last weekend. There's a lot to go through, so we're going to blitz through all of them to let you know where the major players are, or in some cases aren't. Unless otherwise stated by the prefecture themselves, I will refer to quadrants by number going top-down from left to right (Upper left = 1, lower left = 2, etc.)

Hyogo - 2nd round (in progress)
Hyogo does things differently in having 16 different blocks which feed into the prefecturals:

• ① Block - Himeji Minami
• ② Block - Sanda Shousei
• ③ Block - Takigawa
• ④ Block - Houtoku Gakuen
• ⑤ Block - Nagata
• ⑥ Block - Touyoudai Himeji
• ⑦ Block - Murano Kougyou
• ⑧ Block - Taisha
• ⑨ Block - Akashi Shougyou
• ⑩ Block - Shinkou Gakuen
• ⑪ Block - Kentritsu Itami
• ⑫ Block - Houjyou
• ⑬ Block - Ikuei
• ⑭ Block - Kakogawa Higashi
• ⑮ Block - Kobe Kokusaidai Fuzoku
• ⑯ Block - Ichikawa

A lot of familial names line blocks ④, ⑤, ⑥, ⑨, ⑩ and ⑮.

I always bring up the school, even though in real life they're not good, but Nishinomiya Kita (of Suzumiya Haruhi fame), wound up drawing of all schools Kansei (Kwansei) Gakuin in ⑨ Block, but actually went into enchousen, only to lose 3-2 in 11. Drat.

As you can see most seeded teams have advanced with the exception of Murano Kougyou. The final 3 blocks will see their seeded teams play today - this due to rainouts on the 13th.

Osaka - Regional play (in progress)
For better or worse Osaka, with 177 teams is broken up to the Northern and Southern regions, and then into small pools of about 5-6 teams. There's no seeds of the sort, you just have to survive and advance.

Osaka Touin actually hasn't played yet, though they will play today against Shiritsu Higashi.

Some of the notable teams to still be alive are Osakadai Namishou, Riseisha and Higashi Osakadai Kashiwara. Of those to lose, the biggest is PL Gakuen (though to be fair, they played Higashi Osakadai Kashiwara, so it was more of a bad luck draw more than anything else).

Wakayama - 2nd round (in progress)
Chiben Wakayama may have lost their kantoku of many years, but it doesn't mean that there is a power vacuum in the prefecture... yet.

• "A" Zone - Hidaka Nakatsu
• "B" Zone - Arita Chuo
• "C" Zone - Chiben Wakayama
• "D" Zone - Kioukan

Hidaka Nakatsu is the only team to have played and they needed 10 innings to defeat Hidaka. Worse yet, Minoshima is in their bracket. Shiritsu Wakayama, who has long lingered in the shadows of Chiben Wakayama, will have to play them to advance out of their zone.

Nara - 2nd round (in progress)

There used to be a time where I thought Nara was a strong prefecture. But now, they're not exactly just another rural prefecture, but they're not a powerhouse prefecture either.

• "A" Zone - Naradai Fuzoku
• "B" Zone - Tenri
• "C" Zone - Kansai Chuo
• "D" Zone - Chiben Gakuen

Tenri and Chiben Gakuen can be counted upon for a deep run, Naradai Fuzoku might be able to if they can play above their level. And while Yamato Kouryou had risen in prominence when they had been gifted an ace, they are now back in anonymity.

Kyoto - 3rd round (just starting)

Kyoto, despite being a well known urban-ish prefecture, has experienced a power outage of sort as of late. Despite the same 3 schools qualifying - Kyoto Gaidai Nishi (京都外大西), Fukuchiyama Seibi (福知山成美) and Ryuukokudai Heian (龍谷大平安), it was actually Toba last year who got the prefecture the furthest since 2007. Oy.

• "A" Block - Nissei, Tounan
• "B" Block - Miyazu, Ryuukokudai Heian
• "C" Block - Kyoto Kogakkan, Kyoto Kokusai
• "D" Block - Kyoto Shouei, Kyoto Gaidai Nishi

Fukuchiyama Seibi is unseeded and on a collision course with Ryuukokudai Heian. Last year's champ Toba isn't seeded either, but gets a break drawing in "C" Block and has already defeated Kyoto Kokusai.

But right now, whomever comes out of Kyoto still has to prove something at this point.

Shiga - 2nd round (in progress)

I remember when I thought of Shiga, I thought of two schools - Oumi's powder blues, and Kita-Ootsu's purple lettering.

Things have changed a little, with other schools - especially Oumi Kyoudaisha - who have begun regularly challenging the pair for prominence.

• "A" Zone - Kousen
• "B" Zone - Kusatsu Higashi
• "C" Zone - Oumi Kyoudaisha
• "D" Zone - Kita-Ootsu

Last year's winner, Hieizan, is working their way out of "A" Zone. Oumi avoids the other powerhouses, landing in "B" Zone. And as we can see, Oumi Kyoudaisha and Kita-Ootsu were on course to meet in the semifinals, but Oumi Kyoudaisha couldn't even get out of their first game, losing to Takashima 4-3 in 10 innings!

Natsu Koushien Qualifying - Blitzkrieg through the country (Shikoku)

A majority of the prefectures kicked off play this last weekend. There's a lot to go through, so we're going to blitz through all of them to let you know where the major players are, or in some cases aren't. Unless otherwise stated by the prefecture themselves, I will refer to quadrants by number going top-down from left to right (Upper left = 1, lower left = 2, etc.)

Ehime - 1st round (in progress)
Ehime just started on the 13th with just 60 schools:

• #1 Block - Kawanoe
• #2 Block - Imabari Nishi
• #3 Block - Saibi
• #4 Block - Nitta

The main stars are back, mainly Imabari Nishi and Saibi, who could face each other in the finals. The pair have been to 10 of the last 15 Natsu Koushien tournaments though the last big run was back in 2007. Kawanoe is there as a Tier 3 school, and Nitta seems to be on the precipice of breaking back into the 高校野球 scene.

As for lurkers, Saijyou drew into #1 Block, and Uwajima Higashi into #4 block. They both avoid the main players for as long as they possibly can, but they will have to prove their mettle.

Kochi - Begins today

29 schools. Kochi just has 29 schools. No wonder then that Meitoku Gijyuku has been the representative 11 times since 2000. Kochi has been the representative 4 times and Kochi Shougyou once.

That's it.

• "A" Zone - Meitoku Gijyuku
• "B" Zone - Kochi Shougyou
• "C" Zone - Kochi
• "D" Zone - Tosa

Huh, so all 3 representatives are seeded teams, and the 4th is one who has become increasingly competitive in prefecture, culminating in their Haru Koushien bid earlier this year.

Kagawa - 2nd round (in progress)

Kagawa has been one of the poorest performing teams at Koushien, managing just 4 wins over the last 15 years. 7 schools have taken up the banner for the prefecure (Sangawa, Marugame, Kagawa Nishi, Eimei, Jinsei Gakuen, Marugame Jyousai), and all but Sakaide Shougyou and Marugame Jyousai have gone at least once.

• "A" Block - Ootemae Takamatsu
• "B" Block - Takamatsu Shougyou
• "C" Block - Shido
• "D" Block - Shoudoshima

Shido is already out, Shoudoshima won 1-0 against Fujii on 5 hits (blech). All of the former participants are not seeded teams, yet all of them have advanced except for Sangawa who lost to Ootemae Takamatsu.

Tokushima - 1st round (in progress)

31 schools in Tokushima. The prefecture has been able to make sustained runs in a given year, with teams reaching the Best 8 three times since 2000. The prefecure has been dominated lately by Naruto (5 times, last 4 consecutive), Tokushima Shougyou and Naruto Kougyou (4). 

• "A" Zone - Naruto
• "B" Zone - Tomioka Nishi
• "C" Zone - Jyounan
• "D" Zone - Seikou Gakuen

A lot of new names here, though Naruto sits once again as a favorite to go for the 5th straight year. 

As for other schools:

• Ikeda, who made their name under kantoku Tatsu Fumiya, is also on the precipice of a revival like Nitta, but is in Naruto's zone.
• Komatsushima, who had elevated themselves closer to Tier 2 status lies in B Zone and could make a deep bid.
• Tokushima Shougyou faces Jyounan right off the bat.
• Naruto Kougyou, despite representing Tokushima at Natsu Koushien in 2011, suffered from declining attendance and was merged the very next year with Naruto Dai-ichi into Naruto Uzushio, who also inhabits "C" Zone with Tokushima Shougyou.

Natsu Koushien Qualifying - Blitzkrieg through the country (Chuugoku)

A majority of the prefectures kicked off play this last weekend. There's a lot to go through, so we're going to blitz through all of them to let you know where the major players are, or in some cases aren't. Unless otherwise stated by the prefecture themselves, I will refer to quadrants by number going top-down from left to right (Upper left = 1, lower left = 2, etc.)

Yamaguchi - 1st round (in progress)
Yamaguchi in recent years haven't really shown us a lot. This also being reflected that we have gone 8 years without a repeat winner. That's rare for a rural prefecture because usually talent usually goes one or two ways so that they can form a super team. That's not the case here. As for the seeding, there is a 1-4 seed and a 5-8 seed.

• Quadrant 1 - ① Nanyou Kougyou, ⑤ Yamaguchi
• Quadrant 2 - ① Hayatomo, ⑤ Iwakuni
• Quadrant 3 - ① Ube Koujyou, ⑤ Houfu
• Quadrant 4 - ① Yanai, ⑤ Shimonoseki Shougyou

Ube Shougyou, the only school to make any deep progress at Natsu Koushien in recent history, is unseeded and faces a 2nd round matchup with Yamaguchi.

Shimane - 2nd round (in progress)

Shimane has just 39 teams in the field:

• "A" Zone - ① Kaisei
• "B" Zone - ① Daitou
• "C" Zone - ① Taisha
• "D" Zone - ① Masuda Higashi

Shimane also has wallowed in anonymity, having just won 4 games in the past decade at Natsu Koushien, and 2 of those were by Risshoudai Shounan - the team that (a) had no one originally from Shimane, (b) who dedicated that year to their kantoku who had recently died and (c) who played all their games despite being decimated by the influenza (they played with 13 and then 12 players, and had lost their ace to the illness).

While a great story, it shows how little they have done. Risshoudai Shounan is in "B" Zone and Iwami Chisuikan is in "C" Zone.

Tottori - Starts today

Just 25 teams in Tottori. Man, that feels sad. I could take the number of high schools in the Greater Seattle-Bellevue area, and that would almost total that. And they have a population of 570k in all, which I guess makes sense, but still...

And that's why they're one of the last prefectures to kick off.

• Quadrant 1 - Tottori Jyouhoku
• Quadrant 2 - Sakai
• Quadrant 3 - Kurayoshi Higashi
• Quadrant 4 - Tottori Nishi

Worse yet, Tottori has not had a team win more than one game at Koushien in 60 years.

Hiroshima - 2nd round (in progress)

• Quadrant 1 - Jyosuikan, Onomichi Shougyou
• Quadrant 2 - Ootake, Kouryou
• Quadrant 3 - Iwatoku, Saijyou Nougyou
• Quadrant 4 - Hiroshima Shinjyou, Hiroshima Shougyou

Hiroshima has fared better, but since 2000 Jyosuikan and Kouryou have represented the prefecture 10 of 16 times going 13-10.  All other teams have been 4-6.

For everyone else, seeing Jyosuikan and Kouryou on one side of the bracket is a relief to most as long as you aren't in their quadrant.

Okayama - 1st round (in progress)

Okayama hasn't done as well as Hiroshima at Natsu Koushien, but can at least say they're about 0.500 when they do get there. Though if you want a win, you have to ask either Kanzei or Kurashiki Shougyou.

• Quadrant 1 - ① Kurashiki Shougyou, ⑤ Soushi Gakuen
• Quadrant 2 - ① Okayama Sanyou, ⑤ Okayama Gakugeikan
• Quadrant 3 - ① Tamashima Shougyou, ⑤ Tamano Kounan
• Quadrant 4 - ① Kanzei, ⑤ Kurashiki Shougyou

Uh oh.

Who put those two in Quadrant 4? Well, crud.

But there are a lot of familiar faces in the seeded teams - Kurashiki Shougyou, Soushi Gakuen, last year's winner Okayama Gakugeikan, and Tamano Kounan. So it looks like it'll be a blood bath for the title.

Natsu Koushien Qualifying - Blitzkrieg through the country (Tohoku)

A majority of the prefectures kicked off play this last weekend. There's a lot to go through, so we're going to blitz through all of them to let you know where the major players are, or in some cases aren't. Unless otherwise stated by the prefecture themselves, I will refer to quadrants by number going top-down from left to right (Upper left = 1, lower left = 2, etc.)

Aomori - Best 8
Here were our matchups for the round of 16:

• Touoku Gijyuku vs. Hachinohe Gakuin Kousei
• Hirosaki Higashi vs. Hirosaki Jitsugyou
• Aomori Shougyou vs. Kashiwagi Nougyou
• Noheji Nishi vs. ① Hachinohe Nishi
• ② Hirosaki Gakuen Seiai vs. Hachinohe Koudai Dai-ni
• Tanabu vs. Hirosaki Kougyou
• ⑤ Oominato vs. Aomori Yamada
• Misawa vs. ③ Hachinohe Koudai Dai-ichi

As you can see, there were only 4 seeded teams left. And not only that, but the non-seeded powerhouse teams are still alive (Kousei, Aomori Yamada). All the other seeded teams that lost could have been considered fakes so perhaps we're where we should be.

And in the Round of 16, Kousei, Hachinohe Nishi, Seiai, and Hirosaki Higashi had mercy rule wins. Hirosaki Kougyou was in a tight match against Tanabu until they scored 4 in the 8th. Aomori Yamada's rise back to prominence seems to have stalled. Holding a 2-0 lead to Oominato, they give up 2 in the 8th and the game winning run in the 9th. Down they go 3-2. Hachinohe Koudai Dai-ichi did not look all that great versus Misawa, having to rally from an early 2-0 deficit to win 4-2. And finally Aomori Shougyou eked out a 3-2 win over Kashiwagi Nougyou.

At this point, we're looking at a Kousei vs. Hachinohe Nishi and Seiai vs. (Oominato/Hachinohe Koudai Dai-ichi winner) - the only "outsider" being Hachinohe Nishi.

Iwate - 2nd round (in progress)

Hanamaki Higashi is gone! First game up, playing Morioka Kougyou (whose best result in recent times was the 4th round), they had a very tentative 1-run lead until the 8th where with 2 down, runners on 2nd and 3rd, Morioka Kougyou's bottom of the order delivered with #6 Saitou and #7 Kudou got back-to-back hits, giving them a 2-1 lead. The nail in the coffin was ace Hirasawa giving up a oshidashi walk to make it 3-1.

• "A" Block - Ichinoseki Gakuin, Kamaishi Shoukou
• "B" Block - Senmaya, Ichinoseki Kougyou
• "C" Block - Moriokadai Fuzoku, Takata
• "D" Block - Hanamaki Minami, Hanasaki Higashi

As you can see, most of the seeded teams have survived. But with Hanamaki Higashi's loss, Senshuudai Kitami who resides in "D" Block, should be able to get to the semifinals where Moriokadai Fuzoku should be waiting. And for either of them, if the worst they have to face is Ichinoseki Gakuin, that semifinal might really be the final.

Akita - 1st round (in progress)

Akita breaks their prefecturals into blocks by stadium, so when you draw into a quadrant, at least you know you're going to the same place until the semifinals.

• Komachi Block - ① Noshiro, ⑧ Oodate Kokusai
• Noshiro Block - ④ Oomagari Kougyou, ⑤ Oodate Houmei
• Yokote Block - ③ Akita Chuo, ⑥ Yokote
• Yabase Block - ② Meiou, ⑦ Noshiro Shouyou

None of the seeded teams have played yet, but the right side looks pretty hard with Meiou and Noshiro Shouyou having to battle out of Yabase block. Noshiro may be the top seed, but unseeded Akita Shougyou lurks in their block. And for the seeded teams in Noshiro and Yokote block, the opportunity is there to at least reach the semifinals, and then you just go all out.

Yamagata - Round of 16

So, who's left?

• "A" Block
• ① Sakata Minami vs. Tsuruoka Kougyou
• Yamamoto Gakuen vs. Nichidai Yamagata 
• "B" Block
• ⑥ Shinjyou Kita vs. Sakata Higashi
• Tsuruoka Tousen vs. ④ Tsuruoka Higashi
• "C" Block
• ② Toukaidai Yamagata vs. Tsuruoka Minami
• Yamagata Shougyou vs. Yonezawa Chuo
• "D" Block
• ③ Kunori Gakuen vs. Yamagata Jyouhoku
• Haguro vs. ⑤ Yamagata Chuo

Whoo hoo! Haguro is still alive! Though it's prolly short-lived now as Yamagata Chuo awaits and they really haven't looked all that impressive.

"A" block went as expected, with Sakata Minami and Nichidai Yamagata now on a collision course. Tsuruoka Higashi should win "B" block without issue, Toukaidai Yamagata looks at least like a solid team in "C" Block, and finally back to "D" block, Kunori Gakuen might actually have a chance to reach the semifinals with all the major players elsewhere - though it's still too early to tell.

Miyagi - 2nd round (in progress)

• Quadrant 1 - Touryou, Tomiya
• Quadrant 2 - Sendai Shougyou, Shibata
• Quadrant 3 - Sendai Ikuei, Sendai Dai-san
• Quadrant 4 - Tohoku Gakuin Tsutsujigaoka, Tohoku

Miyagi, despite being perhaps more metropolitan than the other Tohoku regions, have not enjoyed an more success in recent years, save for Sendai Ikuei. They and Tohoku inhabit the right side of the bracket and could be expected for a semifinal matchup.

The left side is completely up for grabs, with perhaps Touryou and Shibata penciled in for the other semifinal, though Rifu lurks in Quadrant 1. Other than that, there's not much else to say.

Fukushima - Does it matter?

Has Seikou Gakuin lost? Nope? Oh, they're playing Iwaki Sougou (one of the only above average teams in prefecture) next? I see. Wake me up when something happens to them.

Natsu Koushien Qualifying - Blitzkrieg through the country (Kyushu)

A majority of the prefectures kicked off play this last weekend. There's a lot to go through, so we're going to blitz through all of them to let you know where the major players are, or in some cases aren't. Unless otherwise stated by the prefecture themselves, I will refer to quadrants by number going top-down from left to right (Upper left = 1, lower left = 2, etc.)

Okinawa - Best 4
It was already weird enough to see almost all of the major players gone already. But after the quarterfinals, we have a completely different landscape.

In Koza, Naha Nishi (who already had to come back in the round of 16 from down 3-0 to Ginowan) and Maehara were deadlocked at 0 through regulation. Both teams traded a run in the 10 before Naha Nishi got the eventual winning run across in the 12th for a 2-1 win. Their semifinal opponent will be Kadena, who came back in the 9th to defeat Kounan 2-1 in the round of 16, then outlasted Yaeyama Shoukou in 11 innings by the same score.

On the other half, Oroku is taking full advantage of their rain-shortened win over Urasoe Shougyou, mercy-ruling Naha Shougyou 11-4 in 7 to punch a ticket to the semifinals. Their opponent will be Misato Kougyou, who was in a dogfight with Ginoza in the latter half of the game, but scored 3 runs in the top of the 9th and held on for the 7-6 win.

Now, if these names don't sound all that familiar, don't worry - you're not imagining things. Here are all their prior appearances:

• Kadena - 1 spring (2010)
• Naha Nishi - None
• Misato Kougyou - 1 spring (2014)
• Oroku - None

Someone will be getting their first Natsu Koushien appearance!

Kagoshima - 2nd round (delayed)

Kagoshima would like to get their tournament going, but mother nature is having none of it. They have been able to get only 1 days' worth of games in since the 7th.

Kumamoto - 1st round (delayed)

Opening day was rather uneventful, save for the fact that former Koushien participant Seiseikou had to take the field against Kumamoto Gakuendai Fuzoku. They won in their normal, low-scoring fashion 3-1. Much like Kagoshima, they've only had 1 days' worth of games since opening day.

As for the bracket itself, it seems the seeded teams do not slot into a predetermined slot in the bracket, but instead slot into a quadrant, and then one half of that, still guaranteeing that none play each other before the best 8. Notable teams in each "block" are as follows (seeded teams in italics)

• "A1" Block - Shuugakukan, Ariake, Seiseikou, Kumamoto Kougyou
• "A2" Block - Buntoku, Jyouhoku
• "B1" Block - Toukaidai Seishou, Chiharadai, Senshuudai Tamana
• "B2" Block - Kyushu Gakuin, Hitsuyuukan

Miyazaki - 1st round (delayed)

Different prefecture, same story. Miyazaki hasn't been able to get 2 full days' worth of games in. This after they were unable to play any games the first 2 days having been washed out.

The brackets though heavily favor Nichinan Gakuen, who draws into the "A" Block and has little apparent competition with Hyuuga Gakuin their fellow seeded team and Miyazaki Kougyou and Houshou the seeded teams in "B" Block.

"C" Block is certainly the quadrant of death, as seeded Miyakonojyou has to deal with Nobeoka Gakuen and Miyazaki Nichidai. And in "D" Block, St. Ursula has a chance to reach the best 4 if it can take it, though perhaps Nisshou Gakuen has a bit of revenge on their minds having been eliminated by St. Ursula last year.

Oita - 2nd round (in progress)
Oita has been a bit luckier, maybe because they're a bit more protected than the other Kyushu prefectures but they've only been rained out 2.5 days so far. Only.

As a result of the delays, not all the seeded teams have taken the field (they do seeding in groups, 1/2, 3/4, 5-8):

• Quadrant 1 = Tsurusaki Kougyou (1/2), Touin (5-8)
• Quadrant 2 = Meihou (3/4), Saeki Kakujyou (5-8)
• Quadrant 3 = Usuki (1/2), Oita Jyouhou Kagaku (5-8)
• Quadrant 4 = Oita (3/4), Oita Kougyou (5-8)

If Meihou can do their job (and they defeated Oita Shougyou 5-3 yesterday), they should have a clear path to the finals. This while Oita and Oita Kougyou would have to play in the quarterfinals.

Nagasaki - 2nd round (just underway)

Nagasaki's had rainouts, but they've been able to get caught up with Kaisei and Hasami playing yesterday and both advancing:

• Quadrant A = Kaisei, Souseikan (Nagasaki just denotes seeded teams vs non-seeded)
• Quadrant B = Oomura Kougyou, Nagasaki Nichidai
• Quadrant C = Nagasaki Soudai Fuzoku, Seihou
• Quadrant D = Hasami, Nagaski Shougyou

There aren't enough good teams to make all quadrants fair, so for Kaisei and Souseikan it's bad luck. I'm really hoping Seihou can make a good showing, but we'll see.

Saga - 2nd round (in progress)

Saga just has 41 teams, so while they have had rainouts, they probably aren't as hard pressed for time as others.

• Quadrant A = Saga Shougyou (Saga just denotes seeded teams)
• Quadrant B = Kashima Jitsugyou
• Quadrant C = Ryuukoku
• Quadrant D = Kanzaki Seimei

Saga Shougyou got the short end of the stick (and so did the following teams), because Saga Gakuen and Saga Kita are both in the same quadrant. Oy.

Kashima Jitsugyou has Imari Nourin, but that's about it. They should be more concerned who they face in the semifinals (as long as they do their job).

Ryuukoku may be in jeopardy early as their 2nd game could be against Waseda Saga, who has done nothing but rise up the ranks quickly in the prefecture since their inception (2010!). They aren't seeded, but that doesn't mean they aren't dangerous. If Waseda Saga is as good as last year, Ryuukoku and Kanzaki Seimei are the only obstacles to the finals.

Fukuoka - 2nd round (in progress)

First, Fukuoka's labeling of blocks are in Japanese reading order (starting from upper right, going down, then to the left side). In addition, there are 8 of them and broken up to Kita/北 (North) and Minami/南 (South) sections.

• Block A - Kokura (北), Oki Gakuen (南)
• Block B - Tokiwa (北), Kyushu Sangyoudai Kyushu (南)
• Block C - Kyushu Kokusaidai Fuzoku (北), Nishi-Nippon Tankidai Fuzoku (南)
• Block D - Jiyuugaoka (北), Kurume Shougyou (南)
• Block E - Iidzuka (北), Fukuokadai Oohori (南)
• Block F - Kibougaoka (北), Yuusei (南)
• Block G - Touchiku (北), Fukuoka Koudai Jyoutou (南)
• Block H - Moji Gakuen (北), Kyushu Sangyoudai Fuzoku (南)

Fukuoka is always volatile as there aren't really any single dominating teams in prefecture, so all the upper level teams are usually beating each other to the top (for some reason I'm thinking the game Catherine). This while Kyushu Sangyoudai Kyushu doesn't get an easy draw, but Kokura and their next round opponent Yanagawa is certainly more favorable. Oki Gakuen has already been ousted by Chikuzen.

Iidzuka gets the biggest break as all 3 other seeded teams in their quadrant are not world beaters and there are no obvious land mines to surprise them either. And in the final quadrant, all 4 teams could be considered Tier 2 or Tier 3 schools, so it's not a group of death, but it's not going to be easy either.

Natsu Koushien Qualifying - Tohoku (Updated)/Kanto/Hokushinetsu

So three more prefectures in Tohoku started up yesterday, so let's get caught up on the region before moving on.

Aomori - 2nd round in progress

Last year's representative, Misawa Shougyou, is not a seeded team but will play one in #4 Goshogawara Shougyou after mercy ruling Ooma 8-1 in 7 innings.

Hachinohe Gakuin Kousei (hereafter referred to as Kousei), put up a decent performance, 2-hitting Sanbongi Nougyou 6-0. They will face the winner of today's Rokunohe-Aomori matchup.

Iwate - Opening round in progress

Yesterday and today are the opening round games, with 8 teams working their way into the rest of the bracket with everyone else (i.e. they had 68 teams, so those 8 wound up with the short end of the stick).

As for the brackets themselves, they label them much like the blocks in Hokkaido, but it's still a standard bracket. Also, there are no tiered seeds, just 8 seeded teams. So keep that in mind as I talk about the bracket. 

Ichinoseki Gakuin gets just about every break possible, drawing into an "A" and "B" Block that is devoid of any of the powerhouses. All signs point to them reaching the final, but I'm sure they'll find a way to trip and fall along the way.

Moriokadai Fuzoku and Hanamaki Higashi as seeded teams wound up in "C" and "D" Blocks, setting up a semifinal that might be the final. Though Senshuudai Kitami could throw a wrench in things for Hanamaki Higashi in the round of 16.

Yamagata - 1st round in progress

The Yamagata taikai started with just one game - but oddly it was an unseeded Nichidai Yamagata who wound up playing, and annihilating Yonezawa Shougyou 23-0. They could easily take the place of #7/8 seed Yamagata Minami in the 2nd round, setting them on a collision course with #1 seed Sakata Minami in the quarterfinals. The winner of that could easily face last year's champion, #4 seed Tsuruoka Higashi.

On the other half, we have #2 seed Toukaidai Yamagata, and #5 seed Yamagata Chuo. Kunori Gakuen, who has been a consistent Tier 3 school, winds up with the #3 seed and a possible matchup with the aforementioned Yamagata Chuo (don't ask me why they didn't do the traditional 1v8, 2v7, etc. I have no idea).

Fukushima - 1st round in progress

Doesn't even matter right now. I'll update this when Seikou Gakuin either loses (at all) or wins the title.

Nishi Tokyo - 2nd round in progress

In both Tokyo regions, the higher seeded teams technically get not one, but two byes as there are an uneven number of teams and some have to play an "extra" game. So it'll be a couple of days until we see the top teams take the field.

Even with those double byes, the top teams still have to win 6 games to take the title. Yet for a team I am not exactly fond of, they found themselves with an easy draw. Yep, Nichidai-san, despite being a 3rd tier seed (they do tiers instead of numbers) gets a dream run through their quadrant. This while at the upper part of that half, top seed Toukaidai Sugao has Nichidai Tsurugaoka and Kokugakuin Kugayama in their quadrant. And on the other side, 3rd tier seed Souka has Nichidai Sakuragaoka and Waseda Gakuin. And while Hachiouji and Toritsu Hino have not been able to break through, lurking in their bracket is Kiyomiya, er... I mean Waseda Jitsugyou.

Ugh, I'm not happy with that draw.

Higashi Tokyo - 2nd round in progress

Heh. Who are the top 2 seeds in Higashi Tokyo? Kanto Dai-ichi and Nishogakushadai Fuzoku. Which means if they both win out, we get yet another re-match.

Before I continue, here's some bizarre seeding for you. We have a #1, #2 and #3 seeds, but after that there's the #4-6 seeds as one group and #7-9 seeds as another.

So, what about the other teams? Shuutoku is the 7-9 seed in Kanto Dai-ichi's quadrant, but no other visible landmines seem present save for maybe Waseda.

In the other quadrant on their half sits Teikyou as the #4-6 seed. Sure, they're above average, but have had no real success after the 13-12 loss to Chiben Wakayama back in 2006. They're approaching has-been name brand status. What will be interesting to me in that quadrant is #7-9 seed Nihon Wellness. They were already rising through the ranks, but now has hired Nakahara Hidetaka (中原英孝) as their kantoku. Before taking the job at Nihon Wellness, he was the kantoku over at Matsushou Gakuen and Nagano Nichidai. Yes it's Nagano, and it's not a strong prefecture - but they're still getting a manager of a good school.

On the other side where Nishogakushadai Fuzoku resides, they don't have much opposition either in their quadrant so they should be expected to reach the semifinals with ease. Perhaps even the finals as the two seeded teams in the opposing quadrant are Toua Gakuen and Iwakura with Yukigaya and Nichidai Buzan possibly providing the only resistance.

Niigata - Opening round underway

Niigata's first game was yesterday as Niigata Nishi beat Hamochi 8-1 in 7 innings at their main Hard-off Eco Stadium.

Niigata goes perhaps a bit far, giving out seeds down to the 9-16 seeds. And yet, Nihon Bunri isn't even included in the top 16! And yet, they managed to draw into a quadrant that didn't include Niigata Meikun, Hokuetsu, Chuuetsu, or Jyouetsu. The only notable team is Murakami Sakuragaoka, who is also an unseeded team. The seeded teams are relative unknowns - Nagaoka Oote and Kamo Gyousei, though they did face each other in the spring tournament quarterfinals (Nagaoka Oote won 13-3).

As for those other teams mentioned, Niigata Meikun holds the top seed and may have to face Jyouetsu before the quarterfinals. Hokuetsu and Chuuetsu wound up in the same quadrant of the bracket, so all other teams not there can breath a bit of a sigh of relief.

Natsu Koushien Qualifying - Tohoku/Kyushu (ex Okinawa)

Also by this time, tournaments are now beginning on the "mainland" as it were. Some are in the early stages, but since it has started, we might as well cover them.

Aomori - Opening game completed

With 65 teams, Aomori had one "First round" game, which was played yesterday after opening ceremonies. Touou Gijyuku defeated Hachinohe Kougyou 9-5.

As for the bracket itself, they have a top 4 and 4-5 seeds. Hachinohe Nishi has the top seed, but having never made it to Koushien, it's hard to see them as the team to beat - though if they are, they shouldn't have trouble in their own quadrant as the only notable team is St. Ursula, and they're more like a Tier 4 school.

Hachinohe Gakuin Kousei is not seeded, but resides on the other quadrant with 4 seed Goshogawara Kougyou. If they're unjustly unseeded, they should have no problems reaching the semifinals. But at the same time they could be rebuilding like they've done in the past.

They're also fortunate that 2 seed Hirosaki Gakuin Seiai and 3 seed Hachinohe Koudai Dai-ichi are on the opposite side of the bracket, along with 5 seed Oominato and Aomori Yamada. It'll be a relative blood bath as chances are they probably will have to face 2 of the other schools to reach the finals.

Oita - 1st round underway

45 schools compose the Oita prefecturals. They have tiered seeding with 2 top seeds, 2-2nd tier seeds, and 4-3rd tier seeds.

Meihou catches one of the biggest breaks. While they are the equivalent of a 3/4 seed, almost all the other notable teams (Oita, Oita Kougyou, Hita Rinkou, Yanagigaura, Nihon Bunridai Fuzoku) are on the other half of the bracket. In fact, the lone exception is Kitsuki, and they're unseeded.

Kagoshima - 2nd round underway

Kagoshima had no numbered seeding, just seeds. Kagoshima Jitsugyou got a lot of help, as fellow seeds Kamimura Gakuen, Kanoya Chuo and Shounan all drew the other half of the bracket. Instead, they have Kajiki, Reimei and Kagoshima Jyousai.

All seeded teams so far have advanced, without difficulty, though perhaps some not in dominating fashion.

Natsu Koushien Qualifying - Hokkaido/Okinawa

Ok, time to turn back on the switch as qualifying for the 98th iteration of the Natsu Koushien tournament gets underway, starting with the edges of the country.

Okinawa - Round of 16
Okinawa is always the first to get things started. Makes sense considering you're talking about schools in numerous different islands. You certainly can't run a schedule like other prefectures wherein games may go on consecutive days. Travel would be hell for the kids.

The first round has already concluded, with Itoman getting the first round bye. The draw was already bad enough for Yaeyama as 2 of their schools - Yaeyama and Yaeyama Shoukou, faced off in the first round (Yaeyama Shoukou won 8-2). Even worse yet is that they now have to face Itoman.

For Itoman, the road didn't look to get any easier. Should they win against Yaeyama Shoukou, Miyako comes next (a good tier 3 school), then a possible matchup with either Kadena or Kounan in the quarterfinals. Basically, almost all the good schools wound up on Itoman's quarter of the bracket.

And in the end, they couldn't even get past their first game. In fact, they never led in the game falling 3-2 to Yaeyama Shoukou. So instead they pick up the flag and march forward, but all the obstacles still stand in the way - Miyako in the round of 16, then either Kadena or Kounan, who scored double digit runs in their last games.

Whomever advanced would seem to have a straight shot to the finals as the bottom half of that side only had Maehara and Ginowan, who have both advanced to the Round of 16, but should provide little resistance.

The other half of the bracket is much easier to project. In the upper quadrant of that side, the only school in the bunch is Urasoe Shougyou, who have pitched 2 shutouts and should reach the semifinals - no problem.

In the bottom quadrant, Okinawa Shougaku pretty much stands alone. They didn't look all that sharp to start with a 9-4 win over Kumejima, but cleaned things up in the next round, a 6-0 win over Urasoe. Okinawa Suisan, the only other notable school - but who was a superpower back in the day, was eliminated by in the first round by an unknown in Shouwa Yakka Daigaku Fuzoku - though they too are in the round of 16.

Kita Hokkaido - Regional play completed
For the Hokkaido regions, if you're not familiar, because of the large size of the prefecture, they solve the travel issues by having regional qualifiers. Of course, if you happen to be in say the Muroran region and have to play Komadai Tomakomai, or in the Asahikawa region and have to face Asahikawa Minami, Asahikawa Kougyou, or Asahikawa Jitsugyou - or heck, if you are one of those schools and have to face another to get that one bid - it all seems a little unfair. Sure, even if they did one big bracket they could still draw into it, but the odds seems more against them in a regional.

Tokachi Regionals
In "A" Block, Shirakaba Gakuen had a 1st round bye, but defeated Obihiro Sanjyou 5-2 (who isn't that bad of a squad year after year, but they wind up running into someone like Shirakaba Gakuen and are eliminated) and Ikeda to advance to the prefecturals.

"B" Block should have been Obihiro Ootani's to win. Or at least on paper it should have. But when they faced Kouryou (No, not the one from Hiroshima obviously - this one is read 江陵) they ran into quite a pitcher in Furuya Yuuto (古谷 優人). Not only did they defeat Obihiro Ootani 6-1, but he was reported to hit 150 kph (though it probably is more like 145) with a standard slider/curve combo. However, the fact that he walked 5 while only striking out 5 could be cause for concern since we're barely into the qualifying process. With competition outside of the regionals getting presumably harder, and there's no indication that they won't make it, the walks are a bit of a concern. That was verified with a 12-5 mercy rule win over Obihiro Nougyou to take the block. Yes, it was a mercy rule win, but no, I don't expect them to go far.

"C" Block was won by Obihiro Hakuyou, defeating Honbetsu 8-3 after surviving 2 close games late.

Asahikawa Regionals
"A" Block was won by Asahikawa Nishi, but unspectacularly winning 10-4 and 7-4 over middling competiton.

"B" Block saw Asahikawa Higashi advance, but had to survive Asahikawa Kougyou 14-11 after going up 5-0, then behind 8-5 after just 1 inning. Rumoi provided no resistance in the block final.

"C" Block had both Asahikawadai and Asahikawa Ryuukoku drawn together, with Asahikawadai clawing back from a 3-1 deficit to win the block 4-3.

"D" Block almost was a breeze for Asahikawa Jitsygyou despite having to play 3 games to advance out of the block.

Kushine Regionals
Kushine kicked off their regionals on the 28th with 3 blocks of 6 teams. The only notable team is Bushuukan who resided in "C" Block. However, they faltered late in the block final and wound up falling to Kushiro Koryou 3-2 despite a last minute rally. Kushiro Meiki and Kushiro Kougyou won "A" and "B" blocks respectively.

Kitami Regionals
Kitami had uneven brackets due to number of teams, and the quality of play showed with the first two games of the regionals being 5 inning called games with Kitami Kougyou defeated Memanbetsu 10-0, and Monbetsu defeating the combined squad of Rubeshibe-Yuubetsu-Kunneppu 12-0.

For those wondering, because of declining populations in rural regions, schools are closing or consolidating across the country. To accommodate schools who may have baseball programs, but perhaps unable to field a team anymore, the JHBF has allowed schools to combine to form a team. Most for obvious reasons do not fare well, but there have been the odd exception who make a decent run.

As for the results, "A" Block's Kitami Hokuto, who had a great run last summer, may have seen their window close. They lost 1-0 in their opening game against Kitami Shougyou. But they couldn't build on that as Abashiri Keiyou shut them out 4-0 to win the block.

The other favorites, Engaru ("B" Block) and Kitami Hokuryou ("C" Block), had no issues moving on to the prefecturals.

Sorachi Regionals
Clark Kokusai and Takigawa Nishi, who both had byes in their blocks, both advanced through the regionals with little issue. Clark Kokusai will be interesting to see because it appears they may have just incepted their baseball program in 2014.

Nayoro Regionals
Nayoro's regionals just had 8 teams, so win 2 games and you're in. Even still, they have 2 decent teams in Wakkanai Ootani and Shibetsu Shouun, who this year managed to avoid each other. Wakkanai Ootani, who is clearly the better of the 2 right now, had no problems in "A" Block. But Shibetsu Shouun had to scramble after giving up 8 runs to Nayoro in the 5th inning and pulled out a 14-13 win to advance to the prefecturals.

Minami Hokkaido - Regional play completed
There are understandably less regions in the southern Hokkaido region as they are centered around major cities - Hakodate, Muroran, Sapporo and Otaru.

Otaru Regionals
Otaru is sorta the northern-most regional in Minami Hokkaido - and the smallest. That aside, they do have Hokushou - and they advanced out of "A" Block.

Unfortunately for Otaru Chouryou, their time seems to have been last year. While they managed to draw the other block, they fell to Futaba 12-3 in the block final.

Sapporo Regionals
Sapporo is the major contributor to the prefecturals, having 8 blocks in all. Even still, each one just about has a well-known team.

"A" Block saw Sapporo Dai-ichi advance scoring double digits in their 2 games. Unfortunately for Sapporo Yamanote, another decent team is steamrolled.

"B" Block had Sapporo Nichidai, who doesn't disgrace, but is pretty much a tier 3 school. But they eked out two wins against no-names Sapporo Kousei and Sapporo Tsukisamu to advance.

"C" Block was one of the lucky blocks with no major names. With that opportunity, Hokkaido Kokusai Jyouhou put up two offensive games to advance out of the block, though future prospects don't look good.

"D" Block was Hokkai's to lose, and they almost did in their sandwich game, just getting by Sapporo Asahigaoka 4-3. Outside of that it was 2 easy shutouts.

"E" Block was where Toukaidai Sapporo resided, and while they did advance, their final win of 7-4 over Sapporo Ryuukoku might mean the run of last year was their best chance.

"F" Block I thought would be Sapporo Ootani's to win. But despite the quarterfinal run last year, and winning the spring taikai (which in reality doesn't mean a whole lot), they couldn't get out of the first round falling 4-3 to Ishikari Shouyou. In fact, they never led in the game. That allowed Kita-Hiroshima to drive right through the opening, thanking Ishikari Shouyou 10-4 as they motored to the prefecturals.

"G" Block had a rematch of sorts, with Sapporo Okadama and Sapporo Kiyota playing once again, this time in the block final. Kiyota certainly narrowed the gap from the 5-0 loss last year, but they faltered in the middle innings falling 6-4.

"H" Block saw Hokkai Gakuen Sapporo walk off Ritsumeikan Keiyou 2-1 to advance to the prefecturals.

Muroran Regionals
Muroran was no contest. Komadai Tomakomai wins "A" Block going away with back-to-back 13-0 wins. Over in "B" Block, Hokkaido Sakae went 11-1, 23-1, 15-7 to claim their bid. And in "C" Block Tomakomai Chuo went 13-0, 7-2, 8-0 to take the last spot.

Hakodate Regionals
Hakodate was the last regional to finish play. But here too were few surprises.

La Salle, who has been one of the more consistent Tier 3 schools, didn't yield a single run in their 2 victories in "A" Block. Hakodatedai Yuuto, who has had slightly more success, won "C" Block, but had to uncharacteristically hold on 5-4 against Hiyama Kita to do so.

Hakodate Kougyou rounds out the field, advancing out of "B" Block with a 4-1 win over Hakodatedai Hakuryou.

Day 12, Championship - Takamatsu Shougyou (Kagawa) vs. Chiben Gakuen (Nara)

So here we are at the final, with one team perhaps becoming the new "Chiben" and the other looking to do what 3 other teams in history have done.

First of all, Takamatsu Shougyou. Should they win today, they would be just the 4th team in history to win the Meiji Jingu Tournament and then the following spring's Haru Koushien tournament:

• 1983-84 - Iwakura (Tokyo)
• 1997-98 - Yokohama (Kanagawa)
• 2001-02 - Houtoku Gakuen (Hyogo)

Takamatsu Shougyou has gotten an easier time of things, what with Tsuruga Kehi and Osaka Touin both eliminated before they had to face them. They were given a bit of a shock right off the bat when facing Inabe Sougou Gakuen, but did not appear to be tested until their semifinal game yesterday again Shuugakukan.

Ura's main effectiveness is in his offspeed pitches. His repertoire has a slider, curve and fork, but in reality it seems that his curve isn't really a curve, but a slurve. From the game footage it seems like his looping curveball actually tails away from a right handed batter, causing many a Shuugakugan batter to swing and miss.

In reality though he isn't a strikeout pitcher, but instead uses these to induce poor contact. Of course, all one team has to do is develop a strategy of going after them or to just ignore them and work the count, but so far he's been effective enough and stamina shouldn't be an issue given their fall results.

What should be of more concern is their hitting, which struggled against Horie and needed help from the other side to eventually win the game. Ura might be able to keep them in it, but the offense needs to come though one last time.

With Takashima-kantoku's retirement and the steady decline his program has faced over the past decade, the parent Chiben Gakuen has now supplanted its younger Chiben Wakayama as the more dominant red "C" in the ouen-dan.

This run has seen them go through their 4 games giving up 1 run or less thanks to their ace Murakami. The weird bit is that unlike most pitchers who work laterally in the bottom of the zone, Murakami seems to work vertically, predominantly working the upper parts of the zone. Now, if you have a team that can hit the high ball, he might be in trouble, but so far it seems to be working. It's much harder to drive something from higher in the zone, and most batters are probably well-practiced in hitting the lower pitches. He even throws his offspeed stuff (slider, curve, change fork) up as well. It might explain why batters have a hard time driving the ball.

Offensively, the team can score runs, but their last game against Shuugakukan really saw them scuffle to put any scoring opportunity together until magically in the bottom of the 9th when everything just fell together. I don't know if they will be able to hold off on Ura's slurve, but if not this could prove an equally troublesome game.

As for predicting a winner, I don't think this will be a blowout either way. Unless either ace just fatigues out I expect this to be a low-scoring affair that won't be decided until the end. Takamatsu Shougyou is either (a) under pressure because they could go Aki-Haru, or (b) under no pressure because they've in some ways gone through it in the fall facing powerhouses bigger than Chiben.

It should be a lot of fun. I just hope I get to see it all (thanks MBS).

Takamatsu Shougyou (Kagawa)
CF Anzai Tsubasa
RF Arauchi Shunsuke
SS Yonebaku Keizou
C Ueda Kyousuke
2B Mino Kousei
1B Ueda Rikuto
LF Takeuchi Hiroto
P Ura Daiki
3B Yamashita Tatsuki

Chiben Gakuen (Nara)
2B Osame Daichi
C Okasawa Tomoki
SS Oota Hidetake
RF Fukumoto Yuuma
1B Takahashi Naoki
P Murakami Shouki
3B Oohashi Shunpei
LF Nakamura Akita (#13)
CF Aoki Yuudai

____________________________________________________________

12:33 - First Pitch!

Well, Anzai quick to start affairs! He lines a ball down the right field line for a double!

Arauchi lays the bunt down, Murakami spins and turns to 3rd... SAFE!!!

The throw was in plenty of time, but somehow Anzai gets under the tag! All safe! Takashou threatening immediately!!

But Yonebaku grounds right to 3rd! Oohashi has it, Anzai skirmishes back to 3rd, and that allows Oohashi to get the 5-4-3 double play! 2 out and you have to wonder if Anzai should've taken the bullet to prevent that.

Up to Kyousuke to get the timely hit. He hits a liner, but Oohashi is there again to make the quick catch! 3 out and Murakami gets his disappearing act!

Ura meanwhile is on it to start. Osame is keen to wait on the balls, but when push comes to shove, Ura's forkball catches the outside edge and he's down.

2 down, and Ura tries to sneak a fastball in, but Oota turns on it and sends it past a diving Yonebaku for a base hit.

That brings up the dangerous Fukumoto, but Ura goes high on him and he pops out to retire the side. Looks like the no rest hasn't hurt him to start.

Mino learning about swinging high, can't quite square up the ball and flies out to left center. Takeuchi draws a 2-out walk for Takashou, bringing up ace Ura who is actually not bad with the bat.

Murakami trying to blow him away, but Ura continues to foul off pitches.

He gets a hold of one! Aoki backpedaling.... makes a slight jump to make the catch! If Murakami things he can just blow fastballs by him, I think he might be underestimating him if prior games are an indicator.

After a quick out by Takahashi, Murakami is able to hold off the slurve and draw a walk. Oohashi also doesn't bite and he gets one he can line to center for a base hit. Runners at the corners for Nakamura! He hits a chopper to the right side, but Mino has to go for 2! Throw to 2nd, a bit high, relay to 1st won't be in time! Murakami scores and Chiben has the 1-0 lead!

And now Aoki slices one down the LF line... fair! Nakamura goes to 3rd on the play and Chiben threatens to take a larger lead!

Osame though flies out to left to end the inning, but Murakami's walk comes around to score!

Takashou still struggling a bit with looking vertically as well as some of them just can't level one of those pitches. Arauchi gets a 2 out double down the right field line, but not much else.

On the other hand, the 2-3-4 batters for Chiben in their 3rd all make solid contact, sending balls deep to left and center. You have to wonder if they're already sizing up Ura's pitches.

It really looks like Ura is avoiding the fastball as his velo may be down from yesterday. As a result, while he can strike out Murakami on a forkball on the outside edge, he either gives up a basehit if he turns to the straight (like in Oohashi's AB) or they start sizing it up, like the 3rd inning and Nakamura's flyball to center.

Tough luck for Oota to start the 6th, ball takes a bit of a high hop and he can't field it cleanly. E6 and Ura bunts him over for last batter Yamashita.

Once again though, Murakami plays the higher part of the strike zone and Yamashita and Anzai can't make anything out of it. 3 outs and more frustration on the bench of the Meiji Jingu champs.

Ura manages to hold serve to the break, but his offense needs to unlock the mystery of Murakami and quick.

Kyousuke gets a 2 out double to deep right center. Murakami then walks Mino to bring up Rikuto, whom he gets this time with a slider down. Murakami is allowing baserunners, but when it might hurt him less.

The innings continue to tick away, but Takashou just can't get their bat to make solid contact and they're quickly running out of time.

Anzai with a grounder to the right side. Takahashi with it, but Anzai beats him to the bag! Leadoff single and where we are in the order, this might be their best chance. Arauchi bunts him over.

And Yonebaku lines a ball to center! Anzai given the green light!! Aoki's throw home... not in time!! The captain gives his team life as we're all tied at 1-1! And with Yonebaku at 2nd, it's a great chance!

And then I see both Kyousuke and Mino go after the high pitches again, and both are unable to make anything out of it... Still, what matters is the game is tied!

But will it stay that way? One out, Osame hits a ground ball right at Rikuto and it deflects off him and towards center! Mino is out of position, and Osame bolts for 2nd! Anzai holding back, charges and throws to 2nd.. OUT!!!

Osame tries to take 2, but Anzai perhaps baiting him gets him out and the early chance is lost! That's a shame because Okasawa bloops a ball over Yonebaku for a single!

Oota with a ball to 3rd, and the hop eats up Yamashita! The ball goes to left and with Takeuchi's throw to 3rd, allows Oota to take 2nd!! Will that cost them?

Fukumoto chopper to 3rd. Yamashita has this one! He throws to first, but the throw is wide! Rikuto goes for the tag....

OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Somehow, he just gets Fukumoto on the leg as he's diving past him and they get the 3rd out! Oh man....

Rikuto looks to give Takashou the lead in the 9th as he singles to center! He's bunted over, but can the bottom of the lineup deliver the final blow?

(Follow the twitter feed, this is going too fast.)

Here's how it all went.

After Rikuto's base hit, they bunted him over hoping that they could get a base hit. But Murakami plays an audible, pitching away and inducing bad contact. Ura on the other hand, completely goes into boss mode in the 9th, sending it into extras.

In the 10th, both teams would get a chance to win the game. Anzai gets a single through the right side, and with his speed you had to bet he could steal. And as I thought that he did. Arauchi though couldn't bunt him over, and instead of three-bunting, he swings away and flies out. After that Yonebaku and Kyousuke both try to get base hits, but Murakami goes back up again in the zone and both fly out to end the threat.

For Chiben, it was Nakamura who singled to center. Aoki couldn't bunt him along, actually tried the three-bunt, but failed. Kosaka-kantoku goes for the bunt again looking for the one-timer, but Okazawa meekly grounds out to 2nd to move the game to the 11th.

Rikuto gets a one out single to center, but Nagao-kantoku elects not to bunt the runner over for his own one-timer. Once again, both batters fail to deliver.

To the bottom of the 11th, and after 2 quick outs, Takahashi singles back up the middle past Yonebaku. At that moment I was trying to swipe into my phone to make sure to play no-doubles defense.

And again, as I thought that, Murakami blasts a ball to center. Anzai has speed, but not enough this time as it goes over his leaping glove. That all but seals their fate as Takahashi slides in to give Chiben Gakuen the 2-1 sayonara victory, their first ever Koushien title.

It seemed like something preventable, but perhaps it was lost in the strategy, much like the 1st inning and maybe the 10th inning. For Takamatsu Shougyou, this was a grand opportunity to claim the title for their own, but alas it was not to be. Ura certainly is a great pitcher, but as is always the case with one-and-done scenarios anything can happen.

So it's instead the parent Chiben Gakuen who rises above its younger school to take up the mantle. While they certainly are the big dogs in Nara now, I'm sure people will pay attention to Murakami's pitching style and we will have to see come the summer if they have the same success again.

I will try to go back and watch the games that are available to see if there's any more information to gather for the summer. Until then I may have other things in store, time depending.