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Koshien 2015 | Japan National High School Baseball Tournament

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I missed most of the games last night .
Which games do you guys recommend, will try to watch them tomorrow. Being ill sucks :( I have to go to bed early.

When is the next round by the way?
 

SDBurton

World's #1 Cosmonaut Enthusiast
Watching the match right now. Man if Rui made that diving catch I would've absolutely lost it. That attempt was so legit and he was so close too.
 

Beckx

Member
Day 13 Preview

I'm not really sure I necessarily need to do a preview but in case you're just joining us...

The only bummer about semis is that games start later, but on the flip side there's no super super late game, either. All start times Japan time (first game will kick off at 10pm Eastern tonight). IMO both games have a similar storyline: big ace needs to shut down big offense.

Game 1 11:00 仙台育英 Sendai Ikuei - 早実 Waseda Jitsugyo
Keys to the Game:
  • Kotaro Kiyomiya has a mind boggling 1.642 OPS; Kato has a 1.4+ OPS hitting behind him. They are the core of the offense; if they keep hitting like this, it's over.
  • Sato Sena is Sendai Ikuei's ace. He's given up just 4 earned runs so far in 4 games with a 1.14 ERA (sorry, can't do any advanced pitching stats with the data available). Hasn't given up a home run during the tourney. He's pitched all but 2 innings of Sendai Ikuei's Koshien. If he can get the big two out, Sendai Ikuei will win this game. If he struggles, they're done.

Game 2 13:30 東海大相模 Tokai Daigaku Fuzoku Sagami - 関東第一 Kanto Daiichi

Keys to the Game:
  • Fireballing ace Ogasawara has to start this game, I'd think - but maybe they will try yet again to save him some innings and see how long Yoshida can go. It's not a bad strategy but honestly if he doesn't start then you have to wonder whether there's a stamina concern. Ogasawara has a 1.29 ERA and has only walked one, and has given up no home runs. I don't think Tokaidai Sagami has the offense to hang with Kanto Dai-ichi in a shootout so they need him to be lights out.
  • Kanto Dai-ichi has the best outfield at the tournament. Okoe Rui is a phenomenal talent - 1.357 OPS and a highlight reel full of amazing defensive plays in center. Meanwhile right field fielder Nagashima has a 1.456 OPS and a sayonara home run under his belt. Ace Ren Tanabe and backup Takeshi Abe have been serviceable (Tanabe was great through 6 at quarters).

What's crazy is out of 49 teams we have the possibility of an all Tokyo final. Should be a great set of games.
 
So does the team that loses actually cry at the end like in all the cartoons?

I want to see some some japanese schoolboys cry after giving it their all and barely loosing by one run, I want to believe it's true. Please tell me this happens irl.
 

Monumma

Member
So does the team that loses actually cry at the end like in all the cartoons?

I want to some some japanese schoolboys cry after giving it their all and barely loosing by one run, I want to believe it's true. Please tell me this happens irl.

Every. Single. Time.
And I join them. Every. Single. Time.
 
Ikuei's pitcher is good?! I want them to lose even more!

I want waseda to win!


I kind am rooting for toukai because their picture can pitch 150kiro.


I want to see toukai vs waseda!
 
Yeah that was a great hit. Besides that he has not hits this tourney??

I really want to see a pitcher shutout ikusei!
( I have no idea why i dislike them)
 

Beckx

Member
Robert Whiting (You Gotta Have Wa, The Meaning of Ichiro, etc) has a new Japan focused podcast.

Newest episode has a long segment on Koshien history and traditions. It's very good if you're curious about all that.

https://edodevenreporting.wordpress.com/2015/08/17/robert-whitings-japan-podcast/

Ikuei's pitcher is good?! I want them to lose even more!

I want waseda to win!


I kind am rooting for toukai because their picture can pitch 150kiro.


I want to see toukai vs waseda!

If you're rooting on pure velocity you picked the wrong pitcher. :p

Sato hasn't thrown w/i 9 kmh of that since that pitch

Yeah that was a great hit. Besides that he has not hits this tourney??

Uhhh. He has a 1.357 OPS. that's, uh, kinda good.
 

Beckx

Member
Sato Shouta knows he should've crushed that pitch.

they are talking a lot about breaking pitches right now (henkakyuu).
 

Monumma

Member
Sato wins round one.

His forkball is filthy today.

That fork has been unhittable the last few games too. It could be a problem for Waseda, seeing that Kiyomiya and Sato bat left handed.

edit:Meanwhile Matsumoto escapes the inning after allowing 2 men on bases.
Sato can also hit well. .385 before this game and a double just now.
He can't run on the bases that well, but it probably won't matter a lot. second and third, no out.
Single, 2 run home. No out. SB.
Just outside the foul pole. this game was almost over.
3-0, 1 out, man on first.
 

Monumma

Member
Manrui, 1 out, Katou AB.
edit: I missed it, what the hell happened?

Oh, it was 2 out probably. I get it.

Just how much is it raining there? Wow. 4-0.
 

Beckx

Member
OMG

Got out of it with a pickoff

SS Hirasawa is snakebit out there tonight, glad they got out without a run.

Oh god it's not just him, that side of the infield is a nightmare for both teams.

Waseda needs to get as many runs as Sato has given up (earned) all Koshien in order to tie the game.
 

Monumma

Member
HR#30, Hirasawa Taiga. His third of the tournament, 2nd in consecutive games. 7-0. Game over.

Edit: weird stat just to stay awake: Sato has thrown 8 curves in the tournament: 7 ball and 1 foul. He clearly can't pitch a curveball.
 

Beckx

Member
This reminds of me of the ass kicking that Tsuruga Kehi put on Osaka Toin in the Spring.

Long way to go though.

Still. Still. I don't see Sato Sena giving up that many runs.
 

Monumma

Member
This #18 Hattori is a first year too and he allowed a run in 7 inning pitched. Something tells me that Waseda Jitsugyou will be fine.

Sato Sena, 541 pitches into the tournament has another shoutout and has now allowed 4 earned run in 40.2 innings.

Sendai Ikuei is in the finals.
 

Beckx

Member
Alright, I'm out for the night. Hoping Okoe Rui & crew wreck Tokaidai Sagami.

Wrap up post may be very late tomorrow.
 

Monumma

Member
no out, 2 run scored and a man on second, HR#31 of the tournament by Isoami Eito. 4-0.

This is probably going to be another one of those games, I'm going to sleep a couple of hours. I'll skip through the video tomorrow morning. See you for the final.

Yeah, another double right now, still no out.
 

Monumma

Member
Toukaidai Sagami won large as it was clear from the beginning of the game. 10-3

As goroshigeno said Ogasawara, who came in in relief, wasn't really sharp and was hit a lot.

Hopefully Ogasawara and Sato still have 150 pitches for tomorrow in their arm and we'll see a good old pitching duel.
 

Beckx

Member
Day 13 Wrap Up

It's Finals time! Going hiking today, so doing this post early. I don't think we need too much in the way of a preview, especially since the keys to the game for both teams are pretty much the same - how does the ace perform?

The chance for an all-Tokyo final got washed away and I'm pretty happy with the matchup we have. Obviously I would have preferred Sendai Ikuei v Kanto Dai-ichi but this should be a great game.

The storyline for both games is similar: we've seen both Tokyo teams have issues with pitching this tournament while never facing good pitching on the other side. This time, they did face good pitching and their own pitching woes came back to bite them.

Game 1 Sendai Ikuei 7 - 0 Waseda Jitsugyo. Great pitching beats great hitting, and Sendai Ikuei got great pitching from ace Sato Sena, who threw the CG shutout and was hitting his max velocity in the 9th. The ump's strike zone was all over the place this game. I said in my preview if Sato got the Kiyomiya/Kato duo out, Sendai Ikuei would win - and they went a combined 1 for 8 with a walk. Sendai Ikuei's offense hit on all cylinders and they look really, really good heading into finals. Can Sato join the list of aces who pitched beautiful back to back games to win Koshien?

Game 2 Tokai Daigaku Fuzoku Sagami 10 - 3 Kanto Daiichi. My preview went somewhat awry here - I said Tokaidai Sagami would have to keep Kanto Daiichi off the board, which they did, but boy was I wrong when I said they couldn't hang if the game was high scoring. It turned out to be high-scoring - but only for Tokaidai Sagami! As noted above, the fact that they aren't using Ogasawara is worrying, as is the fact that he gave up 2 runs when he finally came in. Still, maybe he's trying to manage stamina for the finals and we could be in for a show.

Day 14 Preview

Game 1 13:00 仙台育英 Sendai Ikuei - 東海大相模 Tokai Daigaku Fuzoku Sagami. Game starts at midnight Eastern. See you there!
 
I can't believe how badly waseda got crushed.
Ikusei is too strong. I want them too lose!

Watching the other game now.

EDIT: The other game was a blowout as well.
 
But Sendai Ikuei is the underdog here!

Yeah, I talked to my friend from Sendai and she told me that toukai has been to the finals and won the finals many times. I think it was something like 23 times being in the finals..

I guess I will root for Ikusei. lol.


I'm up to the Taiwanese pitcher match in Ace of Diamond. It sucks that I know he's going to lose most likely because hi winning doesn't flow with the style of the anime.
 

scotcheggz

Member
Kind of thought the semis were disappointing, both winning teams cruised it really. I think I want Ikuei to win tonight, but it will be interesting to see how much Tokais ace has been holding back (if at all) seeing as how little he's actually pitched up until now. Just hoping for more of a game tonight really!
 

Beckx

Member
Yeah, I talked to my friend from Sendai and she told me that toukai has been to the finals and won the finals many times. I think it was something like 23 times being in the finals..

I guess I will root for Ikusei. lol.


I'm up to the Taiwanese pitcher match in Ace of Diamond. It sucks that I know he's going to lose most likely because hi winning doesn't flow with the style of the anime.

Clockwork is the best. My fav character in the show.
 
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