[Congratulations! Juku High School Baseball Team Koshien Victory] [On the Koshien Victory] Thoughts on the Juku High School Baseball Team's Koshien Victory

2023/10/11

August 23, 2023. We were finally blessed with the good fortune to witness the moment of a historic achievement spanning a century: winning the national championship for the first time in 107 years. Many people present were moved to tears, soaking in the emotion. The Keio Gijuku Shachu cheering squad, which extended beyond the Alps stands to the seats behind the net, general infield seats, and even the outfield seats, united to cheer on the players. In response, the Juku High School nine seemed to play as they always do—or perhaps even better than usual.

Looking back, the effect of the "strong medicine" that was the first-round defeat in the Spring Invitational was tremendous. Since then, the Juku High School baseball team has undergone a remarkable transformation and seems to have grown significantly. In the spring prefectural tournament final against Soyo, they won decisively 11-0. The strength of the team, which became the top seed for the summer prefectural tournament, was wonderful; they won most of their games by called games, leading up to the comeback three-run home run in the final against Yokohama.

And then, the summer Koshien. What was happening within the Juku High School baseball team during that time? In addition to efficient practice, student coaches and substitute players who didn't make the bench were analyzing various data. Furthermore, I believe that the mental and physical training introduced about two years ago helped develop the personal character and strength of each individual.

Also, if I may say so, perhaps it was Manager Mori-bayashi who changed the most and grew the most. While he envelops everyone with a kind smile, I perceive him to be quite a shrewd person when it comes to baseball. That confidence naturally gave the players a sense of security, and while it seemed they were moving based on their own thoughts, I believe he guided them in the direction he intended. This led to the comeback three-run homer in the prefectural final, helped them overcome frequent crises in the Koshien game against Koryo, and ultimately allowed them to seize victory in the final by playing aggressive baseball without missing the opponent's fatigue.

After the tournament, I visited Hiyoshidai Stadium and was struck with fresh emotion, thinking about how they managed to become the best in Japan at this very stadium. While most stadiums of powerhouse baseball teams have wings of over 100m, artificial turf, and grand night-game lighting, this is a sandy ground that draws complaints from neighbors, with a manual scoreboard... It is the exact opposite of the grand facilities the public might imagine, which is all the more reason why I want to support the Juku High School baseball team.

Finally, as a member of the Keio Gijuku Shachu cheering squad, I would like to express my gratitude and sincere respect to Manager Mori-bayashi, the players, and everyone involved. Thank you! Wishing you even greater success in the future!