Recaps

Seido held a 2–0 lead over Kyoma University as Hongo continued to dominate the bottom of Seido's lineup, while Kōshū kept pitching despite his fading stamina. The chapter left Kataoka weighing whether to let Kōshū continue through the final innings.

• Hongo struck out Asou, then retired Kuramochi and Haruichi to end Seido's Bottom of the Sixth Inning without a run.
• After Seido took the field with a two-point lead, Kataoka asked Kōshū how much stamina he had left, and Kōshū said he had enough to win.
• Kataoka told Kōshū he would judge the situation as the game continued, and Seido began the final three innings ahead 2–0.
• Kōshū pushed through his exhaustion and struck the opposing batter out while throwing 148 kilometers per hour.
• Ochiai Coach urged Kataoka to entrust the full game to Kōshū, but Kataoka remained uncertain.

Kōshū battled Kyoma University through the seventh inning despite his declining velocity, while Kataoka prepared Furuya as a possible replacement. Kōshū and Seido’s defense stopped Kyoma’s attack, and Seido headed into the bottom of the seventh.

• Kataoka asked Furuya if he could take the mound at any time, and Furuya eagerly agreed.
• Kōshū held to his pitching rhythm as Kyoma University’s leadoff hitter fouled off a fierce swing and threatened to catch up with his weakened fastball.
• Miyuki called for a cutter, and Kōshū struck out the leadoff hitter for his ninth strikeout of the game.
• Kuramochi dove to catch the third batter’s hit and threw him out at first, helping Kōshū shut down Kyoma University again.
• Kuramochi signaled to Shirazu and Miyuki as Seido prepared to begin the bottom of the seventh.

In the bottom of the seventh, Hongo recovered his confidence and continued pitching fiercely against Seido’s Central Batting Lineup. Shirazu and Miyuki were retired, leaving Seido without another hit as Hongo held on to Kyoma University’s lead.

• Nitta told Kyoma University’s relief pitcher to stay ready, and Hongo walked alone to the mound.
• Hongo struck out Shirazu with a fastball and a Forkball, demonstrating that he had regained his composure.
• Kōshū told Miyuki he had sensed that Hongo would throw a Forkball, and Miyuki urged him to get a hit before making predictions.
• Miyuki battled Hongo’s fastball but hit a high fly ball that the center fielder caught for the third out.

Kōshū faced Hongo with two outs as Renji devised a plan to drain his focus and break his flow state. Kōshū let the first pitch go for a ball, and after a mound conference, Hongo agreed to take longer between pitches as play resumed.

• Renji realized that Kyoma University could disrupt Kōshū’s flow by draining his attention and energy.
• Kōshū entered the Batter’s Box and calmly read Hongo’s first pitch as an outside-breaking ball, letting it pass for a ball.
• Renji called time and told Hongo to use the pitch count, the strike zone, and longer pauses to wear Kōshū down.
• Hongo bristled at the plan but told Renji that he believed in his pitching and agreed to continue.
• After play resumed, Kōshū quieted his mind and prepared to enter his focused state again.

Kōshū entered the Flow State again and hit Hongo’s pitch for a second consecutive hit, but Tōjō struck out and the inning ended with two outs. The aces exchanged a wary glance as they headed back to their dugouts.

• Kōshū recalled stepping into a mountain stream as a child, calmed himself, and entered the Flow State.
• Kōshū swung at Renji’s low outside pitch and sent it over the shortstop’s head for a hit.
• Hongo wrestled with doubts about Kōshū’s improvement while Renji told him to focus on getting the next batter out.
• Hongo struck out Tōjō with an inside pitch, a Vertical Slider, and a splitter, ending the inning.
• Kōshū and Hongo exchanged a glance as they crossed paths on their way back to their dugouts.

In the top of the eighth, exhausted Kōshū tried to hold Seido’s lead against Kyoma University, but consecutive hits put runners on first and second with no outs. Miyuki reminded him that the team shared responsibility for victory, and Kōshū accepted the plan to get through the inning before Furuya took over.

• Kyoma University’s cleanup hitter got the team’s first hit off Kōshū, reaching first base in the top of the eighth.
• Miyuki guided Kōshū toward precise corner pitches as Kyoma catcher Renji stepped up and remarked that Seido’s ace looked tired.
• Kōshū focused on the sensation in his fingers, entered a controlled pitching state, and struck Renji out with a fastball.
• Renji identified the weakness in Seido’s pitching strategy, and Kyoma University followed with two consecutive hits to put runners on first and second with no outs.
• Kataoka sent Eijun to relay that Kōshū should finish the inning and Furuya would pitch the ninth; Miyuki told Kōshū that giving up one run was acceptable.
• Kōshū nodded after Miyuki reminded him that the team was pursuing victory together.

Kōshū struck out Hongo but allowed Kyoma University to score a run, then asked Kataoka to let him pitch the next inning. Kataoka gave him one batter before Furuya would replace him, while Eijun reminded Furuya that both of them still had to earn full trust on the mound.

• Kōshū battled Hongo, who fouled off a pitch before striking out on a Slider and Changeup.
• Nitta Manager told Hongo he would have no vacation until summer Koshien, leaving Hongo irritated as he returned to the dugout.
• Kyoma University's seventh batter advanced the runners, then bunted the ball toward third; Lang Zhi threw to Kōshū, who tagged out the runner from second as the runner from third scored.
• Kōshū asked Kataoka to let him pitch the next inning, and Kataoka agreed on the condition that Furuya would take over if one batter reached base.
• Eijun told Furuya that neither of them could stay on the mound without reservation until they had earned that trust.

Seido faced Kyoma University in the top of the ninth with the game on the line, and Kōshū struck out the final batters to secure Seido’s victory. Seido’s players celebrated on the Pitcher’s Mound.

• Eijun gave Kōshū water and cheered him on as Seido’s offense ended the bottom of the eighth without scoring.
• Eijun encouraged Furuya to join him in loudly cheering for Kōshū as he took the mound for the ninth.
• Miyuki and Kōshū countered leadoff batter A Jiu with a Cutter, a Changeup, and a fastball, striking him out.
• Seido’s players and the crowd rallied behind Kōshū as Kyoma University’s lineup faced the final inning.
• Kōshū got the final out, and Seido’s players rushed to the Pitcher’s Mound to celebrate their win.

Seido defeated Kyoma University at Spring Koshien, and Kōshū and Hongo reaffirmed their rivalry and mutual respect before promising to meet again in summer. As the tournament continued, Narumiya chose to leave the next game unwatched and go pitch, while Seido’s win set the stage for the upcoming tournaments.

• Representatives from other teams watched Seido beat Kyoma University and discussed the danger of facing its pitchers.
• Mishima and Todoroki watched from the stands, and Todoroki loudly declared that he wanted to face Kōshū again.
• Kōshū and Hongo shook hands, traded challenges, and promised to meet again in summer.
• Kōshū endured interviews, then returned to the hotel with Seido’s players as they celebrated their victory.
• Narumiya turned off the broadcast of the next game and went to pitch with Hayakawa Aki.
• The narrator complained about wasting time on the road and listening to the new director blame R&D for the company’s losses.

Seido prepared to face Seisho Company in the Spring Koshien, while both teams studied their opponents and planned their pitching and batting strategies. Kōshū was set to rest, though Miyuki left open the possibility that he might pitch in relief; the chapter ended as the teams reached Koshien under cloudy skies and light rain.

• Seido’s players read newspaper coverage of their win over Kyoma University and discussed Yakushi High School’s loss before Kuramochi reminded them that the Spring Koshien was still underway.
• Miyuki told the pitchers that Kōshū would rest for the next game, though he might pitch up to fifteen pitches in relief if circumstances allowed.
• Miyuki instructed Seido’s pitchers and catchers to study Seisho Company’s powerful batters and be ready to take the mound as the coaches directed.
• Seisho Company’s players reviewed Seido’s strengths and watched footage of Furuya, identifying his early-game instability as a potential opening.
• Seido and Seisho Company completed their preparations and arrived at Koshien under dark clouds after overnight rain.

Kōshū accepted that his lingering soreness would keep him out of the Spring Koshien final, but he and Eijun used his presence in the Bullpen to unsettle Seisho Company while Furuya dominated the game. With Seido leading 5–0 in the seventh inning, Eijun got permission to take the mound for one inning.

• After the coaches ruled Kōshū too sore to play, he regretted telling his family not to attend and agreed with Eijun to warm up in the Bullpen as a bluff.
• Furuya struck out Seisho Company's batters and threw the fastest pitch of Spring Koshien at 155 kilometers per hour.
• Kōshū's appearance in the Bullpen distracted Kawasaki and spurred Furuya to strike him out.
• Seido scored five runs while Furuya kept Seisho Company scoreless through six innings.
• Eijun asked Kataoka Manager to pitch the seventh inning, received permission for one inning, and hurried toward the mound after nearly asking for two.

Eijun replaced Furuya in the seventh inning and used his deceptive pitch to retire Seisho Company without allowing a run. Seido won the Spring Koshien Tournament, and the chapter ended with the team receiving its trophy and medals.

• Eijun nervously addressed his teammates on the mound until Miyuki threw him a ball to make him stop and focus.
• Eijun remembered advice from Kōshū and Chris, then struck out Seisho Company's batter with a pitch that seemed to disappear.
• Seido quickly turned a ground ball into a double play and retired the side.
• Eijun learned that Kawakami would finish the game after his one inning on the mound and was dragged into the dugout when he protested.
• Seido and Seisho Company attended the award ceremony, where Seido received the championship trophy and medals.

After winning Spring Koshien, Eijun took dirt from the mound and remembered how quickly his inning had ended, while the Seido players and Lang Zhi reunited with their families. Seido headed home on the day of the final, with the players looking ahead to returning for Summer Koshien.

• Eijun took dirt from the Pitcher's Mound and shouted the words he had not managed to say during the game, while Maezono answered and the team teased him.
• Eijun greeted his family outside the stadium, but Kuramochi recognized Wakana and dragged Eijun back to the team for leaving without permission.
• Lang Zhi reunited with his family, and Mr. Sasaki cried with pride until Shen Qing comforted him and sent Lang Zhi back to the team.
• Lang Zhi joined the hotel feast and watched television for Koshien highlights featuring him.
• Seido set off for home after a brief rest, and the players repeated that they would return to Koshien in the summer.

After Seido won Spring Koshien, Kōshū received congratulations from friends and rivals and promised to even the score with Hongo in the summer. As the team prepared for the new semester and Narumiya Mei’s final year, new students began heading to Seido.

• Kōshū read a flood of congratulatory messages, including Hongo’s reminder that their score was still 2-1, and vowed to even it in summer.
• Kōshū exchanged messages with Hayakawa, who praised his growth and explained that Narumiya Mei was preparing for future opponents at Koshien.
• Teacher Takashima told Ota Manager that Kōshū would cooperate with school publicity but wanted only a minimum number of interviews.
• Kataoka Manager used Kōshū’s request for a High-Speed Camera to negotiate with the Board of Directors, while Kōshū gathered people to preview the next semester’s coursework.
• Hayakawa adjusted to catching Narumiya Mei, Hongo returned to Hokkaido, and people from across Japan traveled toward Seido as the new students prepared to arrive.

Kōshū and Kimura prepared an elaborate set of Room 4 rules as a welcoming tradition for their new roommate, Yui Kaoru. As more freshmen arrived, Kōshū realized Seido had recruited a deep pool of talent and decided to watch the new pitchers closely.

• Kōshū and Kimura wrote a detailed Room 4 living guide covering cleaning, laundry, ventilation, studying, and other dorm habits.
• Yui Kaoru arrived as Kōshū and Kimura's new roommate, read the rules, and worried about whether he could follow them all.
• Takahashi Kō and Suzuki Mori, two freshmen from Kōshū's former Little League, visited Room 4 and greeted Kōshū and Yui.
• Kōshū reflected on Seido's strong freshman class and resolved to pay close attention to the incoming pitchers.

Seido’s freshmen introduced themselves, revealing a class packed with Little League players and a boastful pitcher, Shimizu Osamu, who had come to the school after seeing Kōshū. Kataoka warned the newcomers that team discipline and victory came first, leaving Takashima concerned that Shimizu’s arrival might cause trouble.

• Yuki Masashi said he aimed to reach the Major League, while several freshmen introduced themselves as Little League graduates and named their positions.
• Shimizu Osamu introduced himself as a pitcher, explained that he had chosen Seido after seeing Kōshū, and announced his ambition to become a baseball scientist.
• Kōshū and Kuramochi recognized Shimizu as the freshman who had struck Eijun with his bag after mistaking Eijun’s bloodied face for a ghost.
• Takashima confirmed that the assembled freshmen were her recruits, noting that Shimizu had joined through the Board of Directors and worrying that he had come for Kōshū.
• Kataoka introduced himself and Ochiai, reminded the freshmen of Seido’s championship and Koshien goals, and warned that anyone who broke discipline or maliciously provoked others would be removed from the team.

Seido resumed training ahead of the Spring Tokyo Tournament while the coaches prepared to finalize the roster and the first-years were tested. Kōshū invited Yui to practice throwing with him, just as Shimizu Osamu appeared at their table.

• Eijun showed off a fielding move during practice, while Kanemaru and Miyuki teased him and Kōshū and Furuya watched from nearby.
• Kōshū and Furuya found the Equipment Room being rebuilt with new facilities, including a dedicated pitchers’ room, and Yui considered the coaches’ plans to develop him as a catcher.
• Kataoka told Ochiai that Seido would submit eighteen players for the roster first and add two more based on the first-years’ performance.
• Yui told Kōshū that Shimizu Osamu had thrown over a hundred meters and shared his own batting-test results; Kōshū praised him and invited him to throw together that night.
• Shimizu Osamu sat across from Kōshū and Yui after overhearing their conversation.

Kōshū trained the nervous Yui Kaoru to catch his fastballs, exposing how far Yui still had to develop. After Yui struggled with Kōshū’s 150-kilometer pitch, Kōshū showed him the challenge ahead of becoming Seido’s First String catcher.

• As Seido’s facilities expanded and the team drew attention after Koshien, Kōshū began training Yui in the Bullpen.
• Kōshū gradually raised his pitch speed to 140 kilometers, and Yui was impressed by his fastball’s precision.
• When Yui requested an outside low pitch, Kōshū threw too forcefully, and Yui caught it stiffly while his hand ached.
• Yui asked to face Kōshū’s normal pitching, but he failed to hold onto the full-power 150-kilometer fastball.
• Kōshū told Yui that he would need to command pitchers such as Furuya, Eijun, and Kawakami to become a First String catcher, and Yui thanked him.

Kōshū tried to ease Yui’s worries about fitting in and teased him about making a new Room 4 Covenant, while Seido’s freshmen struggled with the team’s three-bowls-of-rice rule. At lunch, the players discussed Shimizu Osamu’s unusual behavior and background, leaving Kōshū to suspect that Eijun’s curiosity might cause trouble.

• Kōshū spotted Shimizu Osamu slipping away from the Bullpen and wondered why the freshman kept such a low profile.
• Kōshū told Yui he did not need to treat the Room 4 Covenant as strict rules, then joked about creating a prank covenant for future freshmen.
• Yui reflected on whether he could become Seido’s starting catcher after the third-years retired, and Kōshū noticed his dejected expression.
• Kanemaru, Kōshū, and Eijun urged the freshmen to eat three big bowls of rice, but Kōshū noticed Shimizu was absent.
• Eijun asked about Shimizu, and Haruichi and Lang Zhi warned him not to provoke the freshman because of his apparent family connections.
• Eijun wondered why a rich kid like Shimizu had come to Seido, and Kōshū suspected Eijun himself was the one causing trouble.

As the Spring Tournament approached, Kōshū returned to pitching practice in the new Bullpen and observed Shimizu Osamu training with Yui Kaoru. Shimizu’s behavior changed around senior catchers, and after Kōshū decided not to get involved, Rei Takashima summoned him and brought Shimizu up again.

• Kōshū redirected Eijun from worrying about other people to finishing his Numbers before the Spring Tournament.
• On April 4, Kōshū practiced pitching with Miyuki in the new Bullpen while Furuya threw at full strength to Ono.
• Shimizu Osamu threw fastballs to Yui Kaoru, giving precise instructions and leaving Yui feeling treated like a pitching net.
• Miyuki offered to catch Shimizu, who became more compliant and admitted he preferred pitching inside.
• Kōshū recognized Shimizu’s reaction as resembling the effects of bullying, but resolved not to involve himself.
• That evening, Rei Takashima called Kōshū to the office and immediately raised Shimizu Osamu.

Teacher Takashima tried to encourage Kōshū to guide the promising freshmen and explained why Yui Kaoru had caught her attention, but Kōshū realized her story about a pitcher vomiting recalled his own incident at Summer Koshien. Takashima reflected on Shimizu Osamu’s troubled family situation and decided Kōshū might not need to be involved in helping him.

• Takashima told Kōshū to begin guiding Yui, Okumura, and Seto ahead of the third-years’ retirement, and asked how things were going with Yui.
• Takashima described how Yui had quickly removed a panicked, vomiting pitcher from a game to protect him from further distress.
• Kōshū recognized the story as his own Summer Koshien incident and left the office, still without learning what Takashima had meant to say about Shimizu Osamu.
• Takashima recalled Nakajima Akihisa dismissing Shimizu’s depression and remembered that Shimizu had chosen Seido after seeing a documentary.
• Takashima decided Kōshū did not owe Shimizu help and considered looking more closely at the documentary about him.

Seido opened its Spring Tournament campaign against Eigen High School, with Eijun pitching a dominant five-inning mercy-rule win while Miyuki tested his new Numbers in a real game. The chapter left Eijun celebrating on the mound as his teammates carried him off, while Kawakami accepted that younger pitchers were taking priority.

• Kōshū found Eijun practicing with another first-year catcher and called them in for dinner, then worried that he had been focusing too much on Yui-kun.
• Seido began the Spring Tournament against Eigen High School on April 6, with Eijun and Kawakami taking the mound.
• Eijun rallied Seido’s defense before the game, and Miyuki guided him through testing his pitches against Eigen’s batters.
• Eijun’s unusual movement and hidden release baffled Eigen, and Seido won by mercy rule in five innings without using Furuya or the ace.
• Kawakami watched Eijun throw the final pitch and accepted his reduced role, while Seido’s players carried Eijun away after the postgame bow.

After pitching five innings without allowing a run, Eijun sought praise from his teammates and then fell asleep on the bus. Kōshū exchanged messages with his former teammates and Inashiro players, ending the chapter amid their joking rivalry over the finals.

• Eijun asked his teammates to praise his pitching, and Yui complimented his command and loud voice before Kōshū made him sit down.
• Eijun fell asleep, while Kōshū messaged Nozawa and Ido about their upcoming game against Seido.
• Kōshū received a message from Hayakawa asking to use his photo for a life-sized Narumiya Mei body pillow and urgently refused.
• Eijun shouted that he would hit three home runs off Narumiya Mei in the finals and sing the Happy Birthday Song as he rounded the bases.
• Narumiya and Kōshū traded taunts in their messages, while Kōshū imagined the teasing and threats among the Inashiro players.

Kōshū studied pitching footage with Seido’s new High-Speed Camera and looked for ways to improve his control and Cutter. After a long night of analysis, he and Miyuki prepared to test his adjustment on the mound.

• Kōshū read Narumiya’s harsh messages and looked forward to facing Inajitsu again as Seido prepared for its next game.
• Miyuki and Kōshū practiced pitching strategies against power hitters and reviewed footage to improve Kōshū’s command of the corners.
• Kōshū reflected on how his life had changed over the past four years while standing outside the Equipment Room, then returned to studying his pitching footage.
• Eijun, Furuya, Kawakami Senior, Yui Kaoru, and Okumura Kōshū found Kōshū working in the Analysis Room but quietly left him undisturbed.
• Kōshū told Miyuki he had found a way to adjust his Cutter, and they began a bullpen test with Miyuki setting his glove outside to a right-handed batter.

After Inashiro defeated Yakushi, Seido’s players reflected on the pressure of competing for places on the team. Kōshū practiced an exceptionally fast, sharply breaking pitch in the Analysis Room, but lost the feel for it when Ochiai Coach interrupted and soon ran out of energy.

• Seido’s players discussed Narumiya Mei striking out Todoroki Raichi and Inashiro’s batters scoring against Sanada, while some grew complacent after their Koshien victory.
• The second-years and first-years who had missed the First String felt pressure as Yuki Masashi and Yui Kaoru earned places among the Regulars.
• Kōshū pitched to Miyuki in the Analysis Room and repeatedly entered an absorbed state, producing a fast pitch that broke sharply before reaching home plate.
• Ochiai Coach entered and interrupted Kōshū’s concentration, then watched footage and judged the pitch’s speed and movement to be beyond the high school level.
• Kōshū could no longer reproduce the pitch, felt exhausted and hungry, and decided to get something to eat.