Recaps

During Seido’s morning game against Inashiro, Kōshū’s challenge reminded Eijun that he had not given up on becoming the ace. After Seido lost, Narumiya Mei visited and pressed Kōshū for details about the afternoon game, just as a familiar voice interrupted them.

• Kōshū served as third-base coach and kept Eijun quiet by threatening to teach Furuya pitching instead.
• When Eijun asked why Kōshū would not relieve an exhausted Kawakami, Kōshū challenged him to consider whether he had given up on becoming the ace.
• Eijun reaffirmed that he would pursue the ace position for himself and the friends whose hopes he carried.
• Seido lost the morning game, and Kōshū met Narumiya Mei outside the dugout afterward.
• Narumiya questioned Kōshū about Furuya and the afternoon pitching plans, but Kōshū avoided giving him an answer.
• A familiar voice interrupted Narumiya as he continued pestering Seido’s first-years.

Kōshū watched Narumiya Mei dominate Shuubei before Seido played its own game against them. After Seido’s win, Kōshū was struck by a pitch but avoided injury, and Shuubei’s pitcher asked to stay in touch to discuss pitching.

• Kōshū tricked Eijun and Furuya into avoiding Narumiya by inventing a story about his dangerous bad luck.
• Narumiya pitched six scoreless innings against Shuubei, impressing Kōshū with his changeup.
• Kōshū encouraged Eijun and Furuya to practice changeups suited to their pitching styles.
• Captain Yuuki identified Inashiro as Seido’s biggest rival after watching Narumiya pitch.
• Seido played Shuubei with its main lineup, and Kōshū was hit by the first pitch he faced but blocked it with his protective gear.
• Seido and Inashiro each scored in double digits against Shuubei, and Shuubei’s pitcher asked Kōshū to keep in touch about pitching.

Kōshū gathered Miyuki and several pitchers for nighttime changeup practice, hoping to build more reliable relief options for the team. The practice exposed Furuya’s need to vary his pace, while Kōshū experimented with a new grip and the seniors joined as batting partners.

• Isashiki Senior warned Kōshū not to let Inashiro Industrial trick information out of him, and Kōshū teased Miyuki until the other seniors laughed.
• Kōshū told Miyuki that Seidō needed more dependable relief pitchers and asked him to catch for nighttime changeup practice; Miyuki agreed to tell the coach about Kōshū’s thoughts.
• At the Indoor Practice Field, Kanemaru ordered Sawamura and Furuya to practice changeups, while Miyuki advised Furuya to vary his pace instead of chasing maximum velocity.
• Kōshū tried a crab-like grip, threw a changeup that grazed Haruichi, and asked to repeat it so he could lock in the feeling.
• Sawamura wished Chris Senior would catch for him, and a group of seniors arrived to help the younger players practice.

Kōshū and Lang Zhi visited their family before returning to Seido, where the team focused on adjusting during a break from official games. Kōshū revised his training plan and helped monitor the first-year pitchers, while the chapter ended with the narrator deciding they could return home despite quarantine requirements.

• Ota and Yuuki returned from the preliminaries draw with a favorable result, likely avoiding Inashiro until the finals.
• Kōshū and Lang Zhi spent the afternoon with their family, then stayed up late talking with Shen Qing about family news and life at Seido.
• Kōshū resumed training at Seido and prioritized physical conditioning after realizing fatigue had nearly cost him a game against Osaka Kiryu.
• Kōshū corrected Sawamura Eijun's pitching form and observed Furuya's relaxed, effective practice while Chris recorded their pitches.
• The narrator realized they could return home, accepting that they would need to quarantine after the trip.

As final exams and the Summer Koshien Preliminaries approached, Kōshū helped Eijun prepare for his tests and asked Kataoka Manager to consider buying a high-speed camera. Kataoka promised to consult Coach Ninomiya, assigned Kōshū the Number 7 Jersey, and learned that Kōshū's ball speed had reached 145 km/h.

• Kōshū and Kanemaru divided up Eijun's weak subjects and tutored him so he could pass his exams and keep training.
• Kōshū met with Kataoka Manager and proposed using a high-speed camera to improve pitching and batting mechanics.
• Kataoka agreed to ask Coach Ninomiya about the camera but made no purchase promise, and told Kōshū he would wear the Number 7 Jersey in the Summer Koshien Preliminaries.
• Kōshū gave Kataoka his monthly test results, which showed his weight had risen to 82 kilograms and his ball speed had reached 145 km/h.

Kōshū reported his progress to Kataoka and discussed Sawamura’s pitching potential with Chris, who asked him to help guide Sawamura after the third-years retired. Kōshū then helped Furuya with bullpen practice and returned to working on his own pitches.

• Kōshū told Kataoka he planned to focus on conditioning before the Summer Koshien Preliminaries, and Kataoka told him to prioritize recovery and follow the team’s training arrangements.
• Kōshū and Chris discussed Sawamura’s unusual pitching form and natural breaking pitches, and Chris asked Kōshū to help Miyuki develop Sawamura’s potential.
• Kōshū said he hoped to grow alongside Sawamura rather than act as his sole guide.
• Chris sent the exhausted Furuya to the bullpen with Kōshū to practice pitching after his run.
• Kōshū practiced his Slider while Miyuki urged him to master his new Changeup.

Kōshū received his first Summer Koshien jersey number and suggested a new way to attach the numbers to the uniforms. At the opening ceremony, he traded taunts with Narumiya Mei, and the tournament began with their rivalry in full swing.

• Kōshū received jersey number 7 and proposed to Takashima Rei that the team attach numbers with hook-and-loop fasteners instead of having the managers sew them on.
• The Seido team attended the opening ceremony at Jingu Stadium, where Furuya slumped against Kōshū in the heat and Sawamura urged him to stand.
• Kōshū told Narumiya Mei he would still pitch despite receiving an odd-numbered jersey, then teased Narumiya about their pitching speed.
• Narumiya Mei threatened to strike out twenty Seido players, and Kōshū called back that he would get twenty-one.
• Kuramochi warned Kōshū that Narumiya might hit him with a beanball, while Miyuki was teased as Kōshū's senior.

Seido won its first summer tournament game against Toritsu High School Mimonsai by mercy rule, then faced Murata East with Furuya pitching. After Kataoka noticed Kōshū losing focus in left field, he pulled him from the game and put Sawamura on the mound.

• Chris briefed Seido on Mimonsai, and Kataoka named Tanba the starting pitcher and Kōshū the left fielder.
• Mimonsai's unusual low delivery initially stymied Seido, but the team adapted and pulled ahead before winning by the five-inning mercy rule.
• Kōshū urged Sawamura to study Mimonsai's pitcher, while Sawamura encouraged the defeated team to keep aiming for Koshien.
• Seido's win drew attention from scouts and reporters, and Kōshū exchanged messages with Shen Qing about the game and Seido's chances.
• Against Murata East, Furuya pitched while Kōshū played left field, but Kataoka spotted Kōshū losing focus and replaced him with Furuya, sending Sawamura to the mound.

Eijun made his official-game debut as a pitcher, recovered from an early hit by pitch, and struck out three batters using the control drills Kōshū had taught him. Seido won easily and learned that Meikawa, their next opponent, depended heavily on pitcher Yang Shunchen.

• Eijun hit the first batter with a pitch, then settled down and struck out the next three after recalling Kōshū's accuracy training.
• Kōshū told Eijun that future chances would likely be brief and urged him to make every pitch count.
• Yuki Captain hit a home run in the fifth as Seido won the second game by eleven runs in five innings.
• Chris explained Yang Shunchen's pinpoint control and pitching repertoire to the Seido players before they watched Meikawa's game.
• Kōshū recognized Meikawa's reliance on Yang and doubted that the pitcher could carry the team through the tournament.

Seido prepared to face Meikawa Academy, while Miyuki searched for Furuya and found him asleep from the heat. In the third game, Yang Shunchen’s precise pitching helped Meikawa retire Seido’s first two batters, leaving Kōshū’s teammates wary of his own control.

• Yuki studied Meikawa’s pitcher with teammates as the players practiced bunts and steals, while Eijun worked on inside pitches with Chris and Tanba continued training his control.
• Miyuki and Kōshū found Furuya asleep in the Indoor Training Field, and Miyuki sent him to rest because he seemed unwell from the heat.
• Seido arrived to play Meikawa Academy, whose pitcher was Yang Shunchen, a fellow Chinese player; Seido lost the coin toss and batted first.
• Kuramochi tried to bunt, but Yang and Meikawa’s defense quickly got him out.
• Kominato fouled off eight pitches before Yang used precise corner pitches to make him strike out, and Kominato warned Isashiki about pitches that looked like strikes.
• Kōshū’s teammates recalled his explanation of control-based pitching tactics and began to worry about facing his precision themselves.

Seido’s batters struggled against Yang Shunchen’s pitching, while Kōshū struck out Meikawa’s first two batters and helped end the first inning without a score. Kōshū fought through a long at-bat in the second but grounded out, leaving the game scoreless as the chapter ended with an author’s note about a stressful work presentation.

• Isashiki reached first with two outs, but Yuki’s fly ball was caught by Meikawa’s left fielder.
• Sawamura told Kōshū that Yang led his team because his teammates were the reason he played baseball.
• Kōshū struck out Meikawa’s first two batters, and their third batter grounded out to end the inning.
• Masuko popped up against Yang, and Miyuki quickly made an out before Kōshū came to bat.
• Kōshū fouled off several pitches before grounding Yang’s curveball toward the mound and being thrown out at first.

Kōshū held Mingkawa scoreless with precise pitching as Yang Shunchen reached base, while Seido’s hitters set up a scoring chance in the fourth. Miyuki stepped into the batter’s box believing he could read Yang’s pitches.

• Kōshū struck out Mingkawa’s cleanup hitter, then Yang Shunchen singled and stole second before Kōshū ended the inning with another strikeout.
• Ichidai Third watched Kōshū and discussed how Seido’s first-year pitcher could replace Tanba in their upcoming quarterfinal.
• In the top of the fourth, Isashiki singled, Yuki drew a walk, and Masuko’s sacrifice bunt advanced both runners.
• Mingkawa shifted its infield in as Miyuki entered the batter’s box and prepared to guess Yang Shunchen’s pitching strategy.

Miyuki and Kōshū led Seido’s late-inning rally to defeat Meikawa and secure a quarterfinal spot. Afterward, Kōshū reconnected with Yang Shunchen, while Seido prepared to watch Ichidai Third and Kōshū reflected on the rivalries surrounding him.

• Miyuki drove in the runners from second and third with a hit that sent him to third base.
• Kōshū hit the first pitch and extended Seido’s rally as the team overwhelmed Meikawa.
• After the game, Yang Shunchen recognized Kōshū, exchanged contact information with him, and promised to watch Seido’s next game.
• Seido stayed to watch Ichidai Third, and Miyuki explained that Tanba had once been Manaka’s backup and wanted to face him as a pitcher.
• Kōshū read Hayakawa’s message about Inashiro’s upcoming game against Nozawa’s team and grew uneasy as he remembered them.

Seido watched Yakushi overturn Ichidai Third in a high-scoring game after Manaka was injured by a line drive. The loss left Seido questioning whether Manaka would be ready for their upcoming match, while their coach reminded the rookies that strength set the limit of how far a team could go.

• Yakushi’s first-year cleanup hitter Todoroki sparked a four-run inning, and Yakushi and Ichidai Third traded runs in a tense slugfest.
• Kōshū and the Seido players studied both teams, while Kōshū worried about Tanba’s readiness to face difficult opponents.
• Manaka returned to pitch in the seventh, but a line drive from Yakushi’s cleanup hitter struck his left shoulder and forced him from the game.
• Yakushi scored four runs over the final two innings and defeated Ichidai Third.
• Kōshū urged Eijun to prepare for every possibility, and Seido’s coach said strength determined how far a team could go.

Kōshū refined his Slider while Seidō prepared to face Yakushi, and Chris’s scouting showed that Sanada might not pitch a complete game. The chapter ended with Kataoka naming Tanba as the starter and assigning Kōshū to left field, while keeping the other pitchers ready.

• Kōshū retreated to his dorm after his teammates questioned why he was skipping his nap, then fell asleep after receiving messages about Inashiro’s victory.
• The Sasaki family read about Ichidai Third High losing after its pitcher was struck by a line drive, and Shen Qing called Teacher Takashima despite her husband’s objections.
• Kōshū practiced his Slider with Miyuki and Lang Zhi, stabilizing the pitch after finding the right finger-flicking motion.
• Lang Zhi continued catching for Kōshū while privately feeling discouraged that he had not played in practice games like his brother and other teammates.
• Chris presented his scouting report on Yakushi, identifying Sanada as a likely ace and Mishima, Todoroki, and Akiha as the main batting threats.
• Kataoka named Tanba as the starter against Yakushi, assigned Kōshū to left field, and ordered the remaining pitchers to stay ready.

Seido opened its game against Yakushi with Tanba facing the fearsome Raichi at the top of the batting order. Tanba struck out Raichi and retired the side, while Kataoka considered rotating pitchers to keep Yakushi from adapting.

• Kōshū saw that Yakushi had moved its Central Batting Lineup to the top of the order, with Raichi leading off.
• Coach Todoroki urged Raichi to exploit Tanba’s shaky mentality, while Miyuki carefully planned how to attack him.
• Tanba followed Miyuki’s calls and struck Raichi out with a Curveball after Raichi fouled off several pitches.
• Raichi praised Tanba’s pitch as he left the Batter’s Box, and Seido’s fielders encouraged Tanba.
• Tanba got Yakushi’s next batter to ground out and struck out Mishima with a Forkball to end the inning.
• Kōshū urged Tanba to accept water from the other pitchers, reminding him that Seido’s Pitcher Lineup was united.

Seido built a 4–0 lead over Yakushi before Sanada replaced Mino, and both teams tested each other’s pitchers. Tanba then faced Todoroki Raichi with their signals breaking down, leaving the inning’s outcome unresolved.

• Isashiki, Yuki Captain, and Masuko helped Seido score four runs in the first inning, while Miyuki made the final out.
• Yakushi’s batters forced Tanba to throw aggressively in the second inning, and Coach Todoroki replaced Mino with Sanada before Seido’s next at-bat.
• Sanada struck out Kominato Ryosuke with a Cutter, then got Isashiki to hit an infield grounder.
• Ichidai Third’s players arrived and saw Seido leading Yakushi 4–0, while Tanba struggled to keep Yakushi’s runner at first.
• Todoroki Raichi fouled off Tanba’s pitches, and Tanba refused Miyuki’s signal to walk him, choosing to duel the batter.

Tanba refused to walk Raichi and struck him out for the second time, drawing strength from his teammates’ support. Seido held its 4–0 lead through the third inning, while Yakushi’s Sanada continued to limit their offense.

• Tanba rejected Miyuki’s suggestion to walk Raichi, and Yuki and the other third-years encouraged him to challenge the batter.
• Tanba and Miyuki worked together to strike out Raichi, and Tanba’s teammates retired the next batter with a runner stranded on second.
• Yuki grounded out in the bottom of the third, while Masuko reached first on an error.
• Miyuki reached first on a ground ball that forced Masuko out at second, leaving Sanada with two outs.
• Kōshū fouled off strikes and took balls to reach a full count, but Sanada’s outside-breaking Cutter was caught by the second baseman for the third out.

Todoroki Raichi hit a two-run home run off Tanba, but Tanba recovered and kept Yakushi from scoring again before Kawakami took over. Haruichi pinch-hit, while Kōshū realized the seniors’ final summer was nearing its end and resolved to give his all.

• Todoroki Raichi hit Tanba’s curveball into the stands for a two-run home run, narrowing Seido’s lead to two runs.
• Miyuki and the other Seido players gathered around Tanba, who admitted he could no longer handle Raichi and would walk him next time.
• Tanba walked a batter but induced a ground-ball double play to end the inning without allowing another run.
• Kataoka praised Tanba, announced that Kawakami would pitch the next inning, and sent Haruichi in as a pinch hitter.
• Haruichi connected the batting lineup before Seido’s turn ended, while Kōshū reflected on the seniors’ final summer and resolved to give his all.

Kawakami held Yakushi to one run before Seido brought Kōshū in to face Todoroki Raichi with two outs and a runner on first. Kōshū and Raichi squared off for the crucial at-bat, with the story ending before the first pitch.

• Kawakami allowed Yakushi to score once in the top of the seventh, then got Sanada out.
• Masuko hit a fast line drive, but Yakushi's shortstop caught it and helped turn it into the third out.
• Kawakami nearly ended the next inning, but Yakushi's ninth batter reached first on a difficult play.
• Kataoka substituted Kōshū for Kawakami, bringing him in to face Raichi with two outs and a runner on first.
• Coach Todoroki urged Raichi to treat Kōshū as a step toward facing Narumiya Mei, and Raichi entered the Batter's Box fired up.
• Miyuki set his glove inside for Kōshū's fastball as the two players prepared to face off.

Kōshū entered a brief Flow State and struck out Raichi, helping Seido extend its lead and close out the game against Yakushi. Afterward, the narrator described personal memories of experiencing Flow State.

• Kōshū threw a devastating inside fastball to Raichi, then struck him out with a sequence of pitches.
• Miyuki and Kōshū exchanged a fist bump as Seido prepared to bat in the bottom of the eighth.
• Seido scored a run during the eighth inning, widening its lead to 6:3.
• Kōshū and Miyuki struck out Yakushi’s batters in the top of the ninth, ending the game.
• The narrator recalled entering Flow State as a student and shared a memory of freezing during a final exam.

After Seido’s win, Kōshū reunited with his family and was teased by his teammates before being assigned to start in left field against Sensen. As the team prepared for the coming games, Kōshū practiced imagining his showdown with Todoroki Raichi.

• Kōshū shook hands with Todoroki Raichi and promised to strike him out next time, making Raichi cry again.
• Kōshū reunited with Shen Qing and Mr. Sasaki, while he and Lang Zhi noticed their mother had dressed up for the visit.
• Eijun and Seido’s upperclassmen joked about Kōshū spending time with his family, then put him through a morning of live batting practice.
• Kataoka Manager announced that Seido would rotate its pitchers against Sensen and assigned Kōshū to start in left field.
• While the other pitchers trained, Kōshū stood before a net and mentally replayed his confrontation with Raichi.

Seido faced Senzen in the semifinal at Jingu Stadium, where Furuya started and Kōshū played left field. Kōshū and Furuya hit back-to-back home runs, and Seido defeated Senzen while testing its pitchers.

• Kōshū reflected on how aggression had shaped his pitching and resolved to keep it within bounds.
• Kataoka named Furuya the starter against Senzen, with Kōshū in left field.
• Miyuki singled with runners on first and third, bringing in a run and leaving runners on first and second for Kōshū.
• Kōshū hit Maki’s inside pitch for a three-run home run, then urged Furuya to attack the next pitch.
• Furuya hit a home run to center field, giving Seido consecutive home runs by first-year pitchers.
• Eijun took over on the mound in the fifth, and Senzen’s manager acknowledged Seido’s victory and strategy after the game.

Seido studied Narumiya Mei’s pitching and prepared its pitchers and batting strategy for the upcoming game against Inashiro Industrial. With Tanba set to start and the team traveling to Jingu Stadium, the chapter left their summer tournament fate undecided.

• Kōshū and Lang Zhi tracked Narumiya Mei’s pitches as Seido watched Inashiro Industrial defeat Sakurazawa.
• On the bus, Kōshū reviewed his pitches and considered how to face Narumiya Mei, while Miyuki urged him to focus on effective combinations and strategy.
• Kataoka Manager assigned Tanba to start, Kawakami to warm up from the third inning, and Furuya and Sawamura to enter from the sixth.
• Kōshū and Lang Zhi finished their limited analysis of Narumiya Mei, and Kōshū fell asleep after mentally rehearsing his pitching rhythm.
• The next morning, Seido warmed up and boarded the bus for Jingu Stadium.

Seido used relay pitching to protect an early lead against Inashiro, and Kōshū entered as the closer in the bottom of the sixth. Shen Qing and Mr. Sasaki arrived just as Kōshū was called to the mound.

• Kōshū recalled Kataoka Manager assigning him to pitch from the seventh inning through the end of the final game.
• Seido scored once in the first inning, while Tanba held Inashiro scoreless through the third.
• Kataoka Manager replaced Tanba with Furuya in the bottom of the fourth, and Furuya struck out Harada Masataka with his fastball.
• Seido and Inashiro remained scoreless after Seido's first-inning run through the sixth inning.
• Shen Qing and Mr. Sasaki arrived at Jingu Stadium and heard that Kō-kun was replacing Furuya as pitcher.