Recaps

Kōshū faced a shoulder problem that kept him off the mound while Seido relied on its other pitchers through the Autumn Tournament. After recovering his feel and helping Seido advance, he wrestled with what it meant to be ace as Inajitsu became their next opponent.

• Kōshū reduced his pitching because his arm remained heavy after Summer Koshien, and a doctor later diagnosed inflammation and ordered him not to pitch for at least half a month.
• Kataoka named Furuya and Kawakami to handle Seido’s first three games and told the team to take responsibility rather than rely on its Koshien legacy.
• Seido beat Tachikawa Private 3-2 after Furuya struggled and Eijun came in to pitch, while Kōshū watched from the dugout.
• Seido defeated Teito without Kōshū pitching, and his hospital follow-up later cleared him to return to the mound.
• Kōshū regained his pitching feel by focusing on his lower-body rotation, then pitched the final innings as Seido beat Kawasaki Academy.
• After Inashiro won, Kōshū admitted to Miyuki that he did not know what being ace meant but could not accept giving up the position, and Miyuki urged him to stay in it longer.
• Kataoka assigned Kōshū to left field for Seido’s game against Inajitsu, and Kuramochi began their first at-bat against Hirano.

Seido struggled to score against Inashiro’s pitching, while Furuya faltered and Kōshū took over on the mound despite an injured ankle. In the eighth, Tōjō drove in the tying run, leaving the game level as Kōshū prepared to face Narumiya Mei again.

• Hirano and Hayakawa kept Seido scoreless through the early innings, and Narumiya Mei took the mound for Inashiro in the fourth.
• Furuya allowed Inashiro to score, so Kataoka replaced him with Kōshū, who retired Narumiya and held Inashiro scoreless in the following innings.
• Kōshū hit a single off Narumiya in the sixth and advanced to third, but Narumiya caught Shirazu’s bunt and ended Seido’s scoring chance.
• Kōshū continued pitching while his ankle hurt, retiring Carlos and Shirakawa as Haruichi noticed that something seemed wrong.
• Haruichi and Miyuki reached base against Narumiya, and Maezono and Asou advanced the runners to second and third.
• Tōjō hit Narumiya’s changeup to right field and brought the tying run home, then Lang Zhi struck out with runners on first and third.
• Kōshū encouraged Lang Zhi after the inning and faced Narumiya’s gaze, determined that the team that endured to the end would win.

After hiding an ankle injury, Kōshū rested, rebuilt his plans, and returned to lead Seido against Yakushi and Ichidai Third. He pitched strongly in the final and hit a double off Amakuhisa, but the fleeting sense that he had surpassed his limits faded as Seido prepared to take the field again.

• Kōshū hid his injured ankle while pitching against Inashiro, struck out Yamaoka, and got Narumiya Mei out before admitting his injury to Kataoka and learning he needed to rest.
• Kataoka assigned Miyuki to manage the remaining pitchers and Chris to guide Kōshū, while Kōshū watched a Swallows Second String game with Mr. Sasaki and drafted a new plan for his development.
• Seido faced Yakushi with Furuya starting, and Kōshū watched as Furuya struck out Raichi and kept Yakushi from scoring while Seido built a 2–0 lead.
• Kataoka brought Kōshū in as a pinch hitter, and Kōshū drew a walk before Asou’s bunt and Kuramochi’s fly ball helped Seido extend its lead to 3–0.
• Sawamura replaced Kōshū in the field and struck out Yakushi’s ninth batter, then gave up a home run to Raichi before recovering with Kōshū’s reassurance and helping Seido preserve the win.
• After Kōshū’s foot healed, Kataoka named him the starter against Ichidai Third, and Miyuki sought Chris’s advice on how to draw out each pitcher’s strengths as a catcher and captain.
• Kōshū pitched effectively against Ichidai Third, struck out Amakuhisa with a Slider he had not used in ages, and later hit Amakuhisa’s Slider to the right-field corner for a double.
• Amakuhisa struck out Lang Zhi to end the inning, and Kōshū’s brief feeling of surpassing his limits faded as his teammates reassured him before Seido returned to the field.

Kōshū helped Seido win the Tokyo Autumn Tournament and then faced Hongo and Kyoma University at Meiji Jingu, where Seido lost 0–2. Back home for the offseason, Kōshū considered his stamina and met a reporter who wanted to document his baseball career.

• Kōshū hit a three-run homer off Amakuhisa to give Seido a 5–0 lead, and Seido went on to win the Tokyo Autumn Tournament.
• Kōshū faced the Retirement Match, watched Yuki Tetsuya get drafted by the Yakult Swallows, and continued developing his Slider and fastball with Miyuki and Eijun.
• Seido advanced to the Meiji Jingu final against Kyoma University, where Hongo struck out Seido’s batters and Kōshū held Kyoma scoreless through seven innings.
• Miyuki reached base against Hongo, but Kyoma’s pitchers kept Seido from scoring, and Seido lost 0–2.
• After the game, Hongo exchanged contact information with Kōshū, who then stayed at Seido for the offseason and considered his stamina and a bone-density check.
• Kōshū returned home with Lang Zhi and agreed to meet reporter Yuan Jing, who said he would fund the early stages of a documentary about Kōshū himself.