In the evening, on the streets of Hakusan Town.

After the training, Tetsu Nishino and Kazuya Nishino went home together and walked side by side.

"Kazuya, do you think we really have a chance to break into Koshien?"

During the time he came into contact with baseball, Tetsuya Nishino gradually learned about the significance of Koshien through anime and some baseball magazines.

In fact, the official name of Koshien is Hanshin Koshien Stadium. It was built in 1924 and is the earliest regular baseball stadium in Japan.

This golf course was designed and built by the famous Japanese construction company Obayashi Group. The heavenly stems and earthly branches of that year happened to be "A" and "Zi", which was a very rare year, so it was named "Koshien".

It is now also the home base of the Japanese professional baseball team Hanshin Tigers.

But what really makes this stadium famous in Japan is that Koshien is the mecca of Japanese high school baseball.

Especially influenced by the long-term promotion of the National High School Baseball League, the three words "Koshien" have almost become synonymous with Japanese high school baseball.

Therefore, when "Koshien" is mentioned in Japan, it generally refers to the selection competition for high school field players, that is, the spring competition, or the national competition for the rights of high school outdoor players, that is, the summer conference.

The high school baseball national competition is held every spring and summer at Koshien Stadium. Especially in the summer competition, only less than 50 schools that win out of nearly 4,000 high schools across the country are eligible to compete.

The Japan High School Baseball League does not have a regular season. The twice-yearly national competition is their only chance to chase their dreams. A high school baseball team must defeat 7 or 8 teams in the region in a row in the knockout round to win the prefectural championship.

Only those who win can enter Koshien.

"A once-in-a-lifetime summer!"

Teams that want to enter Koshien must go through challenges and cannot lose a game.

Most high school baseball players grow up in the same trajectory.

When I first joined the club in the first grade, I was weak and couldn't make it into the first team.

In the second grade, I joined the first team, but because there were stronger seniors, I couldn't make the starting lineup.

In the third grade, I was strong enough to be a starter, but I was already facing the problem of graduation and it was already my last summer.

Therefore, the main players of the teams that enter Koshien are usually third-year students who are about to graduate.

"If you lose, go home!"

Under the single-elimination tournament format, once the team is eliminated, the third-year seniors will basically never have the chance to compete in Koshien.

"If you miss it, it will be a lifetime."

Regret, unwillingness, remorse.

There is only one high school in Japan that can leave the last smile in Koshien.

Other defeated high school baseball players could only bid farewell to their baseball youth with tears.

"It's a place where teenagers won't be laughed at even if they shed tears."

...

Hearing Nishino Tetsu's question, Nishino Kazuya was stunned for a moment.

"Well, if I'm honest, it's too difficult." Nishino Kazuya was also a little helpless.

After all, over the past 50 years since the establishment of Hakusan High School, Koshien still maintains a record of 0 appearances.

To put it bluntly, Hakusan High School has never even touched the turf in the finals of the Mie Prefecture, let alone Koshien's turf.

There are probably more than 70 high schools in Mie Prefecture. Although it is not as fierce as Tokyo and Osaka, but if you want to win, you must have the strength to defeat more than 70 other high schools.

However, although the baseball atmosphere in Hakusan Town is good and the baseball club is not lacking in members, the performance of the Hakusan High School baseball club has not been very good.

In fact, Tetsu Nishino also checked the results of the recent summer meeting of the Hakusan High School Baseball Club and was shocked.

"Isn't this the fish belly among fish belly?"

In 2007, he was defeated in the first battle.

In 2008, he was defeated in the first battle.

In 2009, he was defeated in the first battle.

In 10 years, he was defeated in the first battle.

In 11 years, he was defeated in the first battle.

In the 12th year, he was defeated in the first battle.

In 13 years, he was defeated in the first battle.

In 14 years, he was defeated in the first battle.

In 15 years, he was defeated in the first battle.

In 16 years, he was defeated in the first battle.

In 17 years, he was defeated in three battles.

At the prefectural meet last summer, with a lucky bye in the first round and defeating another prefectural high school in the second round, the Hakusan High School Baseball Club successfully advanced to the third round.

This is already a major breakthrough in the history of the Hakusan High School Baseball Club. It is very difficult to go further.

Of course, whether this is good or bad for the Hakusan High School Baseball Club cannot be judged solely on performance.

Because prefectural high schools have limited funds, if they forcefully aim to enter Koshien, they will need to provide a large amount of funds to the baseball club, including equipment fees, transportation fees, field maintenance fees, accommodation fees, etc.

Often, some prefectural high schools cannot resist the temptation and forcibly increase investment to form a baseball club with the goal of entering the Koshien. As a result, the team formed has overdrawn resources that exceed the school's load capacity, and in the end it failed to enter the Koshien.

garden.

Once the senior members retired, those prefectural high schools could no longer sustain themselves, so they had no choice but to abolish the baseball club.

Therefore, compared to those prefectural high school baseball clubs that can't even gather nine starters, the Hakusan High School baseball club can maintain a majority of nearly 40 people, which can be said to be very difficult.

In this regard, the leadership of Kamihiroyama High School and the residents of Hakusan Town have made a lot of efforts to maintain a place where children can play baseball.

If there is no place to touch baseball, how can the seeds of love for baseball take root and germinate?

To judge the efforts of the Hakusan High School Baseball Club based only on their results would be no less than an insult to these innocent young men.

Even if they are not strong, the efforts of the players who stand upright on the baseball field should receive due respect.

...

"Then why don't you go to some famous baseball club like others?" Tetsu Nishino asked.

"Well, I really want to go to Koshien to see that place, but I even want to stay at Hakusan High School and play baseball with everyone!"

As Nishino Kazuya spoke, he raised his fist and waved his arm.

"To sum it all up, I want to lead Hakusan High School into Koshien!"

The boy's voice was so firm.

Kazuya Nishino looked determined and said: "Only in the purest time and doing the purest things can youth have no regrets!"

"..." Tetsu Nishino.

"You didn't think of that last sentence yourself, so I was a little moved just now."
Chapter completed!