Over 1,000 spectators gathered for a regional preliminary round that wasn't even part of the Koshien finals... What made Japanese high school baseball different? [The Road to Koshien ①]

*This content was translated by AI.

Even after the 9-8 one-run game ended, the cheering continued. The victorious Kasukabe High School team and supporters briefly set aside their joy to send enthusiastic applause and encouragement to the defeated Chichibu High School. In this way, one school's summer continued while another school's final summer concluded amidst the opposing team's cheers.

On the 12th, Kasukabe High School secured a nail-biting 9-8 victory over Chichibu High School in the second round of the '108th National High School Baseball Championship (Summer Koshien) Saitama Prefecture Regional Preliminaries' held at Omiya Park Baseball Stadium in Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan.

The intense match saw both teams combine for 25 hits and nearly as many walks and hit-by-pitches, exchanging a total of 17 runs. Scenes rarely seen in Korean high school baseball also unfolded. Chichibu High School's ace Kaginuma threw over 130 pitches across eight innings but suffered a complete-game loss after allowing nine runs. Meanwhile, Kasukabe High School's ace Takahashi, struggling with control, was pulled in the second inning and took on the role of bat boy.

Players' uniforms from both teams quickly became covered in dirt, and roars and cheers erupted from the field and stands every time a run scored. Over 1,000 spectators attended the Kasukabe-Chichibu match that day. We wondered why so many people would dedicate their attention to a regional preliminary round, far removed from the national Koshien finals where even professional baseball draws nationwide interest. Kentaro, whom StarNews met on-site, defined it simply: "High school baseball is youth."

Kentaro, whose child attends Kasukabe High School, played baseball during his own high school years. While not a regular attendee of every regional preliminary, he said he naturally feels drawn to the sight of student-athletes giving their all.

Accompanied by family, Kentaro smiled and remarked, "High school baseball is a stage one can experience only once in a lifetime. Since losing means immediate elimination, the passion and energy displayed by players are fundamentally different." He added, "Baseball has long been Japan's representative sport. As this culture and history have continued, high school baseball has naturally taken root in local communities."

As Kentaro described, despite the scorching 32-degree heat, spectators of all ages gathered at the Omiya Park stadium. From young children holding their parents' hands to elderly people in their 70s and 80s, everyone enjoyed the high school baseball games like a neighborhood festival.

The emotion of cheering for a team from one's birthplace was special. In regions without professional teams, Japanese high school baseball established itself as their own community team. Even on weekends, some students attended in their school uniforms to support their alma mater.

Shochufukaya High School's Sanomiya and Mitsuhashi traveled approximately one hour and 30 minutes from Fukaya to attend their alma mater's game. Both had never before visited a regional preliminary match.

Mitsuhashi said, "I haven't watched much high school baseball, but our school is participating in the tournament, so we came to cheer." Sanomiya added, "For third-year players, this is their final tournament where losing means retirement. That's why there's a clash of hearts and pride that cannot be surrendered. I believe this creates another unique charm beyond professional baseball."

The expressions used by a middle-aged spectator who had long followed high school baseball differed from those of a first-time female high school student visitor. Yet both saw the same thing: it was the students' final stage, one that could never be experienced again.

Among Japan's approximately 3,700 high school baseball teams, only 49 advance to the Summer Koshien finals. Even reaching Ji Yeok (CEO) is an immense honor. While 139 teams participated in the Saitama Prefecture preliminaries, only one school could qualify for Koshien. Kasukabe High School, with its 127-year tradition, had never advanced beyond the regional preliminary round of 32 teams.

Not just anyone is permitted to step onto the regional preliminary stage. At the venue, the baseball club where the players belonged had around 50-60 members, but only about 20 were selected for the tournament roster. On weekdays, they trained until night after finishing classes, and on weekends, they devoted themselves to baseball from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Not all of them dreamed of becoming professional baseball players. Shochufukaya High School's Asto and Iyanagi aspired to become firefighters and sports trainers, respectively. Iyanagi smiled while saying, "Koshien is the ultimate stage that every high school baseball player aims for," but added, "Beyond professional baseball, each student has their own diverse dreams and goals."

The cheers from the stands were not directed solely at future professional baseball stars. Even if baseball would not become their profession, the support was for students giving their all as athletes in this very moment.

We saw everyone uniting for a game that might be someone's final one. Current high school students participated as student supporters, and some alumni formed brass bands alongside juniors, creating a magnificent scene. After the match, there was also time when student players personally thanked their supporters who had cheered for them for over three hours.

Lower-grade students assisted with guidance and tournament operations, while some spectators cleaned up their seats after the game to avoid defiling the space of passion. School members collectively participated in what could be the players' final games. This level of involvement hinted at why high school baseball has long continued within schools and local communities.

Thus, Kasukabe High's summer continued with one more game. Simultaneously, Chichibu High School's third-year players' high school baseball journey ended that day. Yet the cheering never stopped until Chichibu High School student players finished their final farewells in front of the stands and turned to leave. The victors did not celebrate only their own victory; they also saw off the loser's final summer, which would never return.

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*This content was translated by AI.