【甲子園への道 福岡】「この仲間で勝ちたい」1型糖尿病を抱えながら戦う沖学園・寺林秀真選手、仲間とつかんだサヨナラ勝ち

At Oki Gakuen High School's baseball team in Fukuoka Prefecture, there's a third-year student who, despite having a chronic illness, is aiming for the Koshien tournament with his teammates. His name is Shuma Terabayashi. He developed type 1 diabetes in the fourth grade of elementary school and temporarily left baseball, but with the support of his teammates, he returned after about a year. Wearing jersey number "17," he's taking on his final summer challenge with his beloved teammates. ===■High School Baseball Player Fighting Against Type 1 Diabetes While Monitoring Blood Sugar Levels=== Shuma Terabayashi, a third-year student at Oki Gakuen High School. He developed type 1 diabetes in the fourth grade of elementary school. Adjusting his blood sugar levels with insulin injections and snacks is essential. Before practice, he eats snacks when his blood sugar levels are likely to drop or when they were low before practice. He constantly monitors his blood sugar levels with a device on his arm during daily practice. Especially during his growth spurt, adjusting his blood sugar levels was difficult, and there were times when he couldn't play baseball. ===■ "I get so much energy from them": Phone calls from teammates were a source of support === When he had to take a break from baseball, it was his teammates who supported him. "There was a time when everyone called me from the train platform and asked, 'How are you doing?'" he recalls. He smiled and said, "I get so much energy from their encouragement." The support of his teammates was a great source of strength for him to return to the field. ===■ "Thanks to the support of many people": Returning after about a year, he receives the number 17 jersey === With his feelings for his teammates in his heart, Terabayashi returned to the baseball team in March of this year after about a year. He continued to swing the bat with all his might, and he received the number "17" jersey. "I really received this number 17 because of the support of many people, and I want everyone to remember that Oki Gakuen won." He will transform his gratitude into strength and take on his final summer challenge. ===■A fierce battle in extra innings and a walk-off victory achieved with teammates=== The opponent in the fourth round was Kyoto High School. Terabayashi supported his teammates from the bench. In the 8th inning, trailing by one run, Oki Gakuen created a chance with a walk by pinch hitter Suenaga Naoki (2nd year), and tied the game with a timely hit by number 8, Miyoshi Kenshin (2nd year). They scored three runs in this inning and successfully took the lead. In the top of the 9th inning, Terabayashi took the field in center field. However, Kyoto scored two runs to tie the game. The game went into extra innings and a tiebreaker. In the top of the 10th inning, they faced a bases-loaded situation, but ace pitcher Takada Shoki (3rd year) struck out two consecutive batters to keep the score at 0. Then, in the bottom of the inning, Oki Gakuen created a bases-loaded opportunity, and Miyoshi stepped up to the plate. He hit a walk-off single, securing a hard-fought 5-4 victory. ===■"I want to win with these teammates": With gratitude in his heart, the summer is not yet over=== Oki Gakuen won a close game despite the struggles. Terabayashi's summer is not over yet. After the game, Terabayashi reiterated his gratitude to his teammates, saying, "I was able to play on the field because of everyone's support." "I have a strong desire to win with these teammates, so I want to win each game one by one with Koshien as my goal." Together with the teammates who supported him, the battle to reach the dream stage continues.