夏の甲子園宮崎大会を前に　10回目の出場めざす第１シード日南学園

Sports are heading into the Summer Koshien Miyazaki Tournament. The final episode, on July 4th, will feature Nichinan Gakuen, the top seed and boasting the most Summer Koshien appearances in the prefecture with nine. The Nichinan Gakuen baseball team has 77 members. As a new team, they won the Kyushu Tournament Prefectural Qualifiers last fall and the Prefectural Championship in May of this year. As the top seed in the tournament, they are aiming for their 10th appearance at Summer Koshien. Head coach Kanagawa Goichiro had this to say about this year's team... (Kanagawa Goichiro) "This year's team doesn't have exceptionally talented players, but they've managed to demonstrate a style of winning in the tournament by playing defense as a team, minimizing runs allowed, and capitalizing on the few opportunities they have." On the batting lineup, Taiwanese exchange student Tsai Wei-chen, who has developed into the team's number four batter with his extraordinary power, and Watanabe Kodai, known for his competitive batting, will play a key role in the cleanup hitters. Pitchers: The pitchers pitched 30 scoreless innings in the prefectural qualifying round for the Kyushu Autumn Tournament. Led by ace pitcher Nagatomo Takumi, the team also includes pitcher Hashimoto Yoshiteru, who throws powerful fastballs from his 190cm height. Reliever Hanashiro Ren displays spirited pitching in tight situations. This diverse team of pitchers controls the game and leads the team to victory. Leading the team on both offense and defense is experienced captain Ino Daichi, who has been a regular since last year. (Captain Ino Daichi) "As captain, I believe I'm number one in both games and practice, so I'll play well and inspire the team." "This is the third-year students' last summer, so the whole team will focus on every game and we'll definitely make it to Koshien." "The focus of this summer's prefectural qualifying tournament is actually not on the players, but on the coaches." Moriyama Genki, the ace pitcher who helped Nichinan Gakuen reach consecutive spring and summer Koshien tournaments nine years ago during the prefectural qualifying tournament, has returned to the team this year as coach. (Coach Moriyama Genki) "It's always been my dream to become a high school baseball coach, so I'm incredibly happy and honored to be back at my alma mater." "Koshien truly is a place that changes lives. I felt that very strongly during my time at Koshien in the spring and summer tournaments, so I tell my players, 'This is a place that will change your life.'" What are your expectations for the pitchers? (Coach Moriyama Genki) "We have Nagatomo, who has worn the ace number, Sugimoto, who is recovering from injury, and many other pitchers. I think the team can win if they play as the core, so I'm looking forward to seeing some great pitching." Under Coach Moriyama's guidance, Nichinan Gakuen has a strong pitching staff, and they're aiming to play defensively and reach the dream stage for the first time in seven years. The Summer Koshien Miyazaki Tournament will begin on July 5th, with the opening ceremony held at Sunmarine Stadium and the start of the first round. Top-seeded Nichinan Gakuen's first game will be against Nobeoka Seiun on July 9th.