Blood, Sweat, and Glory: Meiji University’s Quest for a Thrilling Finale in the Tokyo Six Universities Autumn League
Tokyo Six University Baseball 2024 Fall League Match vs. Meiji University
November 1, 2024 (Saturday), November 2 (Sunday)
Jingu Stadium
Although they achieved two consecutive wins in the Keio War in the 6th week, their chances of winning disappeared due to the result of the match against Waseda. Although it has been confirmed that they will be defeated by V for the ninth consecutive season, they cannot lose to Meiji University alone. Will this be the last card of the Yinyasu generation, and will it be a finale by gaining points for the first time since the fall of 2019?
A battle that will lead to next season
This season’s league schedule, standings (as of the end of week 7)
Ming War prospects
A rivalry showdown called the “Blood Homei War.” This is an opponent we must defeat even if our dream of winning the championship is crushed. However, looking back at their most recent matches, they have not gained any points since the fall of 2019 and have been struggling.
Meiji University currently has a chance of winning the championship, but the leader Waseda University is the magic number 1, and that possibility disappears once they suffer one loss. Additionally, both Hodai and Meiji University are tied with three points, and if they win, they will be in second place for the first time since last spring.
For Meiji University’s pitching staff, ace Takasu (3rd year, Shizuoka), who won the best ERA this spring, injured his elbow in the second game against Keio and was sidelined. Still, left-handed pitcher Mori (3rd year, Fukuoka Ohori) pitched 24 innings, struck out 23, and had an ace-class performance with an ERA of 1.88, which was third in the league. Furthermore, most of the relief pitchers are speed bowlers who throw over 150 kg. Asari (4th year = Kokoku), who was selected 3rd overall by the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters at the recent draft meeting, is in good shape as he showed good relief in the Waseda War the other day.
Nippon Ham 3rd place Asari
The core of the batter’s lineup is captain Rui Soyama (4th year, Koryo), who was selected first by the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles after competing with five teams. In the second round against Waseda University, his competitive strength shines through, as he made a timely hit to tie the game with a three-point difference. Furthermore, Taiga Kojima (3rd year = Tokai University Sagami), who also played No. 4 on the Samurai Japan University National Team, is a point getter with 11 RBIs, which ranks third in the league.
Captain Rui Soyama
On the other hand, the Hodai pitchers are paying attention to Kentaro Shinoki’s (4th season = Kisarazu Sogo) final heroic appearance. An absolute ace who was selected in second place by the Yokohama DeNA BayStars at the recent draft meeting. He pitched in 7 games this season, with 3 wins and 1 loss, but although he was not blessed with a win, he is showing the image of an ace defending the mound. I want you to see Han’s final pitch since his debut in the fall of 1st year and carrying the ace number “18” since the spring of 2020.
Ace Kentaro Shinoki
As for fielder, Riku Kumagai (person 1 = Hanamaki Higashi) is currently at the top of the league with a batting average of .516. He is aiming to become the first first-year leadoff batter in 32 years. In addition, Ayumi Matsushita (Business 3 = Toin Gakuen) leads the batting lineup with 4 home runs, tied for the top in the league, and 12 RBIs, which ranks second. He has hit in eight consecutive games, and his condition has improved in the second half. If he wins the top nine for three consecutive seasons, he will be the first Hodai student to do so in 18 years since Keiji Ohiki.
Aim for the top nine for the third consecutive season! Ayuka Matsushita
Will they be able to grab the winning points with the final card of the Yinyasu generation and make a happy ending? I would also like to see a fight that will lead to the legal administration from next year onwards. (Daisuke Yabuki)