The Evolution of Rookie Okuda Matsugen Minoshima Amateur Baseball NOW vol.37

The semi-finals and finals of the 48th All Japan Club Baseball Championship were held on the 3rd at Jet Black Flowers Stadium (Ashikaga City General Sports Park Hardball Baseball Stadium) in Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture, where Matsugen Minoshima Hardball Baseball Club (Wakayama) won their sixth championship in four tournaments. Rookie pitcher Kanta Okuda (23) was selected as the Most Valuable Player.

= Pitcher Kanta Okuda of Matsugen Minoshima baseball team who expanded the range of his pitches

Expanding the range of pitches, becoming MVP

“When I was a student, I always pitched throwing everything I had at the batter. Now, I think I can strike out batters by watching their reactions and thinking about a lot of things. When my name was called as MVP, I was honestly happy because it was an experience I had never had before,” said Okuda, who was filled with joy at the award ceremony.

At 173 cm, he is not tall for a pitcher, but he has a tremendous presence on the mound, toying with batters with his fastball of nearly 150 km/h thrown from a right three-quarter arm and his newly learned curveball.

Due to the rain caused by Typhoon No. 10, which had complicated movements, the schedule was changed, and the semi-finals and finals were held on the same day on the 3rd. In the semi-finals, which were a Kinki showdown against long-time rival Yamatotakada Club (Nara), pitcher Okuda started.

He pitched well at key points, allowing only 8 hits in 8 innings and striking out 6. He got through the innings without giving up any runs. The fact that he only threw 109 pitches in the eighth inning is proof of his growth.

He played against Yamato Takada Club in the second qualifying round of the Kinki District Intercity Baseball Tournament in May, and won the game 6-5 in extra innings. However, he pitched as the third pitcher from the eighth inning, but was unable to hold on to a three-run lead and was temporarily overtaken.

With the support of his batting line, he was the winning pitcher, but gave up four runs in three innings, using 57 pitches. He is a promising player who aspires to enter the professional baseball world, having graduated from Hanazono University.

Manager Nishikawa Tadahiro looks back on that time. “Even when I threw balls at nearly 150 km/h, the balls were fouled off, and the number of pitches increased. If I don’t broaden the range of my pitches, even if I can make it in college, I won’t be able to make it in the working world.”

After the preliminaries for the Intercity Baseball Tournament, he increased the number of pitches he pitched, including the forkball, and changed his setup. The results were apparent when he led his team to victory in the first game of the tournament against the Chikumagawa Hardball Baseball Club (Nagano) with a no-hit, 12 strikeouts, and 105 pitches in seven innings.

Pitcher Kanta Okuda (left) and catcher Yukinaga Fujita of the Matsugen Minoshima baseball team pitched eight scoreless innings in the semi-final against Yamatotakada Club.

Stocking products at a supermarket, working closely with the local community

The players work at the supermarket “Matsugen” in Osaka and Wakayama while also working hard at baseball. Pitcher Okuda also works hard at arranging products on the shelves.

The team also continues to be active in the community, such as setting up a comprehensive sports club as an NPO. The team has never won a Japan Championship, but in 2019, the last time they participated, they put up a good fight against Toyota Motor Corporation in the first round, losing 0-1.

Manager Nishikawa, who has been involved with the team since its inception in 1996, said with a smile, “We are a young team, so confidence will lead to further growth. I think winning the club championship will make us a more energetic team.”

Pitcher Okuda also expressed his fighting spirit, saying, “We want to do our best so that we don’t lose in spirit even against corporate opponents.”