Chapter 180: Chapter 69: The Main Event Arrives
April 3, 2011, Sunday.
Outside the Hanshin Koshien Stadium, there was a bustling scene, people jostling against each other, reminiscent of last summer.
The surging crowd flowed along different paths, and long queues extended outside each entrance of Koshien Stadium; beneath the green walls covered in climbing ivy, were faces brimming with joy.
Amidst the crowd, vibrant banners were being hoisted high up, fluttering in the winds of spring and summer, lifting everyone’s spirits along the way.
On the event board hanging high outside the stadium, today’s showdown was clearly and prominently announced, the giant words shining brightly in the sunlight:
[The 83rd Senbatsu High School Baseball Tournament]
[Championship Day]
[Tokai University Sagami (Kanagawa) vs Waseda Jitsugyo (Tokyo)]
According to official statistics for this tournament, the attendance for this final match was the highest for a spring tournament in the past five years, with as many as over 40,000 people — although this number is the average level for the latter half of the Summer tournament, for the slightly less popular spring tournament, it was indeed a pleasant surprise.
As for the ratings, this spring tournament has already demonstrated its immense potential, particularly several matches of Waseda Jitsugyo, each having consistently high ratings — so when asked who, aside from the players, would be most pleased seeing Waseda Jitsugyo enter the finals, the tournament organizers Daily News would surely step forward without hesitation.
The game hasn’t started yet, but the atmosphere inside the stadium for the finals was becoming increasingly intense; cameras continuously scanned the stadium, and spectators began to recognize the faces of various celebrities.
The live commentary booth, amid casual chat, introduced the identities of the celebrities appearing on camera to some viewers watching at home:
"Ah, this is Sugano Tomoyuki, the former ace of Tokai University Sagami, now the ace pitcher of Tokai University — it’s worth noting that their family has served Tokai University Sagami for generations; and his uncle is none other than Hara Tatsunori, the most famous alumnus of the Tokai University Sagami Baseball Club, now the manager of the Giant Team."
"Ah, this is Furuta Atsuya, indeed, as the very first catcher in the history of Nihon Professional Baseball, Furuta-san is here to watch the game live today — after all, as a catcher, many times one indeed pays more attention to those genius pitchers."
"As predicted, President Wang Zhenzhi is also here — as the most famous alumnus in the history of the Waseda Jitsugyo Baseball Club and the leading pitcher when Waseda last won the spring tournament, will President Wang’s arrival bring good luck to today’s Waseda players?"
The stands inside the stadium were also in a state of excitement.
"Tokai University Sagami is the champion! Yes!"
"Tokai University, Japan’s Number One! Tokai University, Japan’s Number One!"
"Let’s make up for last summer’s regrets!"
Cheers, screams, shouts, overflowing enthusiasm — clearly, these were the supporters of Tokai University Sagami.
The large formation was no less than several thousand people, mostly students from the school and relatives of the players on the field; everyone in the formation wore the green and white support uniforms of Tokai University Sagami High School, and together with the green stands of Koshien, they created a spectacular scene against the blue sky and white clouds.
As the Summer甲 runner-up team that was just one step away from the national top last summer, despite losing many key players, Tokai University Sagami’s strength should not be underestimated — especially their batting lineup’s current form, which can be described as unstoppable, having scored a total of 30 runs in four matches during this spring tournament.
Entering the finals of the Koshien tournament for the second time in a row, this time, Tokai University Sagami’s determination was strong, vowing to win the spring tournament championship and wash away last summer’s pain.
"Waseda! Waseda! Dominator Waseda!"
"Please, you must clinch the victory!!!"
"Restoring Waseda’s glory is our responsibility!!!"
Seeing the immense momentum created by Tokai University Sagami’s supporters’ formation, Waseda Industries’ side, positioned across the stadium, naturally wouldn’t hold back, making their response.
Just like the fully equipped Tokai University Sagami, the supporter formation on Waseda’s side also wore a uniform color of support uniforms — that was the maroon color exclusive to Waseda.
From the moment it was certain their team had successfully entered the Koshien finals, Waseda Industries’ entire school’s various departments went into overdrive: as one of the leading prestigious schools in West Tokyo and across Japan, they had to create a considerable atmosphere in Koshien for their team.
Last night, on Waseda’s side, the department responsible for event support urgently issued a notice, summoning more students and team member representatives to Koshien overnight to support the players on the field.
Looking afar, Waseda’s side of the Alps Stand was almost completely occupied by the school’s students, conservatively estimated at over 8000 people.
Additionally, they also brought the same support specifications as those used by Waseda University for university baseball league game days:
At the forefront of the support group were past OBs wearing baseball team uniforms and current team members, who acted as cheerleaders, responsible for leading cheers at the front line— to emphasize the school’s importance for this match, they invited nearly 40 past players, including last summer’s key players, such as Suzuki Kensuke and Tsuchiya Ryota among them;
Behind the team members was a dedicated cheerleading squad, lively girls in short skirts, holding pom-poms, continuously jumping along both sides of the stands.
If not for the tournament’s prohibition on instrument use this year, behind the cheerleading squad would have been an exclusive brass band, using passionate brass music and the rhythmic beats of drums to cheer their players and apply pressure on opponents.
But this did not dampen the enthusiasm of Waseda’s supporters — since there were no instruments, they made their own sound:
Several thousand students joined hands, shoulder to shoulder, under the leader’s guidance, singing out Waseda’s exclusive cheer song, "Cyan Sky."
With their singing, the entire Alps Stand seemed to tremble, slightly overshadowing the momentum created by Tokai University Sagami.
To the right side of Waseda’s stands, Lin Guanglai’s parents, along with his sister Lin Xinglai were seated in the family section of the formation — as the closest family members, how could they miss such a historic moment?
"Wow — it’s truly spectacular!" Seeing such a feverish atmosphere inside the stadium, Lin Xinglai couldn’t help but exclaim.
To cheer for her brother, Lin Xinglai specifically wore the Waseda Jitsugyo Baseball Club jersey today — youthful and attractive, with long legs, she stood out in the crowd, already captured several times by the broadcast cameras on the sidelines, sparking heated discussions among viewers at home.
Through the camera’s wide-angle lens, the white-green Tokai University Sagami formation and maroon Waseda Industries formation each dominated half of the stadium, distinctly separating the Koshien Stadium into two halves.
Though it was not the scorching summer, everyone inside could clearly feel:
The air, was burning.
Though the finalists had yet to appear, people could already sense the mix of anticipation and tension.
The grand finale, was about to commence.