"Congratulations to Hanamaki East High School! After a 2-year hiatus, they enter the Summer Koshien for the 6th time!!!"
On the TV screen, the face of a baby-faced boy beamed with a smile, the kind of genuine joy emanating from within, unique to the Takayama boys in this summer.
The commentator, responsible for the play-by-play, was still marveling at the performance of Hanamaki East players—especially their core player, the sophomore ace Ohtani Shohei, who received lavish praise.
"In this match, although Hanamaki East's Ohtani wasn't able to pitch due to a leg muscle injury, he started as the main right fielder and made an outstanding contribution to Hanamaki East's victory with his batting."
"Throughout the game, as the third batter, he hit two hits and assisted his teammate with a laser throw to tag out a base runner in the bottom of the third inning."
