KEIO BASEBALL YEAR──Reflecting on the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League Autumn Championship Victory

Image: The moment of victory in the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League Autumn Championship (October 30, 2023)

Recently, the university baseball club secured its 40th Tokyo Big6 Baseball League championship, its first in four seasons. This was a perfect championship, earning points from every university, a feat not achieved in 11 seasons. About two months ago, the Keio Senior High School baseball team achieved the great feat of winning the Summer Koshien for the first time in 107 years, and the front page of a certain sports newspaper was decorated with the headline "Keio Year." Furthermore, the first- and second-year students also won the Tokyo Big6 Fresh Tournament.

I was appointed Director of the Baseball Club this academic year, entering the dugout at Jingu Stadium for the first time in 27 years since I was a player in 1996. However, the first battle was shocking. The spring game against Hosei was filled with the tension typical of an opening game, but we were hit with a sudden three-run homer in the first inning, held to three hits and seven strikeouts, and suffered a crushing 0-10 defeat compounded by four errors. I couldn't help but think, "This year will be tough." Only three players—Hirose, Miyazaki, and Sotomaru—had been regulars since last year, making this a truly "new" team. We lost points in the following series against Meiji, dropping two consecutive series and falling out of the championship race early on. However, the team recovered from there, earning points in the Waseda-Keio rivalry with home runs by Hirose and others, ultimately finishing in third place. I heard that based on this experience, they devoted themselves to a significant amount of practice over the summer.

Then came the autumn season. Watching batting practice from behind the cage before the games, I was surprised by the players hitting balls with a sharpness incomparable to the spring. In the opening series against Rikkyo, we got off to a good start with home runs by Miyazaki and Honma. The next series against Hosei was a literal struggle to the death. We won the first game thanks to Hirose's home run and Sotomaru's excellent pitching, but lost the second game despite two home runs by Kuribayashi after giving up runs in the ninth. The third game was a 0-0 draw after 12 innings with neither side yielding an inch, and the fourth game was a back-and-forth battle where the entire lineup of fielders and pitchers worked together to snatch the series victory. This victory proved the team's strength and built the players' confidence. We also earned points against the University of Tokyo with hits from everyone, finally facing the spring champions, Meiji. Just before the game, I told them behind the dugout, "We are strong. Remember everything we've done, trust your teammates and yourself, and let's fight together," but inside, my anxiety that we might not actually win was greater. Contrary to those thoughts, the lineup exploded from the first inning to score five runs, and ace Sotomaru pitched almost perfectly. We lost the second game by a narrow margin, but in the third game, we overcame their ace from the first inning, and Sotomaru pitched a shutout even more impressive than his previous performance. At that moment, I was convinced that this team was the strongest in the Big6.

Finally, in the final week, we faced the 120th year of the Waseda-Keio rivalry. In the first game, tied 0-1 in the top of the ninth, we took the lead thanks to the performance of first-year pinch hitters. However, Waseda fought back in the bottom half, and we suffered a walk-off loss. After such a dramatic game, we entered the second game having cleared our minds; the lineup connected from the first inning with fourth-year students excelling, and a shutout relay by first-year Takeuchi and fourth-year Tanimura brought us to a 1-1 tie. In the third game, which effectively became the championship decider, captain Hirose hit a long-awaited two-run home run to give us the lead, sending the dugout into the highest excitement of the season. Waseda repeated their persistent attacks, but we pulled away with a home run by Honma and others, securing our 200th victory against Waseda, winning the league championship for the season, and reclaiming the Emperor's Cup.

Captain Hirose suffered under considerable pressure and tight marking from opposing teams, but ultimately hit home runs in crucial moments, leaving a career record for total home runs that ranks fourth in Big6 history (first is Yoshinobu Takahashi and third is Masaki Iwami, both from Keio). Vice-captains Ogawa and Zemba excelled mainly as pinch hitters and were spiritual pillars supporting the team from behind the scenes, earning deep trust from their teammates. Fellow vice-captain Morishita also supported the pitching staff and secured the final moment of victory. Kuribayashi was truly the core of the team, brilliantly winning the Triple Crown in his final season, showing that one can become such a player even after a gap year. Miyazaki was selected for the national team and led the strongest pitching staff as a catcher. The contributions of the fourth-year students—Tanimura as a reliable pitching pillar, Yoshikawa as an indispensable leadoff man, Saito Rain who delivered results at critical moments, and Sato Ichiro and Murakami who supported the team as pinch hitters—truly symbolized this season.

The third-year students Honma, Mizutori, and Saito Kaita, second-year ace Sotomaru, and first-year Ueda all worked just as hard as their seniors, each being a player with a unique personality. The student coaching staff, led by chief Seki, supported the players from behind the scenes, and every member of the baseball club—including those who didn't make the dugout, managers, the data team, analysts, student trainers, and the chief staff—led us to this result. Having played 15 games in the spring and 14 in the autumn, it was a joy to watch the team grow with every match. This "team power" that Manager Horii has built over four years is the symbol of Keio baseball. Additionally, the presence of Assistant Manager Nakane, who built the strongest pitching staff and supported the players closely, was significant. There was always a bright atmosphere (smiles) in the dugout during games, and the sight of everyone dedicating themselves to someone else was truly wonderful. The championship brought by such a team gave me emotion and joy, and I felt as though I understood the meaning of "Enjoy Baseball" for the first time.

And then, of course, there was the loud cheering from the massive cheering squad. For the first time in a while, the cheering seats were opened, and many Keio students, Keio University alumni, and faculty members attended. I heard that the President of Waseda University had notified students to go to the Waseda-Keio rivalry, but Keio's even greater support became a source of strength for the baseball club. After the victory, a ceremony was held at the cheering seats, where I was able to sing "Oka no Ue" and "Wakaki-chi" together with President Itoh, Vice-President Yamauchi, and the fourth-year students who struggled through the pandemic. To pass on this culture where the Juku becomes one, I want to continue aiming to be the "blessed leaders" that the President speaks of. I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude to everyone involved.

The Meiji Jingu Baseball Championship begins on November 15, and I believe that by the time this article is published, we will have become national champions along with the high school, making it a true Keio Year.

(Subsequently, they defeated Aoyama Gakuin University in the final of the Meiji Jingu Baseball Championship held on November 20, brilliantly becoming the university national champions. [Editorial Department])