2009[Hanamaki Higashi vs. Nagasaki Nihon University]91st Championship 1st round ◆ Yusei Kikuchi (currently MLB) vs. Daichi Osera (currently Hiroshima). ◆2009/08/12

91st Championship Tournament 1st round “Hanamaki Higashi (Iwate) vs. Nagasaki Nihon University (Nagasaki)”. August 12, 2009 (2009/08/12) Hanshin Koshien Stadium. Hanamaki Higashi for the 5th time in 2 years, consecutive spring and summer. At Senbatsu, they lost to Kiyomine (Nagasaki) 0-1 in the final and finished in the semi-finals. At the Iwate tournament, he was considered the favorite to win, and in the final against Hajime Morioka, who had a close battle with low scores, he made a comeback in the final stages to win. The main breadwinner is Yu Kikuchi, a super high school level left-hander (later played for Seibu and MLB). His weapons include a fastball of up to 152 km (as of pre-tournament) and a sharp slider, making him difficult to capture when he’s in good shape. In qualifying, he pitched 25 innings with 32 strikeouts and 3 runs allowed. The team’s batting average of .383 was among the highest among the participating schools, and the batting line was strong, centering on cleanups, scoring 50 points in six games. Their pitching and hitting are both at a high level, and they are aiming for their first win as a Tohoku team, which they narrowly missed out on at Senbatsu. Their opponent will be Nagasaki Nihon University, who will play for the 8th time in 2 years. Top 4 at the championship two years ago. At the Nagasaki tournament, where Senbatsu V’s Kiyomine was the big favorite, they defeated Kiyomine 3-1 in the quarterfinals and quickly rose to the top. Ace Ryo Osera (later of Hiroshima) has a powerful fastball in the low 140 km/h range. His victory over Kiyomine raised his profile, and in the semi-final match against Qionpo, he did not allow a hit or run until the 8th inning. The team’s batting average was .325 and they scored 45 points in 6 games. Cleanup also had a high batting average and hit three home runs. With Ryo Osera’s excellent pitching, they aim to surpass their performance from two years ago. Related videos 81st Senbatsu 1st round Mukawa vs Hanamaki Higashi ⇒ https://youtu.be/gNvQLszTHDs 81st Senbatsu final Kiyomi vs Hanamaki Higashi ⇒ https://youtu.be/vOXdk-KOE8Y[High School Baseball Archives]⇒ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmcX3wyqvhDDsQY60w1TaDUBssfUDHxoc