High School Baseball Team Surprises Fans at Koshien Stadium
Listen to the story
Fans in Japan reacted with surprise after seeing a high school baseball team's uniform at the Koshien national tournament. Many people online noticed that the uniform looked much whiter than it did just a few days earlier at the local prefectural competition.
Some viewers wrote comments like, 'Was it always this white?' Others said the change was a well-known thing that happens before teams play at Koshien, one of the most famous stadiums in Japanese high school baseball.
In one match, a school named Kyoei lost to Riseisha, a school from Osaka, with a final score of 2-6. Kyoei struggled to make use of scoring chances during the game. The team used three different pitchers throughout the match.
In another game at the same tournament, a pitcher named Kimura from Riseisha threw a complete game, meaning he pitched from start to finish without being replaced. He threw a total of 167 pitches, a very high number for one player in a single game.
Many fans praised his performance online, calling him a truly skilled pitcher. Comments included words of admiration such as 'impressive' and 'clearly a great pitcher.' However, other fans expressed concern about his health, asking whether throwing so many pitches in one game could be too much strain on his arm.
The mixed reactions show how much attention young players receive at Koshien, where performances are often watched closely by fans across the country.
Vocabulary10 words
- uniform
- special clothes worn by a team
- tournament
- a competition with many games
- prefectural
- related to a local area in Japan, like a region
- chances
- good moments to succeed
- pitchers
- players who throw the ball in baseball
- complete game
- playing the whole match without stopping
- pitches
- throws made by a pitcher
- performance
- how well someone plays
- strain
- pressure or stress on the body
- reactions
- how people respond to something
Quiz
Answer key
1. It looked much whiter than before 2. Kyoei lost 2-6 and used three pitchers 3. True
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Fans in Japan reacted with surprise after seeing a high school baseball team's _____ at the Koshien national tournament. Many people online noticed that the uniform looked much whiter than it did just a few days earlier at the local _____ competition.
Some viewers wrote comments like, 'Was it always this white?' Others said the change was a well-known thing that happens before teams play at Koshien, one of the most famous stadiums in Japanese high school baseball.
In one match, a school named Kyoei lost to Riseisha, a school from Osaka, with a final score of 2-6. Kyoei struggled to make use of scoring _____ during the game. The team used three different _____ throughout the match.
In another game at the same tournament, a pitcher named Kimura from Riseisha threw a _____, meaning he pitched from start to finish without being replaced. He threw a total of 167 _____, a very high number for one player in a single game.
Many fans praised his _____ online, calling him a truly skilled pitcher. However, other fans expressed concern about his health, asking whether throwing so many pitches in one game could be too much _____ on his arm.
The mixed _____ show how much attention young players receive at Koshien, where performances are often watched closely by fans across the country.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think the uniform looked whiter at Koshien than at the earlier competition?
- Do you think it is safe for a young pitcher to throw 167 pitches in one game? Why or why not?
- How do fans' comments online affect how we see sports events?
- What makes big tournaments like Koshien special for young athletes?