Koshien: Strong Teams Fall, Fans Say Yokohama Looks Unbeatable
Listen to the story
The Koshien tournament, Japan's famous national high school baseball competition, is now taking place. Another strong team has been eliminated from the event.
Fans on social media have been discussing Yokohama High School, saying that no team seems able to beat them this year. Many are asking which school could possibly challenge them.
In one match, Mie High School defeated Riseisha, a team known for its strong baseball program. Mie will now move on to play in the quarterfinals of the tournament.
In another game, Sendai Ikuei also took part in the competition. One of its players, Arimoto Goru, was tagged out after making a mistake while running between bases.
Arimoto reportedly said he was determined to make up for the error later in the game. He kept his promise by hitting a double, which allowed his team to score a point.
Fans following the tournament have reacted strongly to the results so far. Many are watching closely to see what will happen next as more strong teams face elimination.
Vocabulary10 words
- Koshien
- a very famous baseball event in Japan
- eliminated
- out of a competition after losing
- challenge
- to try to compete against someone strong
- quarterfinals
- one of the last four rounds before the final
- tagged out
- stopped from continuing to run in baseball
- double
- a baseball hit that lets a player reach second base
- determined
- having a strong wish to do something
- reacted
- responded with feelings or comments
- competition
- an event where teams try to win
- strong team
- a team that usually plays very well
Quiz
Answer key
1. No team seems able to beat them 2. They beat Riseisha and reached the quarterfinals 3. He hit a double and scored a point
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
The Koshien tournament, Japan's famous national high school baseball competition, is now taking place. Another strong team has been _____ from the event.
Fans on social media have been discussing Yokohama High School, saying that no team seems able to _____ them this year.
Many are asking which school could possibly _____ them.
In one match, Mie High School _____ Riseisha, a team known for its strong baseball program.
Mie will now move on to play in the _____ of the tournament.
In another game, Sendai Ikuei also took part in the competition. One of its players, Arimoto Goru, was _____ after making a mistake while running between bases.
Arimoto reportedly said he was _____ to make up for the error later in the game.
He kept his promise by hitting a _____, which allowed his team to score a point.
Fans following the tournament have _____ strongly to the results so far.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think fans are so interested in whether Yokohama High School can be beaten?
- How important is mental determination in sports, based on Arimoto's story?
- What makes a high school sports competition like Koshien special to fans?
- Do you think making up for a mistake during the same game shows good character? Why or why not?