Summer Koshien: Chiben Wakayama to Face Yokohama in Semifinal
Japan's summer high school baseball tournament, known as Koshien, has reached the semifinal stage.
On August 20, two important games will take place.
Chiben Wakayama will face Yokohama in one semifinal.
In the other semifinal, Tenri will play against Kendai Takasaki.
The winners of these two games will move on to the final.
The final will decide the tournament champion.
One player to watch is Yamada Rinko, the cleanup batter for Chiben Wakayama.
He is remembering a game from last spring's Spring Koshien tournament.
In that game, his team faced Yokohama's pitcher, Oda.
Yamada has said that he "could not do anything" against Oda's pitching.
He described the experience as a big shock.
Now, Yamada and his team have another chance to face Yokohama.
Fans are watching to see if Yamada can perform better this time.
The Koshien tournament is one of the most famous sporting events in Japan.
It brings together the best high school baseball teams from across the country.
Every year, thousands of fans watch the games, both in the stadium and on television.
Vocabulary5 words
- semifinal
- a game before the final; the winner plays in the final
- face
- to play against someone in a competition
- champion
- the winner of a competition
- batter
- the player who tries to hit the ball in baseball
- shock
- a strong feeling of surprise, often not nice
Quiz
Answer key
1. Two 2. Cleanup batter 3. True
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Japan's summer high school baseball tournament, known as Koshien, has reached the _____ stage.
Chiben Wakayama will _____ Yokohama in one semifinal.
In the other semifinal, Tenri will play against Kendai _____.
The winners of these two games will move on to the _____.
The final will decide the tournament _____.
One player to watch is Yamada Rinko, the cleanup _____ for Chiben Wakayama.
In that game, his team faced Yokohama's pitcher, _____.
Yamada has said that he "could not do anything" against Oda's _____.
He described the experience as a big _____.
Now, Yamada and his team have another chance to face _____.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think high school baseball is so popular in Japan?
- Have you ever had a rematch after losing to someone? How did you feel?
- Do you think memories of past losses can help players improve? Why or why not?
- What makes tournaments like Koshien exciting to watch?