Yokohama pitcher Oda amazes Kasumigaura at Koshien
Listen to the story
Shoki Oda, a pitcher for Yokohama High School, has impressed opponents at the Koshien tournament with his unpredictable pitching style. Yokohama faced Kasumigaura High School in a recent match.
Oda struck out seven of the twelve batters he faced during the game. His pitches varied greatly in speed and movement, which is often described as a changeup style. This made it very difficult for the Kasumigaura batters to time their swings.
Kasumigaura's cleanup hitter, who bats fourth in the lineup and is known as the cleanup batter, is a player named Nishino. He admitted that Oda's pitching was so surprising that he could not help but laugh. 'I just laughed,' he said after the game.
This was the second consecutive game in which Oda served as Yokohama's stopper, a pitcher brought in to prevent the opposing team from scoring. His consistent performance has drawn attention throughout the tournament.
Koshien is a major national high school baseball tournament held twice a year in Japan, and it is considered one of the most prestigious events for young players. This year's tournament has been notable for its surprising results. Half of the teams that reached the quarterfinals have never won the summer championship before, and some schools are competing at Koshien for the very first time. Four teams are still hoping to win their first summer title, showing that this year's tournament could produce a new champion.
Vocabulary8 words
- pitcher
- a player who throws the ball to the batter
- Koshien
- a famous Japanese high school baseball tournament
- batters
- players who try to hit the ball
- changeup
- a pitch that looks fast but is actually slow
- cleanup
- the fourth batter, usually a strong hitter
- stopper
- a pitcher who prevents the other team from scoring
- tournament
- a series of games to find a winner
- quarterfinals
- the round with the last eight teams
Quiz
Answer key
1. Seven 2. Stopper 3. True
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Shoki Oda, a _____ for Yokohama High School, has impressed opponents at the _____ tournament with his unpredictable pitching style.
Oda struck out seven of the twelve _____ he faced during the game. His pitches varied greatly in speed, often described as a _____ style.
Kasumigaura's _____ hitter, a player named Nishino, admitted that Oda's pitching was so surprising that he could not help but _____.
This was the second consecutive game in which Oda served as Yokohama's _____, a pitcher brought in to prevent the opposing team from scoring.
Half of the teams that reached the _____ have never won the summer championship before.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think unpredictable pitching styles are difficult for batters to face?
- What qualities do you think make a good 'stopper' pitcher in baseball?
- How important do you think tournaments like Koshien are for young athletes?
- Do you think it's exciting when new or first-time teams do well in big tournaments? Why or why not?