Koshien: Hanamaki Higashi starts Akama in bid for quarterfinals
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Hanamaki Higashi High School, representing Iwate Prefecture, faced Eimei High School, representing Kagawa Prefecture, in a third-round match at the summer Koshien tournament, one of Japan's most prominent high school sports events.
Held annually at Koshien Stadium, the tournament brings together representative schools from across the country, each having earned the right to compete after winning regional qualifiers.
For this crucial third-round fixture, Hanamaki Higashi's coaching staff named Fumiya Akama as the team's starting pitcher, giving him the responsibility of setting the tone for the match.
Head coach Hiroshi Sasaki commented ahead of the game on his team's approach, saying the priority was to avoid giving Eimei any opening to exploit.
His remarks reflected a cautious, disciplined strategy, typical of teams competing at this stage of the tournament, where a single mistake can end a school's run.
A victory in this match would carry Hanamaki Higashi into the quarterfinals, placing them among the final eight teams still competing for the national title.
The Koshien tournament, officially the National High School Baseball Championship, is widely regarded as a cultural highlight of the Japanese summer, drawing large crowds and extensive media coverage.
Because only one school from each prefecture qualifies to represent their region, every match carries significant weight, both for the players and for their home communities.
The event has a long history and is known for fostering intense school pride, with alumni, students and local supporters often traveling long distances to attend games in person.
As the 2026 tournament progressed to its third round, both Hanamaki Higashi and Eimei were competing for a chance to continue their campaign toward the later stages of the competition.
The outcome of the match would determine which of the two schools advanced further, with Hanamaki Higashi hoping that Akama's performance on the mound would help secure the win.
Vocabulary7 words
- tournament
- a series of games to find one winner
- compete
- to try to win against others
- starting pitcher
- the player who throws first in a baseball game
- exploit
- to use a weak point to gain advantage
- quarterfinals
- the round with the last eight teams
- represent
- to officially stand for a place or group
- campaign
- a team's ongoing effort in a competition
Quiz
Answer key
1. Iwate and Kagawa 2. Avoiding giving Eimei a weakness to exploit 3. True
Discussion questions
- Why do you think high school baseball is so popular in Japan?
- What kind of pressure might a starting pitcher feel in an important tournament game?
- How can a coach's strategy affect how a team performs under pressure?
- Do you think regional pride (representing a prefecture) makes competitions more exciting? Why or why not?