Senbatsu 2025 Semifinal Highlight

Aces from the Best 4 Teams - Senbatsu 2025 Semifinal

As Senbatsu Tournament quarterfinal games ended yesterday, the lineup of best 4 members already decided. Yokohama from Kanagawa, Kendai Takasaki from Gunma, Chiben Wakayama from Wakayama, and Urawa JItsugyo from Saitama. Three teams from the Kanto Slot, and one team from the Kinki Slot.

Here we got three powerhouses that already marked so many impactful records on Japanese highschool baseball history, and one newcomer that became the true darkhorse presence of this tournament.

Best 4 Highlights

Yokohama, with their notable record as the champion of Meiji Jingu Baseball Tournament last fall. Marked a total of 26 wins on their participation in Senbatsu Tournament, the last time they won Senbatsu Tournament was back in 2006. They aiming to hold the consecutive title of champions since Meiji Jingu Tournament.

Kendai Takasaki, standing still as Gunma representative for three consecutive years. Marked their appearance 8 times in Senbatsu Tournament, they are in their peak condition to hold still their position as the winner of the latest edition in 2024.

Chiben Wakayama, the mighty powerhouse that won the Summer Koshien 2021, has progressing well after their 'fallen era' since the last time they won the summer title. As they finally recorded a total of 30 wins so far since their latest victory from the quarterfinal match-up against Hiroshima Shogyo, the red knight from the Kinki empire tries up to their best effort to be able to stand still as the last Kinki representative who stood in the ground of Koshien this spring.

And among these three famously known powerhouses, there is one team that only marked their first appearance by this year in Senbatsu Tournament, yet they managed to stand up steadily against many strong teams that being anticipated in this tournament.

Not by a mere luck, but also by their collective strategies through their very own defense and offense, and has been walking through with such a big result of victory. Which then led them to the most brilliant achievement of their baseball club history, to become one of the best 4 member in Senbatsu Tournament.

That is what you called a "Darkhorse". Or we can call them Urawa Jitsugyo―a common private high school which also one of the largest private school in Saitama.

Urawa Jitsugyo: The Underrated Darkhorse

Urawa Jitsugyo baseball team

First founded in 1946 as Kunori Abacus Research School (九里珠算研究塾, Kunori Shuzan Kenkyuu Juku), later named into Urawa Jitsugyo Gakuin and then Urawa Jitsugyo Shogyo, the name finally established as Urawa Jitsugyo Gakuen High School after 1975.

Able to load for about 400 students in common studies and 240 in commercial studies, merged with 120 students from junior class, Urawa Jitsugyo can be claimed as the one of the largest private school in Saitama. In their second year of senior high, all students required to participate in a short study abroad program in Hawaii.

The baseball team itself was founded in 1975, right after the latest official name was established. The members in total is 77, consist of 73 boys and 4 girls (manager).

Right in the commemorative year of 50 years since the founding of the baseball club, they managed to participate in the Senbatsu Tournament for the first time, and that counts as their first participation in Koshien from both spring (Senbatsu) and summer tournament.

Why "Underrated Darkhorse"?

Urawa Jitsugyo's performance in Koshien

What makes me entitled them as 'The Underrated Darkhorse' was because it's really rare and unexpected to have a newcomer that comes up to best 4 so far in their very first appearance in the tournament. Another notable newcomer that able to surpass beyond first round in their very first appearance is Enagic Sports, who was able to participate in Senbatsu even though they only just founded 4 years ago. But then they got defeated by Chiben Wakayama in the second round by 4-9.

And also, most of news media gave Urawa Jitsugyo a low rank value with commonly comes up with C rank. I know that media nowadays, or even from long ago, sometimes do a bias evaluation through any subject that spreading among society. 

But to be honest, not only media but most of highschool baseball fans also didn't expected that they will survive this far in Senbatsu. So I think this is a fair situation and wonderful scenery of highschool baseball in Japan like we used to witness sometimes.

How did Urawa Jitsugyo get to Koshien so far? I've resumed all their game record since last fall in the section below. 

From Prefectural Tournament until the National Tournament

In the Saitama Fall Prefectural Tournament, they got their first win with a walk-off game by 6-5 against Saitama Heisei HS. In the second round, they called the game in 7th against Ogano HS by 7-0. In the third round, they faced Seibo Gakuen who participated as Saitama representative in Summer Koshien 2022, defeated them with a slight gap of run by 3-1. 

In the quarterfinal, they faced another tough opponent in their prefecture, Urawa Gakuin. But then, they marked such an amazing victory by shutting them out scoreless, 4-0. In the semifinal, they advancing forward after defeated Yamamura Gakuen by 4-2, and in final, they are showing no mercy as they won by 9-1 against Seibu Dai HS. 

In the Kanto Fall Tournament, they won in the first round against Utsunomiya Kogyo by 4-2. In the quarterfinal, they won a shutout game against Tsukuba Shuei by 2-0. But, in the semifinal, they lose against Yokohama by 2-3. 

And so, Urawa Jitsugyo ended their best record of Fall Tournament as best 4 team. But not only that, they also managed to participate in the Senbatsu Tournament the next year in 2025, too. And this marked their very first participation in the Koshien both Spring and Summer tournaments.

In the first round of Senbatsu, they faced one of the best 8 team from last summer, Shiga Gakuen and defeated them by 3-0. In the second round, they won another big victory against Tokaidai Sapporo by 8-2. 

And in the latest round of quarterfinal, they survived the tie break game against Seiko Gakuin through such an unexpected way of victory by scoring 8 runs in the 10th. They managed to advance into the semifinal as best 4 member for the first time ever, the most great achievement they recorded since the founding of their club 50 years ago.

The Immovable Ace

Ishido Souta LHP

The works of batters and fielders has been encouraging Urawa Jitsugyo team to survive until now. But then, there is one presence that has been empowering the team as the main keyman.

Ishido Souta might be the one of lefty pitcher you commonly found in any mid-class team of highschool baseball club. Since he has no overpower speed in his pitching like other powerhouse team's pitcher do, and has a slender looks that makes you think, "What's make him special among others?".

The pitching form.

As you can see in the picture above, he sure has an odd form of pitching. Highly lifting his right leg up above his waist, then giving a short pause before he delivered his pitches right from the highest release point. As odd as his opponent find it hard to give those pitches an appropriate contact to the fair zone.

His fastball averaged at 120+ km/h and topped at 131 km/h. Even though his pitch speed seems average in highschool baseball level, he able to hold an ERA record lower than 2.00 since last fall, and in this tournament he still only recorded 0.00 ERA from three games so far.

Aside from his pitching, he also never shows a decent emotions on his face or any nervous gestures when he pitches on the mound. A poker-face pitcher with an 'odd' pitching habit is truly a real deal for many batters exist in this sports. 

Will Chiben Wakayama Become The Next 'Victim'?

Urawa Jitsugyo already defeated three teams in Koshien so far, with all of them of them being a powerhouse team from their native hometown―Shiga Gakuen, Tokaidai Sapporo, and Seiko Gakuin.

Their next opponent in the semifinal is as tough as their previous opponents, or perhaps more stronger. It's Chiben Wakayama from the 'Kinki empire' we talking about.

Chiben Wakayama's ace, Watanabe Hayato

Marked 30 wins in Senbatsu Tournament record so far and 43 wins in Summer Koshien record, makes them one of the most prominent team in Japanese highschool baseball history. They also won the Summer Koshien back in 2021, but sadly, they came in despair after always being defeated in second round of national tournament three consecutive years.

But in this Senbatsu 2025, they started to push forward to their best condition as they manage to survive until semifinal so far. Their defense became more solid than last year, and their offense are getting more better after had to adapt with the new bat that decrease their contact rate.

Yet the true challenge is how to face Ishido's 'bothersome' pitches in their offense this time. Urawa Jitsugyo's previous opponents were only just fine facing their own opponent before they met Urajitsu. Not only just that, all were a powerhouse team.

The main manager of Chiben Wakayama, Nakatani Jin himself said in an interview that Ishido is truly their weakness in terms of facing a lefty that threw a 'slow' fastball. As they were also being suffered by the same type of pitcher last summer when facing Kasumigaura and lost in the second round.

He then revealed that the team has been practicing with pitcher's group trying to imitate Ishido's form and making a simulation through his pitches as a counterplan for the next match-up. Not only just by imitating, the batter lineup want to focus on Ishido's release point and trying their best to get the perfect timing to make a contact with his pitches.

Although previous teams already doing the same thing as well, Chiben Wakayama is gaining an advantage as they can learn from the previous matches, and rearrange the strategy once more to face them up in the next match-up.

Will they be the next 'victim' of Urawa Jitsugyo's unexpected high-skilled play like their previous opponents? The time will tell soon.

Defending Champions Showdown

Kendai Takasaki vs. Yokohama

The match-up between Kendai Takasaki (Gunma) vs. Yokohama (Kanagawa) is sure become one of the main feast in semifinal stage. As these representatives from Kanto region were also a defending champions from different tournaments.

Kendai Takasaki had won the latest edition of Senbatsu and ready to hold on the title once again this year with their team's massive offense rate and solid defense. In other hand, Yokohama has marked a brilliant record as the champion of Meiji Jingu Tournament last fall.

Both teams had its own advantage and superiority as powerhouses. It's really hard to imagine who will survive from this showdown, as both team did have prominent batting lineup and pitcher's rotation.

The main highlight probably will be the rotation as well. In Kendai Takasaki side, the main starter role mostly taken by Shimoshige Kenshin, a huge lefty pitcher with a sharp pitches and good control within. He has been starting the game twice on the previous games between Meitoku Gijuku and Tsuruga Kehi. Another lefty that started the game as well is Yamada Ryota, which has left a good record too in the previous game against Hanamaki Higashi.

On the righty club, they got Shimada Tsubasa as reliever, and their ace of this tournament, Ishigaki Genki. He has became a hot topic as he break the record of the fastest pitch to be thrown in Senbatsu by 155 km/h, surpassing the previous record made by Hirao Takuya (Uji Yamada) and Fujinami Shintarou (Osaka Toin) with 153 km/h.

In Yokohama side, they got this monstrous young pitcher like Oda Shoki who can throw up to 150 km/h continuously, and lefty ace Okumura Raito who also has the potential as Two-Way Player (TWP) in their team, since he often started as outfielder and bat at 7th order.

With both side having a solid lineup of defense and offense, it is difficult to see who will be the last to survive and advances to the final stage, but then it will become an exciting match-up to watch soon after this.

Which champion will survive the tough battle of powerhouses, then? The result will be clear soon...