Episode 17

Everyone's Reactions

Even though rival Furuya is in top form, Sawamura can still cheer him on with, "You're not slacking either." I really felt like he’s got what it takes as an ace now. This was an episode where both of Seidou's star players truly shined. It’s true that you grow when you play in games; watching Tree-kun’s growth made me a bit teary-eyed. Carrying the pressure of batting fourth at his age, it gets my heart racing just watching him. When Furuya reached base with a potential hit, there was always the threat of a big swing since he’s the type who can send it flying. People say strikeouts and home runs are the flower of baseball, but I get it—those explosive hits are beautiful too. There were lots of voices hoping for a Furuya vs. Honjo rematch in the Koshien finals. Since Honjo is the quiet type who lets his actions speak, I’m curious to see what kind of expressions he’ll show once they get that far.