Rookies

After starting teaching at Futako-tamagawa High School, Koichi Kawato volunteers to coach its troubled baseball team — but the players defy him.

Kawato stakes his job on getting the team ready for a practice game. Hoping to vex Kawato, Wakana says his group would rather play soccer.

Shinjo confronts the delinquents who defaced the club room and attacked the former team members. Aniya and the others back him up, sparking a brawl.

Wakana becomes the team catcher, but he can't play the position well and storms off. Shinjo stubbornly continues distancing himself from his friends.

The practice game against Youga High begins. Pitcher Aniya starts strong, but when fatigue sets in, Kawato makes a surprising suggestion.

Down by one run with two outs at the bottom of the ninth, the Nikogaku team members pin all their hopes on their unexpected pinch hitter.

Kawato arranges a game against Megurogawa High's team, led by former Nikogaku student Enatsu. Aniya and the others begin training diligently.

As the game continues, Aniya shows off a new skill. When the Megurogawa players start faltering, Kawato gives them some unexpected encouragement.

While Mikoshiba and Toko attend the Koshien lottery, Aniya's group discovers that the baseball grounds have been trashed by a transfer student's crew.

After Nikogaku begins an impressive run in the preliminaries, Kawato is summoned by the High School Baseball Federation over a troubling news article.