Japanese College Baseball News

November 10, 1997

Nihon University Earns Promotion (November 10, 1997)
Kinki University earns national amateur crown (November 10, 1997)
Kanto Baseball Results Fall '97 (November 10, 1997)
College Baseball Rumble Leads to Suspensions (October 14, 1997)
College Baseball League Information

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Nihon University Earns Promotion

(November 10, 1997) Nihon University earned promotion to the Toto Daigaku League's first division by defeating Toyo University in a three game relegation series. Second-year pitcher Makoto Yoshino was the hero of the series for Nichi Dai. Yoshino started all three games, pitching an 11 inning shutout in game one that allowed Nichidai to earn a 1-0 victory. The southpaw held Toyo scoreless for the first four innings in game two before getting knocked out.

Having scored only three runs in the first 20 innings of the series, Nichi Dai manager Akio Takahashi juggled his lineup for game three, inserting several lower classmen into the lineup. His hunch payed off as second-year DH went three for three and Nichi Dai scored five runs. "We hadn't been hitting all seaon, so I figured it was time we saw what some of our second-year players could do," Takahashi said.

With an early four run lead, the lefty Yoshino stumped Toyo batters for a second game, complementing his 137 KPH fastball (85 MPH) with wicked sliders and curves routinely dropping at batters knees. Over the three-game series, Yoshino threw 363 pitches in 24 2/3 innings.

Nichi Dai's victory earned them a promotion to the first division for the first time in two and a half years. For Toyo University, defeat means returning to the second division for the first time in nine years.

Source: Nikkan Sports

Kinki University earns national amateur crown

(November 10, 1997) Kinki University, who won the national University title this spring, defeated industrial league-champion Mitsubishi Juko of Kobe 5 to 4 at Osaka's Nissei Kyujo on November 5. The player of the game was Kinki Dai's Akio Shimizu who hung on to earn the complete game victory.

This was the seventh year for the amateur championship game and Kinki's victory gives the collegians two straight victories (Aoyama Gakuin University won last year), although the industrial league champions hold a a four game to three edge in the series.

The championship game marked the last time admissions will be charged at Nissei Kyujo. Nissei was built in 1950 and was the main park for the Pacific League's Kintetsu Buffaloes from 1958 to 1983.

Kanto Baseball Results Fall '97

(November 10, 1997)

Tokyo Roku Daigaku

(November 10, 1997) Hosei University won the Fall tournament for its 37th championship. Hosei last won a league championship in the 1996 Spring Tournament. Overall, Hosei won ten, lost two and tied none. Hosei beat Meiji for the title by beating them in their final series of the season.

Traditional league doormat, Tokyo University, finished fifth by beating Rikkyo two out of three in their final series of the season. Because of the way the league championship is determined, Tokyo finished fifth by vitrue of having its only two wins against fellow weakling Rikkyo, thus earning a series victory. Rikkyo, despite its better winning percentage, failed to win a single series and finished in the cellar.

In their traditional season ending series. Keio University downed Waseda in three games. The series victory allowed Keio to pass Waseda and Meiji and finish in second palce on the basis of their winning percentage.

Tokyo Roku Daigaku--Fall 1997 Standings

   Team    G   W  L  T  Series Wins        Pct.
1. Hosei  12  10  2  0  5:Kei,Wa,Mei,To,Ri .833
2. Keio   13   8  5  0  2:To,Ri,Wa         .615
3. Waseda 13   7  5  1  3:Mei,To,Ri        .583
4. Meiji  14   7  6  1  3:Kei,To,Ri        .538
5. Tokyo  12   2  9  1  1:Ri               .182
6. Rikkyo 14   3 10  1  0                  .231

Tokyo Roku Daigaku-Best Nine

(I have to apologize if I have made a mistake with any players: names, as the readings are unavailable)

Pos	Player	Univ.	Votes	Times
P	Fujii	Waseda	21	1
C	Kubota	Hosei	25	1
1B	Yaguchi	Waseda	27	2
2B	Miyazaki	Hosei	27	1
3B	Yamaguchi	Keio	9	1
SS	Goto	Keio	22	2
OF	Ito	Hosei	27	2
OF	Takahashi	Keio	25	4
OF	Takamatsu	Meiji	23	1

Toto Daigaku Division 1

(October 30, 1997) Komazawa University won the Fall tournament for its 25th championship. Komazawa went into the last series of the tournament in second place behind spring champion Asia University. Komazawa won the title as they swept Senshu in their final series and Asia was upset by Aoyama Gakuin.

In their final game, Asia was down three runs in the eighth and a run in each of the eighth and ninth inngs brought them close, but they could not tie the game to send it into exrtra-innings and preserve their chances of defending their title. Both Komazawa and Asia won four series a piece during the tournament--Komazawa losing only to Asia and Asia losing only to Aoyama Gakuin, so the champion was determined by winning percentage, with Komazawa edging Asia .750 to .727.

Tokto Daigaku-1st Division--Fall 1997 Results

   Team      G   W  L  T  Series Wins        Pct.
1. Komazawa 12   9  3  4  4:Sen,Ri,Ao,To     .750
2. Asia     11   8  3  4  4:Koma,Sen,Ri,To   .727
3. Senshu   12   5  7  2  2:Ao,To            .416
4. Rissho   10   6  4  0  2:Sen,Ao           .416
5. Aogakuin 12   2  9  1  2:Asia,To          .400
6. Toyo     14   3 10  1  1:Ri               .272

Tokto Daigaku-1st Division Awards/Best Nine

(I have to apologize if I have made a mistake with any players: names, as the readings are unavailable)

Award	Player	Univ.	Votes	Times
Merit	Takeda, Hisashi	Komazawa	8	1
MVP	Ando, Masayoshi	Senshu	9	1
Batting	Hayashi, Yoshifumi	Senshu	-	1
P	Ando, Masayoshi	Senshu	10	1
C	Yasuda, Masanori	Asia	12	1
1B	Furukawa, Yuji	Koma	13	1
2B	Ibata, Hirokazu	Asia	7	3
"	Kudo, Kenji	Koma	7	2
3B	Taniwaki, Tsutomu	Senshu	13	1
SS	Takahashi, Kenji	Asia	14	1
OF	Itano, Shinji	Koma	13	2
OF	Onoda, Shuji	Rissho	11	1
OF	Hayashi, Yoshifumi	Senshu	10	3
DH	Yamada, Shinpei	Asia	10	3

Kanagawa Daigaku Division 1

(October 30, 1997) Kanto Gakuin University won the Fall tournament for its 37th championship. It was the second championship in a row for Kanto Gakuin.

Kanto Daigaku--Fall 1997 Results

   Team             G   W  L  T  Series Wins Pct.
1. Kanagawa Gakudai 12  9  2  1  4           .818
2. Kanagawa Dai     11  8  3  0  4           .727
3. Yokohama Shodai  13  7  6  0  3           .538
4. Yokohama Shidai  13  5  8  0  2           .385
5. Kangawa Kodai    13  4  9  0  1           .308
6. Yokohama Kokudai 14  4  9  1  1           .308

Shuto Daigaku

(October 28, 1997) Teikyo University won a Shuto Daigaku championship for the first time in 11 years. It was Teikyo's third league title in their history.

League honors for Most Valuable Player went to Teikyo's 4th-year-infielder Akio Nishida who hit .457 to take the league's batting title as well. Teikyo's pitcher Akihito Kikuchi was named the league's Most Valuable Pitcher.

Shuto Daigaku--Fall 1997 Results

   Team     G   W  L  T  Series Wins        Pct.
1. Teikyo  12  10  2  0  5                  .833
2. Nitai   13   9  4  0  4                  .692
3. Tokai   12   7  5  0  3                  .583
4. Tsukuba 13   5  7  1  2                  .385
5. Daito   11   3  8  0  1                  .273
6. Josei   13   2 10  1  0                  .167

College League Information

Tokyo Roku Daigaku

The Tokyo Roku League is the most prestigious College League in Japan. It consists of six Tokyo schools (hence the name "Tokyo Roku"): Tokyo University, Waseda University, Meiji University, Rikkyo University. Hosei University and Keio University. Each team plays one series against the other five teams. Each series continues until one team wins two games.

The league championship is determined by the number of series victories against each off the other five universities (not by overall winning percentage).

Toto Daigaku

The Tokyoto (Tokyo Metropolitan) League is perhaps the most competitive college league in Japan. It consists of at least 12 schools that play in two divisions. After every tournament, the last place team in the first division must win a sereies against the first place team from the second division to avoid the two teams switching divisions. The schools that make up the first two divisions of the Toto league are Komazawa University, Asia University, Senshu University, Rissho University, Aoyama Gakuin University, Toyo University, Kokugakuin University, Kokudokan University, Takushoku University, Chuo University, Nihon University and Tokyo Nogyo University.

The league championship is determined by the number of series victories against each off the other five universities (not by overall winning percentage).

Kanagawa Daigaku

The Kanagawa League consists of at least 6 schools located in Kanagawa Prefecture. The 6 schools that I know of are Kanto Gakuin University, Kanagawa University, Yokohama Shogyo University, Yokohama Shiritsu University, Kanagawa Kogyo University and Yokohama Kokusai University.

The league championship is determined by the number of series victories against each off the other five universities (not by overall winning percentage).

Shuto Daigaku

The Shuto League consists of six schools in the Kanto area ("Shuto" is a reference to the national capital in Tokyo): Teikyo University, Nippon Tai-iku University (Nitai), Tokai University, Tsukuba University, Daito University and Josei University.

The league championship is determined by the number of series victories against each off the other five universities (not by overall winning percentage).