ABC TV will broadcast a special program showcasing the appeal of high school baseball, "The Hot Battle at Koshien: Year-End Special," from 11:00 PM on December 27th. The program will feature cast members who are passionate about high school baseball, who will talk in the studio about memorable scenes from Koshien and the hotly contested matches of the year.
The hosts will be former professional baseball player Yuuki Saito and announcer Ayumi Hirodo, both familiar faces from the summer's "Koshien Hot Fight." Studio guests will include Hiroya Yamazaki from the comedy duo "Untouchable," and Nao Kosaka and Rio Shimizu from the idol group "Hinatazaka46." Shimizu, who stood in the stands at Koshien as a cheerleader for Funabashi Municipal High School in Chiba Prefecture in 2022, will liven up the show with her unique perspective as a "person involved."
In a project titled "Deep Dive into Generation XX! - Where are my classmates now?", we track down where and what alumni from the "Shohei Ohtani generation" and "Yuki Matsui generation" are doing now. We follow in the footsteps of the main players of their generation, getting a glimpse into the "now" of those who continue playing baseball and those who are striving on new paths.
Saito will interview Yokoyama Atsushi, a player from Gifu Prefectural Commercial High School who was born with a handicap in his left hand but performed well at Koshien this summer. The program will also feature "treasured footage" and every move of the baseball player captured by dozens of specialized cameras. The program will also be streamed on "Virtual High School Baseball" after the broadcast ends.
