August 7, 2010, morning.
Japan, Hyogo Prefecture Nishinomiya City, Hanshin Koshien Stadium.
"And now, we commence the 92nd National High School Baseball Championship Memorial Tournament, sponsored by Japan's Asahi Shimbun!"
Thunderous applause erupted from the packed stands of Koshien Stadium. Under the watchful eyes of over fifty thousand on-site spectators and millions of baseball fans in front of their TVs, the summer of youth and dreams began at this moment.
"Players, please enter the field!"
As soon as the announcer's voice faded, the Kansai Wind Orchestra Alliance, composed of brass bands from four high schools in Hyogo, began to play the entrance march. Tens of thousands of spectators turned their eyes to the player tunnel in right field, where players from 49 schools gathered, awaiting the start of the entry ceremony.
As the grandest and most watched amateur baseball event in all of Japan, Koshien's opening ceremony was full of grandeur:
