Big Windup!
Ren Mihashi was the ace of his middle school's baseball team, but due to his poor pitching, they could never win. Constant losses eventually lead to his teammates bullying him and reached the point where his teammates no longer tried to win, causing Mihashi to graduate with little self-esteem. As a result, Mihashi decides to go to a high school in a different prefecture where he has no intention of playing baseball. Unfortunately, upon his arrival at Nishiura High, he is dragged into joining their new team as the starting pitcher.
Seasons
1. True Ace
Air Date: 2007-04-13
Mihashi a freshman in high-school, and has just transferred to Nishiura High, a school not known for its baseball. But after he gets forced into playing by its new female coach, he befriends the the catcher Abe, who becomes his main supporter in the future.
2. A Catcher’s Role
Air Date: 2007-04-20
The baseball team at Nishiura High heads out to a training camp. As everyone is preparing for their first practice match against Mihashi's old school, Abe realizes that the catcher's role is not just on the field but is also to encourage and to protected the pitcher and his well-being.
3. Practice Match
Air Date: 2007-04-27
The practice game between Nishiura High and Mihoshi, Mihashi's old school, is about to start. However before the game starts Mihashi loses his confidence and runs behind the club building, Hatake, the catcher from Mihoshi, followed him and begins to harassing him to the point of threatening to break his arm for the lost games in middle-school.
4. Play
Air Date: 2007-05-04
Mihashi is pitching nicely, outing all of Mihoshi’s batters so far. At the top of the 2nd inning, Tajima easily hits Kanou’s forkball. Kanai tries to compete with Tajima and do the same, but strikes out instead.
5. Don't Ease Up!
Air Date: 2007-05-11
With nice team work, Nishiura is able to score two consecutive runs easily. Meanwhile, tension is rising between Kanou and the rest of his team.
6. The Requirements to be a Pitcher
Air Date: 2007-05-18
Going into the bottom of the 7th inning, Kanou finally goes into detail about how great Mihashi’s control really is, and Mihoshi’s substitute coach comes up with a plan.
7. I Want to Play Baseball!
Air Date: 2007-05-25
Through good teamwork, Nishiura was able to rally and gain back the lead. After winning the game, Mihashi’s old teammates finally acknowledge their mistakes and ask for his forgiveness and to come back.
8. Amazing Pitcher?
Air Date: 2007-06-01
On the way to practice, Mihashi meets Sakaeguchi and learns about how in the Senior League, Abe was teamed up with an “amazing pitcher.”
9. Past
Air Date: 2007-06-08
Abe’s past relationship with Haruna is revealed, showing the circumstances that led Abe to consider Haruna to be the worst pitcher instead of one of the best.
10. Steadily
Air Date: 2007-06-15
In order to be able to play two practice games, everyone on the team must be able to play at least two different positions.
11. Summer Is Starting
Air Date: 2007-06-22
The Summer National Senior High School Baseball Championship Saitama Tournament is about to start. All in all, 170 schools in the area gathered together in order to draw lots to determine who they would be playing against.
12. Cheering Party
Air Date: 2007-06-29
During practice, the team, with the addition of Hamada, continue to meditate, but this time start to actively train their relaxing reflex to trigger with the presence of a third base runner.
13. Summer Game Beginning
Air Date: 2007-07-06
The team has been working hard to prepare for the game against Tosei, to the point that even Shinooka-chan collapses from exhaustion because she had pulled an all-nighter writing a detailed report on Tosei’s battery and batters.
14. Challenge!
Air Date: 2007-07-13
The first game of the summer tournament begins. Everyone is present, including the big crowd that Hamada got to come to the game.
15. First Point
Air Date: 2007-07-20
The Tosei batters are getting perplexed by Mihashi’s pitching since the balls appear to be easy, but are hard to connect.
16. Do Not Underestimate
Air Date: 2007-07-27
Tosei still does not know what to make of Mihashi’s pitches, and Nishiura is still hanging on. Nishiura had a chance to get another run in, but the Tosei battery once again made Tajima strike out.
17. Third Runner
Air Date: 2007-08-03
Tosei comes back with a counter attack plan, playing to the basics and hitting grounders. Though Nishiura is still hanging onto their lead, they are playing really hard defense.
18. Additional Point
Air Date: 2007-08-10
After getting on base because of a dead ball caused by the rain, Mihashi and the rest of his team work hard in order to get one more run before the inning ends.
19. Tosei's Abilities
Air Date: 2007-08-17
Tosei continue their attack plan, concentrating on hitting Mihashi’s curveball, and manage to get in one run. Nishiura gets into a little mishap, because Mihashi gets a nose bleed, making Abe worry about Mihashi’s condition and whether or not he can pitch.
20. Reversal
Air Date: 2007-08-24
Though Nishiura is playing a good defense, the lucky breaks that Tosei keep on having make the members of Nishiura seem clumsy.
21. One More Point
Air Date: 2007-08-31
Tajima once again strikes out, but is able to help his teammates successfully steal bases once he enters the coaching box again.
22. Defend!
Air Date: 2007-09-07
Tosei takes several gamble plays and is able to get one more run in to take the lead once again.
23. Strictly
Air Date: 2007-09-14
Nishiura is desperate now to get their batters onto the plates in order to have a chance at winning.
24. Conclusion
Air Date: 2007-09-21
Now that they have the lead, Nishiura must make sure that they don’t allow any more runs.
25. One Victory
Air Date: 2007-09-28
After the game against Tosei ends, Mihashi is taken home to rest since he has a fever.
1. What's Next?
Air Date: 2010-04-02
Hot off the heels of their first win, the players of Nishiura High School are fired up for the rest of the summer tournament!
2. Sakitama
Air Date: 2010-04-09
Before the next match, the Nishiura Nine go to watch the game of their next opponent. There they discover Sakitama High's cleanup hitter, Daichi Sakura.
3. Third Match
Air Date: 2010-04-16
Nishiura High's next opponent, Sakitama High, has an incredibly strong batter. If Nishiura wants any chance of winning, Nishiura will need a quick shutout win!
4. Baseball Is Tough
Air Date: 2010-04-22
Hanai is the cleanup batter for Nishiura in the third match, and is struggling to get out from behind Tajima's shadow. Hanai questions whether or not he's a dependable player.
5. I Want To Play Ball
Air Date: 2010-04-29
Abe's strategy to walk Sakitama's cleanup hitter is working. While Sakitama can't score a run, their third-year Oyama dwells on the end of his baseball career.
6. Important
Air Date: 2010-05-06
After one of many misunderstandings, Mihashi comes to realize that he's an important baseball player of Nishiura High.
7. A Gradual Change
Air Date: 2010-05-13
Nishiura's third game against Kounan begins. Bijyou High's coaches observe the game, and conclude that Abe, the catcher is deciding all of Mihashi's pitches.
8. Fifth Match
Air Date: 2010-05-20
The game against Bijyou Dai Sayama High has begun, and Mihashi questions why Bijyou's batters only seem to swing on pitches that are the opposite of what they like to hit.
9. We're Being Scouted
Air Date: 2010-05-27
It's 4-0, and Nishiura hasn't gotten a single run. After discovering that the courses were wrong and that Bijyou had scouted them, Abe is able to lead Mihashi to pitch two no-hit innings.
10. Bottom of the Fifth, 2-5
Air Date: 2010-06-03
After scoring two runs, Bijyou High turns up the heat and sends out its reserve pitcher, Kashima. Kashima throws intense fast balls, but he's just warming up! Can Nishiura land a hit?
11. Because I'm the Ace
Air Date: 2010-06-11
The unthinkable has happened! Abe is injured and can no longer participate in the match. Mihashi must step up to the pitcher's mound and discover some self-confidence.
12. Ninth Inning
Air Date: 2010-06-18
It's the final inning and Nishiura is still behind in runs. Coming to terms with Abe's injury, Mihashi realizes that he was shoving all of his responsibilities onto Abe.
13. We Begin Again
Air Date: 2010-06-25
Accepting their defeat against Bijyou Dai Sayama High, Mihashi and the Nishiura Nine work to come up with a team goal. Mihashi receives an ambiguous text from Abe.
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Rating
8.1/10
Release Date
2007-04-13
Episodes
38 (2 seasons)
Status
Ended
Cast
Yuichi Nakamura
Takaya Abe
Tsubasa Yonaga
Ren Mihashi
Atsushi Kisaichi
Yoshirou Hamada
Chihiro Suzuki
Yuuto Sakaeguchi
Hiro Shimono
Yuuichirou Tajima
Jun Fukuyama
Kousuke Izumi
Kenichiro Sumi
Fumiki Mizutani
Kisho Taniyama
Azusa Hanai
Makoto Yasumura
Shouji Suyama
Masaya Matsukaze
Motoki Haruna
Risa Hayamizu
Maria Momoe
Ryohei Kimura
Shintarou Nishihiro
Production Companies
A-1 Pictures