Team Kazusa Magic Captured First JABA National Title
By Baseball Federation of Japan
After Rakuten Eagles won their first Nippon Professional Baseball Championship, Kazusa Magic (Nippon Steel Sumitomo Metal) captured their first national title of Japan Amateur Baseball Association. They defeated Fuji Heavy Industries 1-0 at the final game on November 7, 2013 at Kyocera Dome Osaka.
Pitcher Ken Okamoto (21) of Kazusa Magic was awarded MVP by pitching 10-1/3 innings with 15 strike out (13/06%) for the championship series. He is No. 3 draft pick by Fukuoka Soft Bank Hawks. Fighting Spirit Award went to Daiki Tohmei (24), 2nd draft pick by Orix Buffaloes.
The 39th National Championship of Japan Amateur Baseball Association (JABA) co-hosted by The Mainichi and Osaka City, participated by 32 regional winners, was played at Kyocera Dome Osaka for 11 days from October 28.
(2nd Round)
Day 6 November 2:
Nippon Life Insurance (Osaka) 6 – 3 JFE East Japan (Chiba)
Vitalnet (Niigata) 2 – 3 Nippon Steel Sumitomo Metal Kazusa Magic (Chiba)
Day 7 November 3:
Honda Kumamoto (Kumamoto) 1 – 5 Panasonic (Osaka)
Tokyo Gas (Tokyo) 4 – 0 Osaka Gas (Osaka)
Nippon Express (Saitama) 3 – 4 Fuji Heavy Industire (Gunma)
Day 8 November 4:
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Kobe (Kobe) 8 – 0 77 Bank (Miyagi)
Japan Railways Tokai (Aichi) 0 – 1 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Hiroshima (Hiroshima)
Honda (Saitama) 1 – 2 Nippon Shinyaku (Kyoto)
(Quarter Finals)
Day 9 November 5
JFE East Japan (Chiba) 0 – 8 Nippon Steel Sumitomo Metal Kazusa Magic (Chiba)
Panasonic (Osaka) 0 – 2 Tokyo Gas (Tokyo)
Fuji Heavy Industries (Gunma) 5 – 0 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Kobe (Kobe)
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Hiroshima (Hiroshima) 3 – 0 Nippon Shinyaku (Kyoto)
(Semi Finals)
Day 10 November 6:
Nippon Steel Sumitomo Metal Kazusa Magic (Chiba) 3 – 1 Tokyo Gas (Tokyo)
Fuji Heavy Industries (Gunma) 1 – 0 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Hiroshima (Hiroshima)
(Final)
Day 11 November 6:
Nippon Steel Sumitomo Metal Kazusa Magic (Chiba) 1 – 0 Fuji Heavy Industries (Gunma)
Photo by Sports Hochi
