Ko, Akaishi, Azuma, and Nakanishi scout a practice game of Ryuo Academy, who is favored to win the prefectural tournament, and while there meet a former varsity teammate who transferred to Ryuo. Ko is impressed by a Ryuo batter who is not a regular starter, Mishima, whom Azuma remembers from a single meeting. Azuma talks with Miki, who is also scouting Ryuo for another school, and they tell each other they do not regret their choices, leaving and staying at Seishu. For Wakaba's 17th birthday, Ko buys the scheduled present of a shiny pendent. When the tournament schedule is announced, Ryuo is seeded first and Seishu is bracketed to play them in their third game. Seishu's first game of the tournament is called in the fifth inning. Afterward, Ko catches pitches for Aoba, who was for the first time not allowed to play because she is a girl, and when it gets dark, he tells her not to give up on baseball.
強豪、竜旺学院の練習試合を観にきた光たち。そこで三木と再会した東は、グラウンドでの再会を約束する。そして竜旺学院は圧倒的な強さを見せつけていたが、その中でも三島敬太郎のプレーに見入る光と東。人の名前を覚えない東が、シニアリーグで1度だけ会った三島の名前を覚えていた…。夏の地区予選始まった…。
과거 코시엔 베스트 8에 오른 강호 류오학원의 연습 시합을 보러 간 코우 일행은 그곳에서 류오학원으로 전학 간 쿠보 그리고 미키와 재회한다. 미키는 공립학교의 약소 야구부에 속해있지만, 충실한 나날을 보내는 듯 보였다. 아즈마와 미키는 그라운드에서 다시 만나기로 약속한다. 한편 류오학원은 그 경기에서 압도적인 실력을 보여준다. 코우와 아즈마는 그중에서도 미시마의 플레이를 주시한다. 그리고 여름 지구 예선이 시작되는데...
