One Outs

Gion Kenji is short and perpetually pissed off about it. Iwashimizu Sumiaki is tall but timid. Although it's bullies that bring this unlikely pair together on the first day of high school, it's the rugby club that will make them friends.

After a falling out with his middle school team, Mihashi enters Nishiura high school with no social skill, a warped opinion of himself, and every intention to quit baseball. The newly formed Nishiura baseball team, however, needs a pitcher, and they welcome him. Most enthusiastic is Abe, a domineering catcher with his own game issues. And so a battery every bit as complementary as it is dysfunctional is formed. If they can figure out how to work together, they might be the answers to each other's problems-and the team might be able to win.

With a stray pitch that completely missed the batter, Eijun Sawamura loses his final middle school baseball game. Frustrated by this defeat, Eijun and his teammates vow to reach the national tournament once they are in high school. But everything changes when a scout unexpectedly invites him to Tokyo's prestigious Seidou High School after seeing the potential in his unusual pitching style. Encouraged by his teammates, Eijun accepts the offer, ready to improve his skills and play at a much more competitive level of baseball. However, now surrounded by a large number of skilled players, Eijun struggles to find his place on the team. He declares that he will one day become the team's ace, but that's only if fellow first year Satoru Furuya doesn't take the title first, with his breakneck fastballs that earn him a coveted spot on the starting roster. With the addition of these talented new players to an already powerful lineup, the Seidou baseball team aims to become the best in Japan, facing off against a number of formidable foes that stand in their way.

Taniguchi Takao was a good baseball player when he was in junior high. But he broke his finger and couldn’t play baseball anymore. When he became a high school student, he always stood alone after school looking sadly at the baseball ground. Looking at him, Aiki, a captain of a soccer club invited him to his team. He hadn’t played soccer, but he was a good athlete and diligent, soon, he become so a good player as to be chosen a regular member. However, Aiki noticed that Takao couldn’t give up baseball and he made Takao join the baseball club. At first, he couldn’t adapt himself to the surroundings. Their easy-going attitude was far from what he used to do. However, being influenced by Takao’s earnestness, gradually, their attitude began to change. (from AniDB)