SCREENCAPS AND SUMMARIES

Click on the episode number for the screencaps, the episode name for the summary, and the manga volume for some manga pics and differences. Most screencaps were by Gossymer posted on the Live Journal Oofuri community. Manga scans were by Entropy and Raep_Time. Episode summaries are based on Seleria's blog (read her excellent blog for her thoughs and BL-shounen-ai moments).

For manga summaries of chapters past the anime click here.

EP# EPISODE DESCRIPTION MANGA
1 True Ace
 Mihashi joins Nishiura High School's newly formed baseball team.
2 A Catcher's Role
 The team drives into the woods to train. Momoe, the coach, lectures Abe on his role as a catcher.
3 Practice Match
 Nishiura High School has a practice match against Mihoshi Academy, Mihashi's old school. Mihashi runs away from his old teammates, but Abe convinces him to return.
4 Play
 Mihashi pitches well to the surprise of his ex-teammates. Tajima hits Kanou's forkball but Hanai fails. Momoe lectures him and the team on supporting Tajima who is too small to hit homeruns and score by himself. Kanou explains Mihashi's fastball to Oda.
V1 Ch 3
5 Don’t Ease Up
 Nishiura scores. Kanou is pissed that his teammates are not taking Mihashi seriously. Abe thinks Mihashi wants to return to his old team.
6 The Qualifications for a Pitcher
 It's the 7th inning and Mihoshi Academy is still behind. Kanou points out how great Mihashi’s control is. Their substitute coach has a plan for Oda. Mihashi's perfect game, no hitter, and then the shutout are ruined.
V2 Ch 5
7 I Want to Play Baseball
 Game concludes with Nishiura winning. Hatake asks Mihashi to return. Mihashi decides to stay with Nishiura.
V2 Ch 5
8 Amazing Pitcher?
 Sakaeguchi tells Mihashi how Abe was teamed up with an “amazing pitcher" in the Senior League. Shiga-sensei teaches meditation. Momoe takes the team to go see a prefecture tournament game, Urawa Composite vs. Musashino First.
V2 Ch 6
V3 Ch 7
9 Past
 Abe explains why he considers Haruna to be the worst pitcher instead of an amazing pitcher.
10 Step By Step
 Momoe makes each player (except Abe and Mihashi) train for two positions. Hanai and Oki will pitch, and Tajima will catch. Hanai is elected captain and he selects Abe and Sakaeguchi as vice-captains. Mihashi invites the team to his house to study, but it's also his birthday.
11 The Beginning of Summer
The team enters the Summer National Senior High School Baseball Championship Saitama Tournament with 170 schools. Hanai’s draws the previous year's winner, Tosei, as the first opponent. Mihashi's childhood friend, Hamada, starts a cheering squad for the team
V4 Ch 11
12 The Cheer Squad Hamada joins the team for early practice. Shiga-sensei trains the team to relax as a reflex to a stressor, a third base runner.
V4 Ch 11
13 Summer’s Big Start
 Team manager, Shinooka, finishes a detailed report on Tosei’s players. The team attends the opening ceremony of the summer tournament.
14 Challenge!
 The game against Tosei begins. The mothers, cheer squad, and over 200 Nishiura students are present.
V5 Ch 11-12
15 First Point
 Mihashi continues to pitch well. Tajima figures out Takase’s pitching motion and coaches Hanai to steal second base. Mihashi gets caught between first and second, while Hanai tries to score.
V5 Ch 12
16 Do Not Underestimate
 Tajima continues to have problems with the sinker. Mihashi’s cousin, Ruri, joins Mihashi's mom to cheer for Mihashi.
17 Thirdbase Runner
Tosei attacks; Nishiura uses their relaxing reflex - the third-base runner.
V6 Ch 13
18 Additional Point
 Nishiura scores again.
V6 Ch 13
19 Tosei's Real Strength Tosei concentrates on hitting Mihashi’s curveball. Mihashi takes a break during field maintenance. Tosei ties the score in the sixth inning.
V6 Ch 13
20 Reversal
 Tosei gets some lucky breaks. Mihashi loses his footing in the rain and throws a wild pitch. His fever is worse, but after Ruri tells him that Kanou and his old team won their game, he recovers his strength to continue.
21 One More Point
 Tajima strikes out again, but helps his team steal bases. Tajima's depressed because he hasn’t had a hit and may not have another at bat, but his teammates promise to get him another chance.
V7 Ch 14
22 Defend!
 Tosei takes the lead. Mihashi pauses before throwing the ball to home, afraid Abe would get hurt. Abe's mad, but assures Mihashi he will not get injured.
23 Strictly Tajima gets one more chance at bat with runners on second and third with two outs. Tajima hits the sinker by sliding his hands.
V8 Ch 15
24 Conclusion
 Nishiura leads going into the bottom of the ninth. The Tosei guys lose graciously and their captain presents Hanai with a gift. After the game Mihashi falls asleep immediately and is taken home.
V8 Ch 15
25 One Victory
 Abe, Hanai, Tajima and Izumi visit Mihashi the next day to eat lunch. They show him the comments they wrote after the day game - positive things about the pitcher.
Sp1 The Basics of Basics
 DVD special: (A year before the start of the series) Musashino's regular pitcher, Kaguyama, thinks of quitting the team, but Haruna tells hims about his own past and talks him out of it. Not in Manga, DVD extra