--Both Yasunori Ando, the head coach of the baseball team, and Susumu Hara, the head coach of the track and field team (long distance block), are said to be "great coaches." What kind of coaches are they from the perspective of the team members?

Nishikawa: I started playing baseball because of my older brother, who is four years older than me. He was the captain of the baseball team in 2020, the year before I enrolled, so I knew Coach Ando and the atmosphere of the Aogaku team very well. In a word, the coach places importance on communication with the team members. Rather than giving detailed instructions on baseball techniques and how to practice, he respects the thoughts of each of us and treats us as adults. He is usually a calm person, but he has a very passionate feeling about baseball, and I remember thinking, "I can pursue my own baseball under this coach" when I first met him when he came to observe the team during my high school days.

--In a team where independence is valued so highly, what role does the captain, who is also the student leader, play?

In the case of the Nishikawa Baseball Club, I think they are creating an environment where everyone can work hard together regardless of their years. Looking at the captains who have been there since I entered the school, I think they were conscious of creating an atmosphere where underclassmen could easily express their opinions to upperclassmen. This year, my classmate, Yasushi Sasaki (4th year, College of Community Studies), is the captain, so I would like to help him by being a liaison with the juniors.

Ota: Last year's captain of the track and field team (long distance block), Yuto Shiki (Yakult track and field team), was not one of the 16 members entered in the 100th Hakone Ekiden. However, I will never forget how he continued to encourage and support his team until the very end, saying that his mission was "to lead the team to victory in Hakone as captain."

Nishikawa: That's amazing. I watched this year's Hakone Ekiden victory on TV and it gave me courage, making me think, "We can't lose either!" It's not uncommon for fourth-year students to lose their regular spots to underclassmen in the baseball team. I think it's a shame they can't play in the final year of university, but seeing the fourth-year students still shouting out loud on the bench and encouraging their juniors made a deep impression on me, making me think, "The whole team is fighting together on the field!" It's because of those seniors that the juniors follow them.

--As you both enter your final year as college athletes, what are your future goals and aspirations?

Nishikawa: I want to make the most of what I have learned from my experiences and reflections up until last season and make this season the best it can be for the team. Our minimum goal is to remain in the Touto Division 1 League, where the relegation matches are so fierce that they are called "Sengoku Touto". My goal is to win the spring and fall Division 1 League consecutively, the All Japan University Championship consecutively, and the Meiji Jingu Tournament, where I was runner-up last year, to win the "four crowns". After graduating, I want to become a professional baseball player, which has been my dream since I was a child. I am practicing hard so that I can achieve the best results as an individual, so that I can be drafted by a professional baseball team as the first pick. In March, I participated in the Samurai Japan training match and the European representative match, and was able to achieve results on both offense and defense, which gave me a lot of confidence. However, seeing the strong bodies of the professionals, including Murakami (Munetaka) of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, who was with me on the national team, made me realize that I still have a lot to learn. I also want to work hard to build a body that can be used as a professional before I graduate. I want to play as a professional player for as long as possible.

This season, which will be my final year in high school, I would like to make adjustments so that I can reach my peak at the Hakone Ekiden in January next year. After that, I will aim for a gold medal at the Olympics as a marathon runner! I have always pursued "a world I have never seen before," and "winning the Olympics" is one of them. I'm sure that standing on the podium will be a wonderful experience.

Nishikawa Ota, don't you get nervous in big competitions like the Hakone Ekiden?

Ohta: No, I don't. That's because I usually "fantasize" about myself winning. The image of "winning" is completely formed in my head at the actual competition. Participating in a big competition is an exciting experience like "going to a fireworks festival with my girlfriend."

Nishikawa (laughs). I envy that way of thinking. I'm the type of person who gets nervous during real matches. But I also incorporate "hitting" image training into my regular practice. For example, even when I'm practicing my swing, I imagine the scene at Jingu Stadium as I swing the bat. When I played in Samurai Japan's European representative match in March, I was nervous on the bench surrounded by the professional players I usually watch on TV, but when I came in as a pinch runner to play center field and caught a strong hit while crashing into the fence, my tension immediately eased, and I was able to hit a timely hit in my next turn at bat. It was an experience that made me keenly aware of how important mental health is for athletes.