Overview

• Gifu Commercial (Kengifusho) fell 2–4 to Nichidai Third in extra innings on August 21, capping a resurgence with the program’s first semifinal appearance since 2009.
• The path included a quarterfinal win over traditional power Yokohama on August 19 that affirmed the team’s form on the national stage.
• A Gifu Prefecture youth strengthening project launched in the 2000s and expanded to hardball around 2018 supplied a cohesive cohort that had trained together since middle school.
• Head coach Junsaku Fujii, appointed in September 2024, emphasized dialogue and trust-building with players, a shift OB leaders credit as pivotal to this season’s progress.
• Most rostered players are Gifu natives with select-team experience, benefiting chemistry, while strong OB involvement and a high-level school culture, including a prominent brass band, reinforced support throughout the tournament.