Beginning this Spring Koshien, ads on the outfield walls (for 14 companies) won't be covered during high school baseball tournament games.  Stadium officials contacted Mainichi Shimbun (Spring Koshien sponsor) and Asahi Shimbun (Summer Koshien sponsor) asking permission to leave the ads uncovered.  The reason apparently has something to do with the Museum of Hanshin Koshien Stadium.

To be most specific, the 14 companies that have purchased ad space on the outfield walls also happen to be sponsors for the museum.  Or rather, it seems a portion of the money that goes into paying for the ad space on the outfield walls also goes towards the museum.

The Japan High School Baseball Federation accepted the stadium's request on the grounds that the museum covers not only professional baseball history, but also high school baseball history as well.

Incidentally, up until now, the only ads allowed on the outfield walls were from the actual sponsors of the tournament, namely Mainichi Shimbun and Asahi Shimbun.

The Japan Student Baseball Association met on the 5th to determine punishments for 3 universities and 25 high schools.

They are as follows:

Warnings - Universities

Josei University baseball club and the director - breaking rule 12 of the charter

Aichi Toho University manager - violence towards players

Bukkyo University - blackmail

Game Suspension

Momoyama High School (Kyoto) 1/12 - 4/11 - violence within the team, extortion

Hoji High School (Ehime) 12/26/2009 - 6/25 - violence within the team, bullying

Tokai University Sugano High School (Tokyo) 1/25 - 2/24 - violence within the team

Fukuchiyama Seibi High School (Kyoto) 2/9 - 8/8 - violence outside the team, abusive language

Tohoku Seikatsu Bunka University High School (Miyagi) 2/9 - 5/8 - shoplifting

Fusa (Chiba) 2/5 - 5/4 - shoplifting, smoking

Komaki (Aichi) 1/26 - 2/25 - peeping

Suspensions

Katsushika Shogyo High School (Tokyo) baseball director - 3 months beginning on 1/20 for manager's violent actions

Tokunoshima High School (Kagoshima) manager - 3 months beginning on 2/2 for manager's violent actions

Yanagigaura High School (Ohita) baseball vice director - an indefinite period for the death of members of the baseball team in a bus accident

Warnings

Tsuwano High School (Shimane) baseball club and director - violent club members, bullying

Nissei Gakuen Dai-Ni High School (Mie) - violent club members, smoking

Doremus School (Tokyo) - violent club members

Hashima High School (Gifu) - violent club members

Nirasaki Kogyo High School (Yamanashi) - disorderly conduct by club members

Ohami High School (Chiba) - disorderly conduct by club members, damaged property

Toyohashi Chuo High School (Aichi) - stealing a bike and riding without a license

Ube Shogyo High School (Yamaguchi) - smoking

Orio High School (Fukuoka) - smoking

Takasaki Shogyo High School (Gunma) - giving / receiving stolen property

Teikyo Hachioji High School (Tokyo) - unsolicited mail

Kawaguchi High School (Saitama) - coerced indecency

Tsuna High School (Hyogo) - gambling with cards

Katsushika Shogyo High School (Tokyo) manager - manager's violent actions

Asahikawa Kogyo High School (Hokkaido) manager - manager's violent actions

Bunsui High School (Niigata) manager - breaking the amateur baseball rules

The Japan High School Baseball Federation announced on Wednesday that 13 members of the Chukyo High School (Gifu) baseball team were caught smoking and reported.  As such, Chukyo High School was removed from the list of alternates (Tokai region) for the 82nd Spring Koshien.  Shizuoka Shogyo High School (Shizuoka) now becomes the first alternate in case something happens.

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The practice schedules for the 82nd Spring Koshien were also announced on Wednesday.  Each school will have the Koshien field for 30 minutes and will begin at 8:40am.

On the 17th (in the following order):

Koryo, Morioka-Dai, Tenri, Chiben Wakayama, Shinko Gakuen, Kobe Kokusai-Dai, Osaka Toin, Ritsumeikan Uji, Kaisei, Mie, Kawashima, Maebashi Kogyo, Yamagata Chuo, Hanasaki Tokuharu, Imabari Nishi, and Konan

On the 18th (in the following order):

Chukyo-Dai Chukyo, Kanzei, Tokai-Dai Boyo, Tokai-Dai Sagami, Miyazaki Kogyo, Kadena, Jiyugaoka, Ogaki Nihon-Dai, Akita Shogyo, Takaoka Shogyo, Nihon-Dai Dai-San, Teikyo, Hokusho, Koyo, Kochi, Tsuruga Kehi

Tohoku High School announced on Tuesday that Yukihiko Igarashi is returning as manager of the team, effective immediately.  Current manager, Shun Wagatsuma, will be made a coach.

Igarashi originally stepped down from his position as manager of the team in November of 2008 after 8 players were caught beating up on other players in September of the same year.

A final revised version of the Japan Student Baseball Association (JSBA) charter was unanimously approved on Wednesday.  The new charter will take effect in 4/1 and includes modified language that allows for the possibility of exhibition games to take place between pro and amateur teams (I think this is covered in section 15) and for player scholarships (I think this is covered in section 23).

The JSBA mentioned that they will let the Japan High School Baseball Federation (JHBF) figure out the exact specifics behind player scholarships.

The new charter also contains statements that point to baseball as being a part of the education system.

You can view the revised charter at the JSBA website.  Direct link [Japanese pdf file]

UPDATE 2/26/2010 1:50am JST: The JSBA and the NPB are establishing a committee that will be working on the rules / guidelines behind pro-amateur games and practices.  They are also hoping to hold the committee's first meeting sometime in April.

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The All Japan University Baseball Federation (JUBF) announced on Wednesday that Hideitsu Ohhashi will be taking over as the new chairman.  The previous chairman, Eiji Hatta, becomes the new chairman of the Japan Student Baseball Association.  Both positions carry two year terms.

The All Japan University Baseball Federation (JUBF) announced on Wednesday that the 2010 5th World University Championships will take place between 7/30 and 8/7.  There will be four venues, including Jingu Stadium and Yokohama Stadium.

The JUBF also announced that the Meiji Jingu Baseball Tournament will run for a period of 5 days beginnings on November 13th.  Eleven universities and 10 high school will take part in the event.

The Japan High School Baseball Federation (JHBF) announced on Wednesday that the following schools will be reported to the Japan Student Baseball Association.

Game Suspensions

Tokai University Sugao High School (Tokyo) - violence and bullying within the team

Fukuchiyama Seibi High School (Kyoto) - violence outside of the club, harsh / violent language

Tohoku Seikatsu Bunka University High School (Miyagi) - shoplifting

Fusa High School (Chiba) - shoplifting

Komaki High School (Aichi) - peeping

Suspensions

Tokunoshima High School (Kagoshima) manager - violence within the club

The Japan High School Baseball Federation (JHBF) announced on Tuesday that they received a withdrawal notice from Fukuchiyama Seibi High School (Kyoto).  That means they are no longer eligible as a first alternate out of the Kinki Region for the 82nd Spring Koshien.

According to the JHBF, on the night of the 7th, three third-year students on the Seibi High School baseball team beat up their dorm manager after they were warned about their living habits.  Seven other players (four second year students and 3 first year students) were also found to have made crude remarks during the beating.

Hirokazu Sawamura will be visiting Yomiuri Giants' camp on the 20th.  Chuo University is currently holding camp in Tano, Miyazaki.

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An Aichi Kogyo University Meiden High School baseball player (17-year-old, 2nd year student, Kosuke Tokunami, 徳浪康介) was involved in a car accident on the 12th.  He was rushed to a hospital in Kasugai, Aichi and passed away the next day.

The student was on his way to school when he was struck by a car.

The Japan High School Baseball Federation (JHBF) announced on Wendesday that Tsuno High School requested that their school be removed from the list of 21st Century candidates for the 82nd Spring Koshien.  While Tsuno was in the original list of 21st Century candidates, they never made it to the final pool of 9 candidate schools.  As a formality, the JHBF officially accepted the request on Wednesday.

As for the reason why the request was submitted in the first place: seven members of the Tsuno High School baseball team were apparently caught gambling with cards at a restaurant on 2/1.