Shohei Ohtani appeared at Koshien twice — in the summer of his sophomore year and again in the spring of his senior year.
Despite possessing one of the fastest fastballs ever seen at the high school level, he was unable to become a winning pitcher in the way he had hoped.

Shortly before the summer tournament, Ohtani suffered a strain near the upper part of his left thigh. In the first round against Teikyo High School, he entered the game midway through the fourth inning. Even while pitching in an almost upright, restricted motion due to pain, he still reached 150 km/h. However, the injury prevented him from performing at full capacity, and the team was eliminated.

Soon after, what was initially thought to be a muscle strain was diagnosed as a growth plate injury, requiring extended rest. With their ace unable to pitch, Hanamaki Higashi faced a crisis.
But instead of collapsing, the team united around a shared belief:
“Shohei isn’t finished yet. Let’s take him back to Koshien.”

The players rallied together, and through the autumn Tohoku Tournament, they secured a top-four finish — earning a spot in the spring Senbatsu.

By this time, Ohtani’s name had begun to attract national attention, and media coverage focused heavily on him. Yet in interviews, he consistently redirected attention toward his teammates, deliberately mentioning their names and contributions.

For Ohtani, baseball was never about individual heroics.
He believed it was a sport where victory only comes when everyone is connected — when teammates work together through each at-bat, each run, each defensive play.

This team-first mindset is why Ohtani has long been known as a player without ego — someone who understands that true success in baseball is created collectively.

Source

This quote comes from a Japanese book published in Japan and is not currently available in English.

Shohei Ohtani: Challenge, p.31