Kona Takahashi was born in Numata, a city in Japan’s Gunma Prefecture. He attended Maebashi Ikuei High School and had a career there many others only dream about. While he did not play in his first year, and the school lost in the 2014 Gunma regionals, not only did Maebashi Ikuei High School participate in the 2013 Summer Koshien tournament, they won it. Takahashi, ace of the diamond, took the mound and started the championship game against Nobeoka Gakuen High School and threw a nine-inning complete game, allowing 3 runs on 6 hits in the 4-3 victory.

That October, the Seibu Lions selected the right-hander in the 2014 NPB Draft with their first round pick. While there was some talk that the Hanshin Tigers, Fukuoak SoftBank Hawks, and the Hiroshima Toyo Carp might select him, those teams en

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