Mihashi, Ren

三橋廉

Mihashi, the series' protagonist, is a nervous boy lacking self-confidence. This personality trait appears to have always been present, partly stemming from his father, who exhibits similar mannerisms. However, it intensified during middle school when he was bullied by his baseball teammates. He had secured a spot on the team, seemingly through favoritism, because his grandfather owned the school. The other team members resented this, believing their reserve pitcher, Kanou, was far more talented than Mihashi. Nevertheless, Mihashi refused to relinquish the mound and pitched in every game, even when his teammates stopped trying and the catcher withheld signs. Eventually, Mihashi decided to change schools for high school and successfully gained admission to Nishiura. Although he felt guilty for ruining his junior high team's enjoyment of the game and promised himself not to play baseball in high school, he inadvertently revealed that he was a pitcher. Consequently, he was dragged into the baseball club, which had no other pitcher.
Although Mihashi is convinced he lacks talent, he has practiced pitching diligently since elementary school. His new teammates, particularly the talented catcher Abe, are astounded by his highly accurate aim. When pitching, he divides his target into nine sections, a skill said to exceed that of a professional pitcher, who would divide it into four. Mihashi also possesses four breaking balls, including an unusual fastball that often confuses opposing batters. His pitches are described as quite slow, although his speed increases later in the series with training from Momoe.
Mihashi's relationship with Abe as a battery is often strained; Abe is quick to lose his temper, and Mihashi fears angering him. However, Mihashi greatly respects Abe and is eternally grateful that Abe wants to be his catcher. Mihashi notes that without Abe's skill in reading the opposing team and calling for the right pitches, he could never make anyone strike out. In turn, Abe appreciates how hard Mihashi works on his control and his dedication to pitching for the entire game. With Abe's help and the encouragement of his new teammates, Mihashi's confidence in his pitching has grown slightly, though he still firmly believes it would be nothing without Abe. To this end, Abe promises not to get sick or injured during their three years of high school, ensuring he can catch all of Mihashi's pitches.
Mihashi gets along well with the rest of his teammates, particularly Tajima, who always seems to understand him even when Mihashi can only stutter a few words. He was childhood friends with Hamada, whom he calls 'Hama-chan,' and they lived in the same apartment building until Mihashi moved away. He is also close to his cousin Ruri, having lived with her family during middle school, though he dislikes it when she calls him 'Renren.' He is also friends with Ruri's neighbor, Kanou, who was his rival for the pitcher position in middle school. Although he became more formal with Kanou in school, likely out of guilt for not giving up the mound to him, Kanou has always thought that Mihashi was a better pitcher. They are now on good terms again, and Mihashi calls Kanou by his childhood nickname, 'Shuu-chan.'
Despite his low self-confidence, Mihashi is very stubborn, refusing to give up the mound even when so exhausted that he starts losing control of his pitches, and becoming upset at the idea of the team needing a reserve pitcher. He is quite gullible, loves to eat, and has a fear of dogs. Mihashi's grades are very poor, and he says he had to work hard to get into Nishiura. He loves pitching so much that his mother mentions he is always holding a ball, even in his sleep.