Daiki Nakanishi

Nakanishi is blunt, loyal and physically imposing. As a child he is known as a strong fighter, and his temper follows him into middle school, where his frustration with older players who do not take baseball seriously eventually erupts into a fight.

He is particularly protective of Kou. When Keiichirou Senda causes trouble for his friend, Nakanishi is willing to confront him, although Osamu Akaishi often provides the calmer presence among the three.

Food is another recurring weakness. Nakanishi's size and appetite eventually prompt Sentarou Maeno to put him through additional conditioning.

Nakanishi bats and throws right-handed. He begins as a catcher in childhood sandlot baseball and later plays first base for Seishuu's prefab team. His size gives him useful strength at the plate, while continued training after leaving organized middle-school baseball keeps him from falling behind.

When Yuuhei Azuma takes over first base, Nakanishi moves to third. He eventually wears number 5 and bats third, directly ahead of Azuma in Seishuu's regular order.

Nakanishi is also physically tough. His fighting ability is repeatedly noted during his school years, although he becomes less inclined to solve problems through violence as he matures.

Nakanishi is part of Kou's baseball life from childhood. After Kou repeatedly promotes his family's sporting-goods shop to the other boys, Nakanishi retaliates by making him learn baseball skills beyond the hitting he has already practiced at the Tsukishima batting center.

He joins Seishuu's middle-school club but leaves after only a few months following a fight with upperclassmen. Importantly, he continues training on his own. In high school, he refuses Daimon's placement test along with Kou and Akaishi and consequently joins Maeno's prefab squad.

After Daimon's varsity is dissolved, Nakanishi becomes the unified team's regular third baseman. He develops into Seishuu's number-three hitter and remains part of the starting lineup through the team's eventual qualification for Koshien.

Kou Kitamura is one of Nakanishi's oldest friends. Their relationship includes frequent arguments, but Nakanishi understands Kou Kitamura well and consistently supports him.

Osamu Akaishi is another childhood friend and later Seishuu teammate. Osamu Akaishi is often the calmer counterweight when Nakanishi's temper threatens to create trouble.

Yuuhei Azuma's arrival at first base causes Nakanishi to move across the diamond to third, a change that ultimately gives Seishuu a stronger infield.

Sentarou Maeno coaches Nakanishi and pushes him to improve his conditioning.

Kyouko Nakagawa becomes Nakanishi's girlfriend during high school.