with the Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy.) The suffix "-chan" is often attached to names to express affection for that person in Japanese; the nickname is similar in nature to Tanaka's own nickname, . Aftermath of tournament Though it had been reported even prior to the tournament that Saito planned on proceeding to college upon completing high school rather than declaring for the Nippon Professional Baseball draft that would be held in the fall, his sensational performance and sudden popularity caused much speculation regarding his decision (particularly by the media). On September 11, he held a press conference in front of more than 150 reporters and announced that he would not be declaring for the draft, opting to go to college instead. In the Nojigiku Hyōgo National Sports Festival, the final tournament of his high school career, Saito faced Tomakomai High in the finals in a rematch of the national championship held in the summer, pitching a complete game shutout and defeating them one last time. College career 2007 In 2007, Saito enrolled in Waseda University as a sociology major, pitching in the opener of the spring season of the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League against the University of Tokyo on April 14. He threw six shutout innings, striking out eight and allowing just one hit and earning the first win of his college career. He earned the trust of head coach Atsuyoshi Otake and was sent to the mound in the crucial second game of series several times, including the pivotal game against arch-rival Keio University on June 3 that clinched their second consecutive league title. Saito finished the season with a 4-0 record and a 1.65 ERA, starting four games and closing out two others in situations that would be recorded as saves in professional leagues (there are no official saves in the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League). He was chosen to the league's Best Nine, the first time a freshman pitcher had ever won the award in the spring season, and was also named the league Most Valuable Player in online fan voting. That June, Saito took the mound as Waseda's ace in the second-round match, semi-finals, and finals of the 56th All-Japan University Baseball Championship Series, earning wins in the latter two games and leading the school to their first national championship in 33 years. Saito was also named the tournament MVP for his efforts. A month