Chapter 460: Preparations on Both Sides
Narumiya Mei goes without saying.
He's practically like a king on the mound.
As for Sanada Shunpei, Seidou had already experienced his strength during the summer tournament.
Back then, Sanada had just returned from an injury and was still dealing with lingering effects, unable to pitch at full power.
But now, things were different.
He's back at full strength, with no restrictions.
To be honest, when it comes to pure pitching ability, Sanada is definitely a level above those two hefty pitchers from Seiko High.
Which means—
If Seidou makes it to the finals, it's likely to turn into a pitchers' duel, where even a single run could decide the outcome.
In that case—
If Eijun starts in the semifinal and ends up overexerting himself both physically and mentally, it would be a serious problem facing Inashiro or Yakushi in the final.
That's why Coach Kataoka and Coach Ochiai's strategy was to let Furuya and Kawakami handle the match against Seiko, while preserving Sawamura's full strength for the final.
But that's just the default plan.
If the situation calls for it—
Coach Kataoka won't hesitate to send Eijun in.
Like always—if you lose the game in front of you, there won't be a "next" game.
All strategies and tactics are based on everything going according to plan. Whether Kataoka or Ochiai's idea will hold up—
That'll be determined by how the semifinal against Seiko unfolds.
They can only hope Furuya can withstand the firepower of Seiko's lineup. But if he really can't hold up...
Then, sorry—Coach Kataoka will make the tough call in pursuit of overall victory.
There won't be many choices left.
So, everything now hinges on how Furuya performs tomorrow.
"Batting eighth, center fielder—Tojou!"
"Yes!"
Once a Little League ace, Tojou had to switch to the outfield just to secure a starting position. It was the only path left for him—even though part of him still longed to return to the mound.
But he knew the reality: only by focusing on being an outfielder and improving his batting could he solidify his place on the team.
Because taking the mound away from Eijun?
Far too difficult.
Not to mention, there's Furuya in the same year as him—another tough rival.
Tojou Hideaki was rational. He understood the situation and made his choice.
That's why, throughout this Autumn Tournament, he's stuck to his new path without hesitation.
Because being able to play in games—mattered more than anything.
"Ninth, third baseman—Kanemaru Shinji."
"Yesss!!"
As Coach Kataoka announced the final name, Kanemaru clenched his right fist tightly and pumped it with joy, a wide grin spreading across his face.
He had secured a starting spot again.
That rhythm, that state of mind—perfect.
Start by holding onto the starting role, then level up the batting—heh, why shouldn't I go for the cleanup role too?
Kanemaru harbored ambitious dreams in his heart.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Shoji and Asou, those two "unlucky brothers," could only sigh in frustration.
They just couldn't win that starting spot.
At this rate...
Both of them were shocked.
No good. They had to work even harder—if they ever completely lost their starting positions, that would be game over. In that moment, a strong sense of crisis hit the two second-years.
"That concludes the starting lineup for tomorrow's semifinal. Although the opponent was knocked out in the first round of the summer tournament, don't underestimate them. You've seen what they did against Sensen—it's a heavyweight lineup. Avoid high pitches at all costs. On defense, every detail must be executed perfectly. If we want to win, we need to shed more sweat, put in more effort than anyone else!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Tonight's self-practice is cancelled. Focus on recovering to be in peak condition for tomorrow's game. Remember everything we've covered about the opposing team, and get to bed on time!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Meeting adjourned!"
Eijun let out a slow breath, a thoughtful look flashing across his eyes.
Tomorrow, huh?
Tomorrow would be the showdown against that heavy-hitting lineup.
In the original timeline, Furuya handled Seiko's batters well in the early innings. The runs he gave up later were partly because they finally caught on to his pitching, and partly because of his recurring leg injury.
But this time—
Furuya wasn't injured at all.
His mentality had also been honed through the battle with Ugumori.
His slider had improved too.
If it came down to a head-on battle, it should be a 50-50 matchup.
The biggest threat was their clean-up hitter—Nagata. That guy was seriously terrifying. From Eijun's current perspective, Nagata's skill was almost on par with Yuuki.
Maybe he lacked some of Yuuki's instinctive finesse at the plate, but in terms of raw power, he might even surpass him.
Whether Furuya could shut down Eijun's lineup—
It would all come down to that one batter.
Among the rest of the lineup...
"Ogawa Tsunematsu!"
A glint of cold light flashed in Eijun's eyes, his gaze sharp like a blade.
"This time... just this once—I'm not letting you off. You fat bastard! If you dare step on the mound, I'll make sure you leave it crying!"
Eijun muttered, lips tightly pressed together in a near growl.
While Seidou was busy with their final preparations, Seiko High School wasn't idle either.
Somewhere in western Tokyo, in the area where Seiko High was located—
Whoosh
Smack!
Whoosh!
Thud!
"Sawamura Eijun, Furuya Satoru—most likely, one of those two will start tomorrow. That other sidearm second-year pitcher rarely starts and isn't really suited for it either. He's mostly used in relief or as a closer. So it's either Sawamura or Furuya. You've all just reviewed the scouting reports. Let's set Furuya aside for now—Sawamura Eijun is the core of Seidou's current team. Whether it's in defense or offense, we can only win this game if we completely neutralize him. So whether it's our pitchers dealing with him or our batters going up against him, you all need to focus on one thing—completely shut him down!"
In Seiko High's meeting room, the new head coach, Oga, addressed his players with a stern expression, matching their serious faces.
"Huh? Is he really that good? He's just a first-year like me, a lefty too. His pitch speed isn't even faster than mine. Or is it that tuft of hair between his eyebrows or something...?"
From one of the seats, Ogawa Tsunematsu muttered, nonchalant and clueless, as if he truly didn't see what the fuss was about.
---------------
If you want to read 10 advance chapters ahead.
Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Leonzky