Chapter 461: Seiko's Countermeasures
"You idiot—what do you mean 'just like you'? That guy is the ace who led his team to victory in the summer tournament! He's now a nationally recognized 'Ace Of Diamond'! Compared to him, you're still light-years behind!"
As Seiko's catcher and team captain—nicknamed the "Mini-Tetsu"—Masu Shinichirou couldn't help but laugh in exasperation at Ogawa Tsunematsu's clueless remark. He gave him a light smack on the back of the head and scolded him with a sigh.
"Huh? Is he really that great? He looks about the same as me. And honestly, I think I'm better looking. Maybe it's that weird tuft of hair between his eyebrows or something?"
No one could tell if this guy was genuinely clueless or just playing dumb.
That doubtful, innocent expression on his face made Masu Shinichirou sigh in defeat.
Where did this guy even get his confidence?
One had never pitched a single inning in the summer tournament.
The other led his team to a national championship.
There was absolutely no comparison.
Sure, Masu had high hopes for his junior and believed in his potential to become a top-tier pitcher one day. But realistically speaking, as of now—they weren't even close to being on the same level.
This clueless fool… how could he be so carefree?
Around them, the other Seiko players—Nagata, Tamaki, Nishijima—couldn't help but chuckle at the scene.
"Haha, that's the spirit, Ogawa!" Nagata laughed heartily, slapping Ogawa's shoulder.
"Exactly! You're both first-year lefties. You've got a bright future too!" Tamaki chimed in with a big grin.
"Don't lose when it comes to momentum!" Nishijima's energetic voice echoed through the room.
"Ohhhhhhh!!!"
Ogawa Tsunematsu suddenly looked fired up—even though the game hadn't even started yet.
"You guys..."
Masu shook his head helplessly. Sure, the fighting spirit was great. And while there were downsides to being too fearless, overall, it was more of an advantage than a problem.
Let's just go with it for now.
...
"Sawamura Eijun, a first-year left-handed pitcher. His fastball sits above 135 km/h with good control—nearly pinpoint across the nine zones. Still a bit off from perfection, but solid. He's the kind of pitcher who primarily wins battles inside the strike zone. Due to his unique pitching motion, the release point is very hard to pick up, so timing the swing is extra tricky. He throws a variety of breaking balls, mostly straightball-based types. His pitches have peculiar movement due to their unorthodox spin, so even his changeups and cutters behave unusually."
"But the pitch that stands out is his signature five-seam ball—famous for its sharp, subtle movement. It doesn't have a wide break, and since his pitch speed isn't particularly fast, our lineup should have a natural edge against it. What we do need to watch out for are his changeup and that violently breaking cutter."
"As for the other first-year right-hander, Furuya Satoru, he's a textbook power pitcher. His fastball exceeds a staggering 150 km/h, with a recorded peak of 154 km/h during Koshien. His pitches have heavy impact, but his control is lacking. His main out pitch is the splitter. The key to defeating him is overpowering his fastball—once we crack that, the rest will follow."
At the head of the meeting room, Seiko's assistant coach spoke seriously while flipping through a notebook, carefully explaining detailed scouting reports on Sawamura Eijun and Furuya Satoru.
Down below, all the Seiko players sat in solemn silence, listening intently.
"As for their batting lineup—compared to the summer, Seidou's explosive power has definitely dropped a notch. The team no longer has a decisive batter like Yuuki Tetsuya from the summer tournament. Overall, their offensive strength has dipped slightly, though the core quality of the team remains solid. The heart of their lineup lies in Sawamura Eijun and Miyuki Kazuya. Among them, Sawamura is the key figure—he links the top of the order to the cleanup hitters. If we can suppress him and sever the continuity of Seidou's lineup, even walking their cleanup hitter every time becomes manageable."
"As for the rest of their lineup, the one we must be on guard for is their leadoff man, Kuramochi Youichi. A lightning-fast runner—he's one of the two fastest high school players in the country, the other being Carlos from Inashiro. If Kuramochi gets on base, Seidou's chances of scoring that inning rise above 50%. If he reaches third base, that probability jumps to over 80%. He's a batter we absolutely cannot allow on base. However, his hitting isn't particularly threatening—he mostly relies on infield grounders or bunts to get on base. As for power hitting... well, let's just say it's practically nonexistent. The rest of Seidou's batters..."
...
It wasn't just Seidou who had done their homework on Seiko.
As mentioned earlier—
Any team that can rank among the top of a fierce region like Tokyo isn't to be taken lightly. Every one of them has their own tricks.
Especially in a battleground like Tokyo, making it to the semifinals of the Fall Tournament already speaks volumes.
So Seiko High wasn't going to lose to Seidou in terms of scouting and information.
The detailed report just presented proved that point clearly.
All the Seiko players below were diligently taking notes.
...
"Kojima will start. Ogawa—be ready to pitch at any time. This is going to be a tough game. But if we take down Seidou, we'll be one step closer to that grand stage. Don't forget the loss we suffered in the summer—the regret you felt. It's still fresh in your minds, isn't it?"
After the assistant coach finished presenting the intel on Seidou, Coach Oga swept a solemn gaze across his players.
His heavy words hit their hearts hard.
The players' expressions grew serious. Even the usually careless Ogawa Tsunematsu clenched his fists unconsciously as he recalled his own disappointing performance during the summer tournament—and the resignation of their coach that followed.
"No, sir!!" they roared.
"Good. If you haven't forgotten, then channel that regret into strength. Turn that summer loss into experience. Take this final step—and let us prove, with our own hands, that we, Seiko, are the strongest team!"
"OOOOOOOOHHHH!!"
Their booming voices echoed into the silent autumn night.
Just two more steps.
Two more victories.
Seiko would wipe away the bitterness of summer—
And seize the championship of fall!
The trumpet of battle—
Had sounded!
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