Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

"This kid has finally matured!"

Miyuki said with great satisfaction.

No wonder he felt this way. Kominato Haruichi had been promoted from the second string to the first string alongside Furuya. At that time, the Seidou Baseball Club's first team wasn't as short of batters as it is now. Back then, the team was full of talent, and yet, they had never been able to reach Koshien. It was a time when they had no choice but to go all in.

For a first-year player, getting a chance to play was difficult.

Only players like Sawamura and Furuya, who could immediately contribute on the field, were given opportunities.

They were the ones who caught the favor of Coach Kataoka and the coaching staff.

Apart from Sawamura and Furuya, Kominato was the only first-year player who was promoted to the first string alongside them.

How impressive his abilities were at the time, and how much the coaching staff of Seidou Baseball Club favored his talent, could easily be inferred from these clues.

After the summer of Koshien that year, Kominato Haruichi, once considered a secret weapon, lost his original tactical value.

On the contrary, because he was the younger brother of the legendary Kominato Ryosuke, all opponents added 120,000 points of caution toward him.

So, in the following six months, Kominato entered his biggest slump since entering high school.

It wasn't that his abilities suddenly declined; it was simply that opponents became much more cautious around him.

We live in an information age, and gathering intelligence has become incredibly easy. Especially for teams like Seidou High School, many baseball-loving young players can learn the strengths and weaknesses of every player at Seidou without even needing to do much research.

Being famous has its advantages, but it also carries the burden of fame.

To perform well in a team like Seidou High School, you need to have stronger abilities than the others.

At the very least, your growth speed must keep pace with the team's progress. If you can't keep up, you'll be eliminated by Seidou's fast-paced improvement.

The problem Kominato faced could be summed up very simply. His progress wasn't fast enough to keep up with the dominant Seidou High School's continuous rise to the top of the nation.

That's why his performance seemed to have been discounted.

But now, with three hits from three at-bats, although the opponents may not have been strong enough, his perfect batting average marks that he has gradually adapted to the high school level of play.

It won't be long before he fully emerges.

"He's always been incredibly talented!"

Sawamura never hesitated to compliment his friends.

He believed that after such a period of self-reflection, Kominato Haruichi would definitely achieve far more than he had in his past life.

Of course, this wasn't entirely a good thing.

Although players like Kuramochi and Haruichi from Seidou High School had gradually started waking up and were steadily advancing toward becoming top players, other teams' third-year players were bound to experience a surge in strength during the last six months.

The final six months, the last opportunity, the last Koshien.

Such heavy pressure could easily crush some players.

'However, as long as they weren't overwhelmed and could rise from the ashes, many powerful players would inevitably emerge.'

These players might have been unknown in the past, but during the hottest summer, they would surely create huge waves.

"Thinking about it like this, it's really exciting!"

Overwhelming energy suddenly surged in Eijun's heart.

Although he was in his second year and had an extra year compared to the current third-year players, time was still limited.

A little over a year—it would pass in the blink of an eye.

He had to cherish every single minute and second of the present.

Cherish every opportunity to face off against each opponent.

With that thought, a real fighting spirit surged from within Sawamura Eijun's body.

The players around him seemed to feel it, and one by one, they moved away.

Coach Kataoka, wearing sunglasses, turned his head for no particular reason and happened to catch Sawamura's eyes filled with ambition.

"Don't worry, you'll get your chance to play!"

According to the competition system, if everything went smoothly, Seidou High School would face extremely tough opponents in the semifinals and finals.

If the game didn't show an absolute advantage, Sawamura would likely pitch two games in a row.

Sawamura nodded.

"I couldn't ask for more!"

He felt a prehistoric power within him could no longer be held back, and he couldn't wait to get onto the field.

The game continued, and Seidou High School's offense had just begun.

For the players of Seidou High School, who had already played five innings, considering the intensity of the subsequent games, they certainly wanted to end the game as soon as possible.

The Kanto Tournament lasts only a week, with four games held over the course of the week—an average of less than two days per game.

Such a high-intensity, packed schedule is a significant burden for any team or player. Being able to finish the game early is a huge advantage, both mentally and physically.

The players of Seidou High School were well aware of this.

However, the current score was only 8-0, and they still needed two more points to meet their goal of ending the game early.

So, they were determined to score two more runs in this inning.

Kominato Haruichi successfully reached base, which gave everyone a lot of hope.

After all, among the next batters, there was Miyuki, who was unbeatable once a runner was on base.

In this situation, with Kominato on base, Seidou High School was one step closer to their goal of finishing the game early.

Now it was Shiratsu's turn to bat.

In his previous two at-bats, Shiratsu had hit a grounder and a single.

His batting average was 50%.

He was a very versatile player, and standing in the Batter's Box, he put a significant amount of pressure on the opposing team.

However, the Oikaze battery was not to be underestimated.

On the contrary, when facing a fast-paced team like Seidou High School, they gradually adapted to Seidou's rhythm.

By this point in the game, they had almost caught up with Seidou's tempo.

Ping!

Shiratsu hit a flat fly ball above the second baseman's head, but it was caught by Oikaze's second baseman, who leaped up to make the catch.

Snap!

"OUT!!"

One Out, with a runner on first base.

Just when Seidou High School was full of confidence, this sudden setback struck.

This was certainly not good news for the players of Seidou Baseball Club.

They frowned, watching their opponents closely.

Although the situation wasn't very favorable, the players of Seidou Baseball Club never doubted their victory.

No matter if the game ended early or not, Seidou would definitely win and advance today!

In the end, Seidou will definitely win!

No one knows when it started, but this sentence has already been engraved into the soul of every player on the Seidou High School baseball team.

No matter what the situation in the game is, their confidence has never wavered.

One Out, one runner on first base.

In this situation, it's Miyuki's turn to bat in the fourth spot.

For Miyuki, this is not the most favorable situation. If the runner could make it to second base, his Cold Reading would be even more accurate.

Of course, in this situation, he doesn't have the luxury of being selective. As the team's Captain and Fourth Batter, his only task now is one thing.

That is to hit the flying baseball with all his strength.

Miyuki is very clear about his responsibility, and he is confident that he can carry it out.

In the stands, Seidou's supporters have also realized that this is a critical moment in the game.

One by one, they raised their voices and shouted Miyuki's name, hoping to pass on their strength to him.

They expected him to get the ball out of the field.

Everyone shared this thought, and the atmosphere on the field was like an undercurrent surging beneath the calm sea.

The battery of Oikaze High School, though not exceptionally skilled, still had a working mind.

They quickly identified this unstable factor and took control.

Aside from Kominato Haruichi, Miyuki was the other player who had made contact with the ball twice.

And both times, Miyuki had scored.

He performed his duties as the fourth batter perfectly, but because of this, he had been blacklisted by Oikaze High School.

This made Oikaze High's battery clearly aware that they were no match for Miyuki.

If they judged that it was possible for them to deal with Miyuki, even if the possibility was slightly lower,

They should have chosen to confront Miyuki head-on.

But their judgment now was different.

Their current conclusion was that as long as they faced Miyuki directly, the ball would definitely be hit out.

'There was no need to force it!'

They couldn't keep handing out hits to their opponents, could they?

The pitcher for Oikaze High wasn't strong enough, which was of course a disadvantage, but it also wasn't without its benefits.

A pitcher who isn't very strong generally doesn't hesitate too much. When the situation calls for it, they'll definitely opt for the four-ball walk.

Like right now, that's exactly what they did.

"BALL!"

"BALL!!"

"BALL!!!"

"BALL!!!!"

"Walk to base!!!"

Just like that, Miyuki was Walked to first base.

…