Baseball: A Two-Way Player

Top of the first inning, Celestial Principle High School attacks first.

The game just began. Although the warm-up was fairly thorough, the rhythm of an actual match is always somewhat different. Lin Guanglai didn't rush into throwing full power right away. Instead, through cooperation with Uesugi Yasuyuki, he slowly searched for his pitching groove, while also probing the main umpire's penalty standards for today. This also allowed the other teammates responsible for defense to have more time to get into the game state.

"Four balls! Batter walked to base!"

Facing Celestial Principle High School's first batter Azuma Hikari, it's rare for Lin Guanglai to give a walk just as the game began. This surprised both the spectators in the stands and the commentators in the commentary booth—

Bear in mind, Lin Guanglai isn't one of those pitchers whose stats show speed but whose control is extremely erratic. The reason he's been able to firmly establish himself as the "number one of his generation" in just two short years is that, compared to other strong competitors, Lin Guanglai's speed and control are both top-notch. Many believe that even if he were placed on the professional stage now, he would rapidly develop with a little training.

However, as the person involved, Lin Guanglai wasn't overly excited. On camera, he simply nodded at Uesugi Yasuyuki at home plate, then prepared to face the next batter after receiving the ball.

"Hmm... the main umpire's strike zone seems a bit narrow today. Looks like I need to pay more attention when throwing corner pitches next..."

Getting a clearer understanding of the main umpire's strike zone preferences during the opening stage can make the subsequent game slightly easier—walking a first batter now is better than losing points because of subjective strike zone issues during crucial moments.

Lin Guanglai glanced slightly with peripheral vision toward first base on his left side, signaling to his infield teammates to be wary of Celestial Principle's possible small ball tactics.

Arm swing, pitch thrown—on Celestial Principle's side, the second batter Miane Yuuya indeed held the bat horizontally when the ball approached home plate, then lightly tapped forward; well-prepared, Lin Guanglai quickly ran toward the ball, controlled it, and then with a swift arm swing, securely tossed it into Suzuki Daigo's glove at first base.

One out, a man on second base, the third batter Mukai Hideyuki steps up to bat.

After a brief back-and-forth of two pitches, with the count at one ball and one strike, Lin Guanglai signaled Uesugi Yasuyuki at home plate—he had almost figured out the umpire's call range, his control feel was about seventy to eighty percent there, and next, he planned to speed up!

The sudden change in ball speed caught Mukai Hideyuki completely off guard. Although the difference in speed between a 140+ km/h and 150 km/h baseball isn't much on paper, for batters in the hitting area, the perception is entirely different, not to mention, Lin Guanglai's fastball is famous for its even faster perceived speed.

Just moments ago, it was still a balanced count of one ball and one strike, but by the time Mukai Hideyuki recovered from his shock and fear, the umpire behind had already raised his hand, signaling that he was struck out.

For those two 150 km/h fastballs just now, he couldn't even swing the bat.

Yet this wasn't the end. After Mukai Hideyuki exited, the next to bat was Celestial Principle's strongest hitter, their fourth bat and shortstop, Yoshimura Angyou—facing Lin Guanglai's accelerating pitches, Yoshimura Angyou relied on his strength and skills, stubbornly entangled with the opponent.

The first pitch, 151 km/h, outside corner, strike.

The second pitch, 150 km/h, inside corner, foul ball toward third base.

The third pitch, 152 km/h, high in the strike zone, ball selected.

The fourth pitch, 154 km/h, center of the strike zone, disrupted out by Yoshimura Angyou.

Just from the speed of these few pitches, it's evident that Lin Guanglai is gradually getting into his pitching state, with his speed climbing ever higher, close to breaking the all-time high school speed record in Japan.

Over the past half-year, despite the team undergoing major changes and struggles with cohesion, Lin Guanglai's personal improvement never stopped:

After more than two years of growth and deliberate weight gain, his height has now reached 195 cm, and his weight 85 kg—although his weight is still a bit light for his height, it meets considerable standards.

Supported by such physical talents, at his daily training, Lin Guanglai's fastest speed has already broken Sato Yuuki's 155 km/h record, though he hasn't had an official match to showcase it yet.

Now, the time has come.

Lift the leg, gather strength, rotate, swing the arm—the smooth and powerful pitching motion transmitted all the strength he could gather from his tall body to the small white ball. The baseball, springing from his fingertips, transformed into a shadow and rushed toward home plate in an instant.

"Bam—!!!"

Just a second after flying from the pitcher's mound, the baseball appeared in Uesugi Yasuyuki's catcher's mitt, producing a loud bang that plunged everyone in Koshien, including those in the commentary booth, into brief silence.

Yoshimura Angyou is actually a batter with strong adaptability. The fact that he could hit subsequent baseballs after seeing one pitch shows it; when he confidently thought he could continue sticking to it and even hit the ball to send his teammate back home, Lin Guanglai's pitch was like a bucket of cold water poured on him, turning the surging heroism in his heart into wisps of white smoke, disappearing instantly.

On the TV, the broadcast camera panned around, then zoomed into the scoreboard above the outfield—there, the speed of that pitch was captured by the ballpark's speedometer and clearly displayed on the LED screen.

"156 km/h."

Soon, the audience inside Koshien Stadium reacted, expressing their fiery passion with the loudest applause and most raucous cheers for the young man at the center of the field.

In the commentary booth, the commentators responsible for this game's commentary were all stunned, clearly indicating that what happened on the field had exceeded their expectations:

Improving pitch speed isn't something guaranteed with effort. For 90% of high school pitchers, 150 km/h is a mountain standing before them, with higher progress increasingly challenging.

However, in his first official match as a third-year, Lin Guanglai not only achieved a breakthrough in his personal fastest pitch speed but also claimed a brand new record:

Now, the title of Japan's fastest high school baseball pitch belongs to him!