Baseball: A Two-Way Player

Back when the Waseda Jitsugyo players were preparing for the semi-finals against Nihon University, the Spring Tokyo Tournament had already reignited its battles.

It's well-known that the high school baseball schedule is very packed: aside from the off-season period from December to March each year, there are various competitions almost every month.

Besides the most well-known tournaments, held from late March to early April at Koshien in the spring and the Summer Koshien every August, there are local autumn tournaments from September to October, and the National Sports Festival intended specifically for third-year students as the finale to their high school careers; the Meiji Shrine Tournament in November is the final large-scale event of the year.

The spring tournament, in nature, is similar to the autumn tournament, both serving as transitional events for schools to integrate new teams and actively prepare for the Summer Koshien qualifiers, following a simple single-elimination format in their match systems;

However, compared to the autumn tournament, the spring tournament has even more matches, with greater intensity—taking schools from the Tokyo Region as an example, each team begins playing from the Spring Tokyo Tournament in April, and the two teams reaching the finals of the Spring Tokyo Tournament will represent the Tokyo Region in the Spring Kantou Conference in May, competing for the title of Kantou King against schools from Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa, and Yamanashi.

As for Waseda Jitsugyo, due to being selected for the Senbatsu High School Baseball Tournament and winning the championship, the Tokyo High School Baseball Federation was very accommodating in scheduling: as a seed school, they could start from the second round, with matches scheduled on the last day after all other second-round matches concluded.

Nevertheless, time was still tight—after returning from the Senbatsu, Waseda Jitsugyo's players showed signs of post-tournament fatigue, and even after a week of rest, they barely adjusted, with their condition significantly lacking compared to during the Senbatsu;

Moreover, with new arrivals just joining the team, the newly mixed Waseda Jitsugyo needed more time to integrate as a team.

Therefore, after assessing the team's current situation, Coach Izumi Minoru did not set any targets for this Spring Tournament, relying instead on their players to take them as far as they could go—it's the summer games that are the true tests of a team's quality; spring should be primarily about training new players and integrating the team.

Having decided on this approach, Coach Izumi Minoru specifically sought out Lin Guanglai to consult with his captain.

To achieve the goal of player development, Coach Izumi Minoru was not keen on having his captain start as a pitcher in every game of the Spring Tokyo Tournament—

Doing so would not only be a heavy burden on Lin Guanglai's arm but would also lack any developmental benefit: schools in the Tokyo Region with average strength would be at a loss when facing fastballs over 150 kilometers per hour.

Lin Guanglai accepted this gladly; however, he still expressed that even if he couldn't pitch, he hoped to contribute to the team as a batter on the field.

Soon, the 63rd Spring Tokyo Tournament arrived as scheduled, and Waseda Jitsugyo's opponent in the second round was Hosei High School, also from West Tokyo. The team had made it to the Spring and Summer Koshien in the early 1960s and mid-1980s, with their best achievement being the top eight, making them an ancient prestigious team.

As the Waseda Jitsugyo players entered the field, they could clearly feel the gaze from the Hosei High School team across the field, filled with envy, desire, and a fighting spirit.

"Justice, don't be nervous—how are you going to pitch looking like this today?" Lin Guanglai teased Tanaka Justice, who was walking with his head down and slightly trembling.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Tanaka Justice scratched his head and said, "Please don't make fun of me, senior—just because I'm on the roster today doesn't necessarily mean I'll play."

Hearing this, Lin Guanglai stopped in his tracks and said seriously, "Justice, once you're on the roster, you must always be ready to contribute to the team, whether as a pinch hitter or a runner. Never say things like 'I'm not ready' or 'I don't know if I'll play,' otherwise, when the opportunity really comes, will you say that again?"

Seeing his admired senior looking so serious, Tanaka Justice realized his error and immediately stood at attention: "Yes, senior! I'll remember!"

Seeing him so earnest, Lin Guanglai couldn't help but laugh softly, giving his junior a pat on the shoulder, and they continued walking side by side.

The game started quickly—and it was as expected, not an easy one.

Even though there was a noticeable gap in strength between the two sides, the Hosei High School players still displayed their determination—from their hustle and performance on the field, it was clear they had come with the resolve to take down the Senbatsu champions.

On Waseda Jitsugyo's side, having just resumed training a few days prior, they hadn't fully regained their game sense yet and had to hastily play, undoubtedly reducing their overall strength.

Notably, during the match, although Lin Guanglai played as the right fielder and number four hitter, whenever it was his turn to bat, the Hosei High School pitcher would intentionally walk him by throwing four bad balls, which left him a bit helpless.

Despite this, both sides played back and forth in the game, with neither side gaining the upper hand for a time; it appeared as though both teams abandoned defense, making for an exciting show for the audience in the stands.

After eight innings, the score was tied at 6-6.

In the top of the ninth inning, Waseda Jitsugyo launched an attack, filling the bases with consecutive hits, and the next batter up was Lin Guanglai.

Just when Lin Guanglai thought he finally had his chance at bat, the Hosei pitcher threw four consecutive bad balls, choosing to walk him even at the cost of a run—this was beyond Lin Guanglai's expectations.

However, from Hosei's perspective, this decision made complete sense—the prior experience from the Senbatsu semi-finals against Nihon University was right there; walking Lin Guanglai might cost them only one run, but if he hit a long ball, it would be game over.

Ultimately, Waseda Jitsugyo narrowly advanced to the third round with a total score of 7-6, thanks in part to the extra run gained when Lin Guanglai was walked.

Tanaka Justice did make an appearance in this game; he came in as a middle reliever and gave up two runs while eating up some innings—as the most talented pitcher in the current first-year class, Coach Izumi Minoru had high expectations for him, hoping he would quickly develop to share some of Lin Guanglai's burden.

The miraculous days of Saito Yuuki's hot pitching have passed and cannot be replicated—in today's increasingly packed and intense schedule, placing all hope on Lin Guanglai becoming the second Saito Yuuki would undoubtedly stifle his talent; if Waseda Jitsugyo's goal remains a national victory, then the other young pitchers must quickly grow.

In summary, there's a long way to go.