Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

Chapter 223: Preparations

The ERA of Ikuei High School's second-year pitcher surprised the Seidou players.

With an ERA just shy of 2, it means that in his starts, he typically allows only one or two runs before being replaced, rarely giving up three runs.

This is a remarkable and eye-catching statistic.

However, based on available data, the teams Ikuei High School has faced, whether in regional tournaments or Koshien, have strong batting lineups but are not at the level of Seidou or Seihou High School.

This suggests that Seidou might have a better chance of handling this pitcher.

That said, Chris's detailed stats were enough to draw the attention of key players like Yuuki, Isashiki, and Masuko.

"As for the other pitcher, their third-year ace, Motoharu Kimura, he's a left-hander with a top speed of 146 km/h."

"However, compared to the second-year pitcher, his control isn't as precise, and occasional control issues have been noted during the regional tournament. His main strength lies in his exceptional arm power, which generates a strong sense of pressure for batters."

"As a lefty, his pitches are difficult to track. It's also worth noting that he is the team's fifth batter, a cleanup hitter. When Yoshinori Sato, the second-year pitcher, starts, Kimura typically plays as the starting first baseman."

Chris continued his introduction of Ikuei High School's ace.

After hearing the details about the two pitchers, Eijun raised an eyebrow in thought.

Based on the data, neither of these pitchers seemed particularly overwhelming in terms of individual ability.

In fact, they might even fall short of Seihou High School's ace, who only broke down completely in the seventh inning, with earlier runs partly attributed to the catcher and defense.

Even so, Seihou's ace was ultimately defeated by Seidou's lineup.

This means that Ikuei's pitchers might not pose as much of a threat individually.

However, Ikuei's strategy of using a two-ace system complicates things.

Regardless of whether the opposing lineup catches onto one pitcher's rhythm, Ikuei typically alternates their pitchers, with each handling about half the game and facing only two rotations of the lineup.

This reduces the risk for Ikuei significantly.

It's a clever approach, and it explains why many teams struggle to score against Ikuei.

Facing two distinct pitchers, each with their own style and strengths, in a single game is a challenge for any lineup.

Of course, this applies to most teams—Seidou is a different story.

A faint smile appeared on Eijun's lips. He was confident that Seidou's lineup could give Ikuei a serious surprise in the next game.

As previously mentioned, even Ichidaisan High, who lost to Ikuei, managed to dominate most of the game during the Spring Koshien, maintaining offensive pressure and scoring.

Ikuei only managed to pull off a comeback in the eighth inning due to their effective strategies and Ichidaisan's pitcher, Manaka, who, while solid, wasn't an elite-level pitcher and was showing signs of fatigue.

Ikuei's tactical offense capitalized on this to clinch the victory.

In contrast, during the Summer Koshien in the original story, Inashiro Industrial completely dominated Ikuei, with Narumiya Mei preventing them from reaching their potential.

Based on these two matches, Eijun drew a conclusion: as long as Seidou's pitching lineup performed steadily, Ikuei's high ceiling wouldn't come into play.

That would be the key to victory, and it was a point Eijun felt most confident about.

Having endured the formidable lineup of Seihou High School, both Eijun and Furuya had grown significantly.

With Seidou's current pitching staff, suppressing Ikuei's batting lineup shouldn't be a major issue.

If the pitching staff holds firm and the game turns into a battle of batting lineups, Seidou has at least a 70% chance of winning. In the original story, Inashiro showcased this well, with Narumiya completely stifling Ikuei's offensive potential.

Ikuei, which struggles to score runs, is likely to see their defense falter first.

In baseball, offense and defense are interconnected—a strong defensive rhythm can drive offensive momentum, while aggressive offense can inspire better defensive performance.

This dynamic has been vividly demonstrated in countless baseball games.

"That concludes all the information on Ikuei High School, especially their two pitchers. Everyone, make sure to remember their characteristics," Chris said after finishing his detailed breakdown of Ikuei's lineup.

He added one final reminder about their two ace pitchers before nodding toward Coach Kataoka and stepping aside.

"Chris has provided a thorough analysis of Ikuei High School's data. On the surface, this team might not seem particularly strong in any one area, but in reality, they are incredibly well-balanced, with no clear weaknesses. This is their greatest strength," Coach Kataoka stated, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room.

"Defeating them isn't simply a matter of relying on overwhelming offense. First and foremost, you must remain steady. In the Spring Koshien, Ichidaisan High fell to this team. You should fully understand by now—Ikuei is capable of enduring adversity, only to explode at the crucial moment. If you're not careful, we could end up with the same result as Ichidaisan. Do you understand?"

"Yes!" the Seidou players responded in unison, their voices firm and resolute.

"The game is in two days. I'll decide the starting pitcher based on your current condition. You've been given all the materials on Ikuei High School; make sure to commit them to memory over the next few days. Pay special attention to their pitching rotation. There is no room for complacency. Stay in your best form at all times. Against Ikuei, I expect our pitchers to demonstrate their stability," Coach Kataoka said, directing his focus to the four pitchers in the lineup.

Eijun couldn't shake the feeling that Coach Kataoka's gaze lingered on Tanba, the team's third-year ace, for a few seconds longer than usual.

Perhaps Kataoka had unique expectations for the veteran pitcher?

Eijun silently speculated, his thoughts swirling.

"This concludes today's meeting. Yuuki, Miyuki, and Chris, stay behind. Everyone else is dismissed."

"Yes, sir!"

The Seidou players responded loudly and began filing out of the conference room in small groups.

Eijun left with the others, though his mind remained preoccupied.

A peculiar feeling lingered as he thought about Ikuei High School.

Something about them felt different.

Spring Koshien's Ichidaisan High, Inashiro Industrial from the original Summer Koshien, and numerous other powerhouses all came to mind.

In his subconscious, a thought echoed: this upcoming game against Ikuei High School would not be easy.

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