Diamond No Ace: The Strongest Hitter

Chapter 168: The Opening Game

"You're quite heartless, huh? Aren't you going to comfort Sawamura? You two were middle school teammates, weren't you?" Kuramochi teased Sendo, taking the opportunity to poke fun.

Although Kuramochi had acknowledged Sawamura's potential, even likening his personality to that of an ace, it didn't stop him from using Sendo as a target for his humor.

Even Miyuki and several upperclassmen turned their attention to Sendo, curious about how he would respond.

On one hand, Sendo was already recognized by the third-years as the future cornerstone of Seidou's batting lineup.

On the other hand, despite being a man of few words, Sendo had an uncanny ability to get along with everyone, making him a likable presence on the team.

Miyuki, too, found himself clicking with Sendo.

He appreciated the younger player's personality and believed they got along surprisingly well.

"It's nothing. Eijun isn't so fragile that he needs my concern. I'm just waiting for him to climb up here on his own. That guy, as a pitcher, has terrifying talent and fighting spirit," Sendo replied calmly, gazing out the window. His words caught everyone off guard.

"Oh, I see, I see. You really have faith in him, huh?" Jun commented, smiling.

For some reason, everything Sendo said carried an air of authority.

Even those who might have disagreed found themselves unable to refute his words.

"Another one of those big-shot attitudes, huh? As expected from someone from the same school. Joining the First String right after entering the team, making an appearance immediately after the opening ceremony, and starting in your very first game—this must be unprecedented for a prestigious team like ours! So, how do you feel? Are you really not nervous at all?"

Miyuki, wearing his trademark mischievous grin, scooted closer to Sendo and nudged him with his elbow.

"Nothing special. Just like this," Sendo replied nonchalantly.

However, as he glanced at Miyuki, he couldn't help but think, Your character is breaking! This isn't how I remember you from the anime!

Of course, Sendo misunderstood Miyuki slightly.

While Miyuki did have a mischievous streak, he usually reserved it for juniors he liked and found interesting.

With Sendo's intelligence and unique personality, Miyuki couldn't resist being playful.

Seeing Sendo's look of disdain, Miyuki remained unfazed and even planted himself firmly beside the younger player, refusing to leave. Sendo decided it wasn't worth engaging further.

"Oh, right! What were you recording just now?" Miyuki asked, attempting to strike up another conversation.

Sendo raised an eyebrow at Miyuki but handed him the camcorder.

...

"Pfft! Hahaha!"

"You recorded all of this? It's hilarious!" Miyuki burst out laughing as he watched a scene of Sawamura getting hit by Haruno's tire.

"That idiot is so unlucky to have a friend like you. This is too funny! Wait, there's more? What's this... hahaha! You caught everything on camera!" Miyuki continued to laugh uncontrollably as he watched Sawamura's collection of embarrassing moments, clearly enjoying himself.

...

Soon, the backup players and managers boarded the bus, ready to depart.

Today's match between Seidou and Ichidaisan High was scheduled to start at 10 a.m.

However, this showdown between two of West Tokyo's top teams—the reigning eight-finalist Ichidaisan High and the powerhouse Seidou—had drawn immense attention.

By 9 a.m., the stadium was already packed.

This year's Spring Tournament started unusually early, and Ichidaisan High, fresh from Koshien, was set to face Seidou immediately.

The circumstances seemed to favor Seidou, providing them with an excellent opportunity to turn the tables.

...

"The first match today, Ichidaisan High versus Seidou High School, is about to begin!

Seidou High School is up to bat first!"

"Leading off, shortstop Kuramochi-kun!"

Amid the noisy cheers, Seidou's leadoff hitter stepped into the batter's box.

Despite the fatigue from Spring Koshien, Manaka's pitches weren't easy to hit.

While his fastball consistently stayed above 140 km/h, his control was shaky.

It didn't take long for Kuramochi to find an opportunity, connecting with a fastball.

Although it wasn't a powerful hit, it was enough for him to safely reach first base.

Next, Kominato stepped up and began his trademark battle with the pitcher.

Manaka, already fatigued from pitching back-to-back games, was visibly frustrated as Kominato targeted his weak spots with precision.

Sendo, watching from the dugout, couldn't help but think how annoying Kominato's batting style was. Yet, he found it oddly satisfying.

After a six-pitch duel, Kominato drew a walk, putting runners on first and second with no outs.

However, Jun followed with a pop fly to the infield.

What could be said about Jun's batting?

While he had excellent accuracy, he often lacked the power for long hits.

His ability to pull almost any pitch to his desired direction meant he could consistently advance runners even when getting out, resulting in a decent batting average.

At this point, the lineup structure became apparent. In this era, the third, fourth, and fifth batters played distinct roles:

The fourth batter was the most well-rounded hitter.

The third batter had exceptional contact skills and likely the highest batting average on the team.

The fifth batter was typically the strongest power hitter.

Strong teams followed this scientific order to balance the lineup.

If the lineup overflowed with talent, power hitters might even be placed in the second spot or lower in the lineup to maintain overall strength and flow.

However, the explosive power of the heart of the lineup remained paramount.

Even if the bottom of the order was weak, a highly explosive top of the order that could consistently score runs defined a strong lineup.

Without that, even the smoothest lineup would struggle against strong pitchers, causing trouble but failing to score, ultimately leading to defeat.

This was why Seidou's current lineup received such high praise.

With Miyuki at its center, the lineup's overall strength—even its bottom half—was significantly stronger than in the original timeline.

However, the current heart of the lineup was slightly weaker overall.

This would become evident against elite pitchers, though there was still room for growth before the Summer Tournament.

In this timeline, Seidou's lineup already had the makings of perfection.

Coach Kataoka's urgency in starting Sendo was to accelerate this development.

Sendo's defense was steadier than Sakai's, and his batting was more potent.

Most importantly, Kataoka wanted Sendo to familiarize himself with and adapt to high school-level competition as early as possible.

Initially, Sendo was meant to debut as a pinch hitter, but Kataoka observed his personality and concluded that starting him wouldn't be an issue.

Thus, Sendo was hastily added to the starting lineup.

There was no better way to build team chemistry and adapt to the pace of high school games than through real matches.

Batting lower in the lineup was a cautious move.

It ensured the team's chemistry remained intact while minimizing the impact of a potential poor debut.

If Sendo struggled, he could be substituted or focus solely on defense without much consequence.

Ichidaisan High's Coach Tahara didn't find anything odd about Seidou's lineup.

After all, the Spring Tournament was known for experimentation and development.

What he didn't anticipate was Kataoka's fiery determination to settle old scores.

Ping!

"It's through! Seidou's cleanup hitter drives a long ball! The runner from second base scores, and the runner from first advances to third! One out, runners on first and third!"

As reliable as ever, Yuuki delivered a timely double, giving Seidou the lead.

Hoping to maintain the momentum, fifth batter Masuko swung at a slider.

Unfortunately, he hit a towering fly ball to third base and was out.

"Sixth batter, catcher Miyuki-kun!"

With two runners on base, no one was more reliable than Miyuki.

As in the original timeline, the first pitch was a foul ball on the inside corner.

The second and third pitches were balls on the outside corner.

Then, Miyuki anticipated the fourth pitch—a slider on the inside corner—and launched it for a three-run homer!

"Ah!!! It's out of here! A three-run home run right in the first inning!"

"That guy… is he the famous Miyuki Kazuya?"

"Amazing! He hit an inside slider that far?"

In the on-deck circle, Sendo's expression was complicated.

For the first time, he experienced the strange sensation of the batter before him clearing all the bases.

Despite knowing it was a home run, it left him feeling oddly empty.

You cleared the bases.

Now, with two outs, what am I even batting for?

The only silver lining was that the home run rattled Manaka significantly.

To avoid any further mistakes, he would likely avoid throwing sliders for the time being.

High school games, especially the first one, weren't easy.

With the pitcher's strong fastball and decent control, a 140 km/h pitch with control was harder to hit than a 150 km/h straight fastball.

Adding a high-speed slider into the mix made the at-bat even more challenging.

Sendo had already prepared to emulate Kominato by fouling off pitches to wear down the pitcher.

However, the next moment, Sendo's expression returned to normal.

He realized Miyuki's home run actually reduced his own pressure, effectively shielding him.

In a way, Miyuki was the ultimate wingman.

Coach Kataoka's assessment of the situation aligned with Sendo's.

He advised the lineup to focus on fastballs.

As for Sendo?

Kataoka didn't even give him a sign, deliberately looking away when Sendo glanced over.

Kataoka had decided to let Sendo play freely, viewing the Spring Tournament as an opportunity for him to adapt.

After all, Sendo often called him "Sunglasses Old Man" and always ran off afterward.

Kataoka had recently realized he didn't mind the nickname as much anymore.

"You like to fool around, huh? Fine. I'll let you fool around all you want in the Spring Tournament. Just wait until the Summer Training Camp—I'll deal with you then!" If translated into words, this was likely Kataoka's mindset.

At this point, Sawamura hadn't yet entered Kataoka's radar. He wasn't around to call him various nicknames, driving him crazy.

Unintentionally, Sendo had shielded Sawamura from scrutiny. Later, even when Sawamura gave him nicknames, Kataoka was less annoyed, showing milder resistance than before.

As a trade-off, Sendo's summer was bound to be grueling.

But for now, oblivious to his unfortunate future, Sendo was having the time of his life. After all, he was free to "play around" without restrictions.

Sendo's personality was simple: if he didn't receive specific instructions, he would play exactly how he wanted.

And he had already made up his mind—he would skip swinging at any difficult pitches.

If he couldn't discern whether a pitch was good or bad, he'd simply foul it off, using his "Godlike Foul Technique," a skill he had perfected for this exact situation.

"Batting seventh, left fielder, Sendo-kun!"

"Batting seventh, left fielder, Sendo-kun!"

With a relaxed attitude, Sendo strolled to the batter's box.

"That's the first-year starter, huh? Nice proportions, but he's a bit on the lean side. Coach Kataoka must have high expectations for him, letting him start so soon. He must already have solid defensive skills. How enviable," Coach Tahara of Ichidaisan High commented, throwing a glance at Miyuki. His gaze carried a tinge of jealousy.

Sendo bowed politely to the umpire, exuding an air of humility.

Combined with his handsome appearance and natural charm, it left the umpire with an overwhelmingly positive impression of him.

In this regard, Sendo shared a similarity with Sendo Akira from Slam Dunk: his usual persona was that of a gentle and warm-hearted young man, but when he got serious, he exuded an intimidating aura.

In Slam Dunk, Sendo's focused gaze was downright terrifying.

Sendo typically practiced with a wooden bat but switched to a metal bat during games. His bat, specially ordered through Takashima Rei, was a staggering 34 inches long—a rarity even in Major League Baseball.

The bat's length was noticeably greater than that of his teammates, providing certain advantages but requiring immense strength and skill to wield effectively.

Most high school players used bats around 30 to 31 inches long, and shorter players like Haruichi used even smaller ones.

Players like Raichi Todoroki also opted for shorter bats due to their focus on pulling pitches with power.

However, Sendo, with his long limbs and impressive reach, had no trouble handling the oversized bat.

His unique build, combined with his explosive power, made him a natural fit for it.

To any knowledgeable observer, the sight of Sendo's bat would send a clear message: he was a power hitter.

His bat's extended range meant he could cover pitches on the outside corner exceptionally well.

If he weren't skilled, using such a bat would be purely for show.

Sendo intentionally didn't extend his arms fully, concealing his exaggerated reach.

To address his weakness against inside pitches, he avoided standing too close to the plate.

Unlike Haruichi, who would crowd the plate to block the inside corner, Sendo stood squarely in the middle of the batter's box.

From this position, he could pivot to hit inside pitches with ease while his long reach allowed him to cover outside pitches, even those far outside the strike zone.

With a quick shift in weight and a slight step forward with his right foot, he could extend his bat to hit pitches most batters couldn't dream of reaching. Sendo's confidence in his reflexes was unshakable.

However, as a newcomer, Ichidaisan High's seventh-batter catcher, Shimizu, knew nothing about him.

"With that stance, even with a long bat, how do you plan to hit outside pitches? And starting as a freshman? The pressure must be getting to you, little rookie. Let's see how you handle this. Go, Manaka!"

With the signal from the pitcher and catcher set, Sendo's debut at-bat officially began.

-------------

If you want to read 20 chapters advanced.

Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Shu_21