Although it was only one inning of play, the players from the Seidou High School baseball team had already generally figured out the strength of the opponent, Tomobe.
During their recent encounter, although the Seidou players weren't able to break through Tomobe's pitching and secure a hit, they had already gathered basic information about him.
They had a rough outline of his abilities in their minds.
His pitching is quite good, that's undeniable.
But to say it's exceptionally powerful would be an exaggeration.
For example, even compared to Seidou High School's first-year pitcher Nishiyama, Tomobe doesn't have much of an advantage.
This isn't because the Seidou players favor their own Kohai, but rather because, objectively speaking, Nishiyama's abilities should be considered superior to Tomobe's.
The two pitchers have similar characteristics, but what gives Nishiyama the upper hand is his special characteristic.
If these two were to compete for the pitching position, Nishiyama would clearly have more competitiveness.
But under these circumstances, the Seidou team still wasn't able to defeat Tomobe in the first inning.
This makes the situation even more interesting.
At this point, Sawamura was even a bit impressed by the techniques used by Coach Todoroki.
It's hard to know what kind of "magic" he's using behind the scenes to make Tomobe perform at this level.
It's obvious that Tomobe's performance has surpassed his own natural talent—at least by one or two levels.
Of course, such "hasty growth" methods aren't likely to last. While it might pay off in the short term, over time, the drawbacks and weak points will eventually appear.
During the first encounter, the Seidou players might have been tricked.
But the next time they face off, they are confident that they will make their opponent unrecognizable.
In the bottom of the first inning, it was now the turn for the Yakushi High School baseball team to attack.
"First batter, third baseman, Todoroki-kun!"
Yakushi's lead-off batter was Raichi.
Over the past year, the Yakushi team's performance has been outstanding, and as a result, their main lineup has gradually solidified.
At this point, unless there's an unexpected change, Yakushi's batting order is unlikely to be adjusted much.
But today's situation was clearly different. Against an opponent like Seidou High School, Coach Todoroki still used some clever tactics.
He sent his precious son to the lead-off position, having him face Sawamura head-on.
"Poor kid, he's really unlucky to have to face a more terrifying monster from the same generation. But running away isn't the answer. If you're a man, you need to confront him directly."
From the dugout, Raizou didn't seem like a Coach of the Yakushi High School baseball team; instead, he looked more like a bystander who was enjoying the spectacle.
This was very much in line with Yakushi's style!
They fear nothing! Bold and fearless!
This was completely different from when he sent Tomobe to the mound. It was as if he was a completely different person.
Generally speaking, a team Coach inevitably has his own preferences for player styles.
Some Coaches stubbornly favor physically strong players, while others like smart, strategic players. Some prefer those who have received formal training…
These preferences are usually closely tied to the Coach's own style and taste, and such preferences generally don't change easily.
Even Seidou High School's Coach, Kataoka, is no exception.
He tends to favor power hitters and Aces over flexible tactics, which is why Seidou's style often feels rigid in terms of strategy.
A Coach who favors straightforward power and tough confrontations can't be expected to foster players who specialize in flexible tactics.
It wasn't until Seidou won the national championship and became the top team in the country that Kataoka's position began to shift, and his approach started to change.
However, even now, Kataoka still has a strong preference for power hitters and Aces.
Raizou, on the other hand, doesn't have this issue. Though his style is focused on all-out offense and defense, demanding players to go all out and never avoid challenges, he's still willing to allow other players to support a newcomer like Tomobe.
He takes a bit of a spectator's approach when it comes to Tomobe, making it seem like he's content to let others take charge.
As a team Coach, it must be said that his approach is quite effective.
He may not be as experienced as the more seasoned Coaches like Kataoka or Okamoto, who excel at motivating players from within, but he has combined the best of both worlds and showcased it in his unique way.
The current success of the Yakushi baseball team owes much to Raizou's leadership.
In plain terms, this powerhouse team was shaped by him.
Certainly, Raizou had long made plans for his son's development. For example, sending Raichi to the leadoff position to face Sawamura right at the start was not just an expectation but also part of his larger strategy.
Why was Raichi placed at the start of the lineup? Because it gave him more chances to directly challenge Sawamura.
In the recently finished semifinal, Seidou's opponent was Inashiro Industrial High School's baseball team.
There's no need to mention Inashiro's strength—it's undeniably among the best in the country.
However, even against such formidable opponents, Sawamura struck out 21 batters.
The only time someone got on base was when Carlos got a hit on the very first pitch.
Raizou thought that this one instance might not have been due to a fluke.
In Raizou's view, it was probably part of Inashiro's pre-planned strategy. Sawamura wasn't fully focused at the time, so he fell for it.
Inashiro's plan succeeded, but Sawamura wasn't giving it his all initially.
Only after that first pitch did Inashiro manage to get any advantage. Afterward, they couldn't get anyone else on base.
To suppress Inashiro, who is known for its offensive prowess, was no small feat.
This just shows the immense strength of the Demon King.
Inashiro couldn't get another base hit!
Even though Raizou is confident in his players, he doesn't have much certainty that they can get hits off Sawamura.
That's how much Sawamura has improved. His strength is completely unparalleled in high school.
Even someone as confident as Raizou can't guarantee that his players will get any hits off Sawamura.
This is why putting Raichi in the leadoff spot makes sense.
If they can get a hit before the 9th inning, Raichi will have the opportunity to face Sawamura for the fourth time.
This is incredibly important for Yakushi High School.
Sawamura Vs. Raichi!
For the fans in the stadium, this is a very thrilling matchup.
They're all excited, waving anything they can in support of their respective players.
And yes, Raichi also has many supporters.
There are so few batters like Raichi in today's baseball world.
Once one appears, the crowd naturally rushes to support him.
While the support for Raichi isn't as loud as that for Sawamura, it's still loyal and determined.
Even though they were suppressed by the thousands of fans supporting Sawamura, the people supporting Raichi didn't retreat.
They firmly stood behind Raichi, supporting him to take down the Demon King.
As Sawamura's strength grew more and more formidable, it became increasingly rare for anyone to hit his pitches directly.
Earlier, it was Carlos who managed to hit a pitch from Sawamura using meticulous planning.
But who would be the next person to hit one of Sawamura's pitches?
From the perspective of confidence, the fans believed that Raichi was the one who could do it.
Only he had the greatest chance of hitting one of Sawamura's pitches out of the park.
Many people shared this thought.
However, Raichi, the person they supported, had no intention of paying attention to them. His eyes were locked firmly on Sawamura, as though he wanted to melt him with his gaze.
Such a showdown was probably something he had been looking forward to for a long time. Now that his dream was coming true, he couldn't wait to hit one of Sawamura's pitches out of the park.
"Bring it on!"
That powerful pitch, the kind he threw during the match with Inashiro Industrial High School.
'Throw it at me!'
He couldn't wait for Sawamura to throw that kind of pitch, so he could hit it out of the park.
Although he had never faced such a pitch from Sawamura in the Batter's Box, he felt an intense desire to do so.
Miyuki, the catcher, noticed this immediately.
He wasn't at all displeased with the batter's enthusiastic attitude.
With such a strong desire to hit the ball, defeating him wouldn't be too difficult.
Thinking this, he glanced up in the direction of the pitcher's mound.
He wasn't sure about what Sawamura wanted to do—whether he was going to face Raichi directly or simply do whatever it took to retire him.
Sawamura's attitude was nonchalant.
Although he had wanted to face Raichi for a while, now that he was standing on the mound and seeing Raichi, his gaze was somewhat detached.
Now as they are starting the game, establishing a rhythm and fortifying the defense is more important.
No matter how he dealt with Raichi, as long as he retired him, Sawamura wouldn't say anything.
'Good!'
Sawamura's attitude reassured Miyuki, so he decisively signaled to Sawamura.
After Sawamura nodded slightly, he threw the pitch.
Since Miyuki wanted him to use a Change-up, he executed it well.
Seeing the baseball flying toward him, Raichi didn't hesitate at all. The moment the ball entered his range, he swung his bat.
BUUUUUZZZZ!!!!!
PING!
The baseball flew even faster than it came, traveling over several meters, and landed outside the third base line.
The powerful swing left the entire crowd in the stands silent.
They had been whispering earlier, analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of Sawamura and Raichi, then expressing their opinions.
Some believed that Sawamura had a higher chance of winning, given that the Demon King had never let anyone down so far.
Others believed that Raichi had a better chance. This wasn't without reason, as they truly felt this way.
To defeat Sawamura, the Demon King, a regular player would never be enough; only a monster like Raichi could do it.
It wasn't impossible for him to hit a home run.
The scene before them confirmed everything. Although Raichi's hit flew Foul, it was full of momentum and power.
In the Seidou High School's bullpen, first-year player Yuuki Masashi was filled with boundless fighting spirit.
His eyes were firmly locked on Raichi in the Batter's Box.
This was Raichi, one of the strongest batters in the nation, a super slugger.
He had just entered Koshien and was already labeled The Thunder Beast by the media. Even in the professional league, he was eagerly anticipated.
Everything Yuuki Masashi wanted was embodied in Raichi. He had originally planned to use high school baseball as a stepping stone to enter the professional league.
Naturally, Raichi became his target.
PAANNNG!
"FOUL!!"
After two pitches, Raichi swung and hit them both foul, sending the balls flying out of bounds.
Miyuki, the catcher, seemed not at all surprised by Raichi's performance.
This guy had no real batting strategy; he just swung the bat as soon as the ball came within reach.
His approach was simple and crude, but it was this simplicity and raw power that had shaped Raichi into what he was now.
Because of his simple approach, it was easier for him to concentrate.
Whenever there was a chance, he would definitely hit the ball out.
'Let's give him something he wants, Level Four!'
Though it seemed like the Seidou High School team had lost momentum after two fouls, Miyuki never thought that way.
His thinking was simple, almost too simple.
With these two Fouls, Seidou's Strike count was already at two.
Now, they just needed to finish the job and get the opponent out.
Receiving the signal, Sawamura didn't hesitate. He took a big stride and pitched.
Roaar!!
The baseball seemed to be accelerated, swiftly flying toward the catcher's Mitt.
'Here it comes!'
Raichi's eyes suddenly lit up, and without hesitation, he swung his bat at the pitch.
PIIIING!
The moment his bat made contact with the ball, Raichi was stunned.
It was a fastball!
The ball soared high into the air, flying fast and high.
Miyuki, standing as the catcher, waited for a long time before seeing the baseball descend.
SNAP!
"OUT!"
...