While Seidou High School's main team was preparing for their next match, and Eijun was refining his new weapon, the first-round matches involving teams who had drawn lots were all concluded.
For many of these teams, their Koshien journey ended in just one ga, marking the conclusion of the sumr dreams for hundreds of young players.
Following the end of the first-round matches, enthusiasts and analysts began speculating on this year's championship favorites.
Teams with established reputations nationwide or those who showcased outstanding performances in their first matches were quickly labeled as contenders for the championship, despite there being no official seed system in the Koshien tournant.
Even Asahi Shimbun, a major newspaper, published its unofficial power rankings of the teams in Koshien, categorizing them into tiers: the "first-tier" teams as the top championship contenders, followed by the second and third tiers.
This ranking sparked significant public interest and debate.
Unsurprisingly, Seidou High School, which erged from the fiercely competitive West Tokyo region and crushed Nanagamari Tech High in their first ga, was ranked as a top-tier contender.
In particular, Furuya Satoru, who started the first ga, drew massive attention by dominating Nanagamari Tech's lineup, allowing only one run, hitting two singles, a ho run, and driving in four RBIs. His trademark 150 km/h fastball earned him the nickna "Koshien's Monster Pitcher," a moniker that resonated nationwide.
Despite being only a first-year player, Furuya had already beco a rising star across the country, catching the eye of professional scouts.
His imnse potential as a dual-threat pitcher and hitter made him a rare talent, with many professional teams eagerly watching his growth.
It's no exaggeration to say that Furuya is viewed as a future star, potentially reaching a 160 km/h fastball and developing into a cleanup-level slugger.
While Furuya's future remains a projection, the third-year players who demonstrated imnse power in this ga have already entered the radar of professional teams.
One standout was cleanup hitter Yuuki Tetsuya, who successfully caught the attention of five or six professional teams.
These teams were determined to draft him in the upcoming selection, with his draft position and contract offer hinging on how well he perford throughout the sumr.
The better his performance, the more lucrative the offers would beco.
...
Beyond Seidou High School, supporters of other powerhouse teams were also making strong cases for their championship chances.
Among the top-tier contenders was Seihou High School, led by monster slugger Sano Shuuzou.
In the original story, this team clashed with Narumiya i's Inashiro Industrial in the quarterfinals of Koshien. Narumiya struggled to overco this formidable opponent, highlighting Seihou's top-tier status.
Another contender was Osaka Kiryuu High School, the runners-up from last year's Sumr Koshien.
Hailing from Osaka, this prestigious team boasted the nation's best power lineup, with ace pitcher and cleanup hitter Tachi Hiromi as their cornerstone. Their power ranking was even slightly higher than Seihou's.
Yokohama Kouhoku Academy, a powerhouse from Kanagawa, also erged as a top-tier contender. Having defeated Seidou High School in the Kanto Tournant earlier that year, their strength was unquestionable.
Once again, they entered Koshien with dominant performances, earning a ranking on par with Seidou.
...
Other notable teams included:
Hakuryuu High School from Gunma Prefecture
Yoshinaga High School from Tokushima
Terumi High School from Shikoku
Houi High School from Kyushu
Ichizen High School from Kagawa
Sapporo Daiichi High School School from South Hokkaido
Yamamori Academy from Yamanashi Prefecture
While slightly below the top-tier teams, these schools were still regarded as legitimate title contenders.
All these teams had appeared in the original story, either directly competing with Seidou or being ntioned as strong opponents.
Their strength was beyond doubt.
More importantly, these power rankings provided a vivid backdrop for the fierce competition ahead.
Many people overlooked a certain school at the beginning of this sumr tournant, failing to realize the ergence of a terrifying dark horse—North Hokkaido's powerhouse, Komadai Fujimaki High School.
This team, in truth, is the real boss-level opponent of this year's Sumr Koshien.
Only Eijun knows this fact, and he can't share it yet.
All he can do is hope that Seidou High doesn't encounter Komadai Fujimaki too early.
The later they et, the more ti Seidou will have to prepare. Once a dark horse erges, it inevitably attracts everyone's attention.
For example, when Yakushi High defeated Ichidaisan High, Seidou imdiately heightened its vigilance.
Komadai Fujimaki High, having drawn a bye in the first round, has yet to showcase its strength.
While the public remains unaware of their potential, Eijun firmly believes that after two rounds, Komadai Fujimaki will undoubtedly beco the focus of the tournant.
Naturally, if Seidou High can face Komadai Fujimaki later rather than sooner, they'll avoid unnecessary risks and be better prepared for the challenge.
The championship contender rankings published by Asahi Shimbun sparked nationwide discussion. After all, indulging in the excitent of rankings is a universal pasti.
...
Beyond the rankings, the second-round draw beca the next major focus.
People were eager to see which teams would face off.
While the most thrilling aspect of a tournant is, of course, the intense matches, the draw itself often provides its own entertainnt.
Sotis, it even produces long-standing rivalries, with certain teams seemingly fated to et year after year.
The draw can also pit two powerhouse teams against each other early in the tournant, often creating the kind of drama that fans love to watch.
This is why the phrase "the joy of the draw" resonates so strongly—it encapsulates the excitent and unpredictability of this mont.
...
As Sawamura and his teammates continued training in preparation for their next match, Yuuki Tetsuya returned from the draw with news of their second-round opponent: Kanagawa's representative, Yokohama Kouhoku High School.
A prestigious powerhouse, Yokohama Kouhoku is also Seidou's bitter rival this year.
In the Kanto Tournant, they handed Seidou a humiliating first-round exit, a mory still fresh in the minds of Seidou's players.
Upon learning of their opponent, Seidou's entire team was fired up, eager to use this grand stage to exact their revenge.
Eijun shared this determination. The last ti Seidou faced Yokohama Kouhoku, he had been relegated to the second string under Coach Kataoka's orders, honing his skills away from the main stage. Furuya, however, had faced them, leaving a strong impression on their opponent.
With Furuya's outstanding performance in the first ga of this Koshien, Yokohama Kouhoku is sure to be even more wary of him this ti around.
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