Shun approached the coach as soon as he was called, and the two moved a bit away from the rest of the Shoto players before Coach Yamada spoke again.
"So, did you find anything?" - Coach Yamada asked in a calm voice, though the glimr of hope in his eyes was unmistakable, as he awaited another of Shun's miraculous discoveries.
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Shun noticed the tired eyes of the man in front of him, and hearing such a direct question, he quickly understood that Coach Yamada had spent the entire night reviewing footage of Hokuto's gas but hadn't found anything that could make a difference in the match. Shun let out a sigh. Even with the help of the system, he hadn't discovered anything, but he couldn't help respecting his coach even more after seeing the ti and effort the man had dedicated to trying to help Shoto win.
"Sorry, Coach. I didn't find any flaws or tells in their pitcher. Also, their catcher has adjusted his calls, and I couldn't identify any patterns anymore." - Shun said calmly, though a bit dissatisfied with himself for not being able to find anything to help his team.
Coach Yamada observed Shun quietly. Although he had hoped for a breakthrough, he knew it was unrealistic to expect Shun to uncover tells for every pitcher they faced. Remaining silent, he waited, understanding that Shun wasn't finished yet.
"To be honest, Coach, Hokuto is a tough opponent, but they're the kind of team that relies on brute strength. Offensively, their top four batters are extrely dangerous, but the rest of the lineup is at most decent. On defense, they have a solid fielding unit, but the real challenge is their national-level battery." - Shun explained calmly. Even though he hadn't found any tells, it was clear he had a deep understanding of Hokuto's strengths and how their team operated.
"So, how do you think we should pitch against them?" - Coach Yamada asked seriously, looking directly at Shun.
"Well, in my opinion, we should use all three of our pitchers today." - Shun replied without hesitation, leaving Coach Yamada a bit surprised.
"What are you thinking?" - The coach quickly asked.
"Well, ideally, each pitcher would face Hokuto's batting order just once. That way, we minimize the risk from the top of their lineup. But since that will be tough to pull off, I think our best option is to start with..." - Shun explained his plan in detail, specifying who should start the ga and how long they should stay on the mound. Coach Yamada nodded as he listened, unable to deny that Shun's strategy made a lot of sense.
"Alright, we'll do it that way. Anything else?" - Coach Yamada asked before they rejoined the rest of the team for the eting.
"Well, in my opinion, we need Ryosuke's bat in our lineup..." - Shun said hesitantly. He wasn't sure if Ryosuke's recent attitude change was genuine or just an act, but he knew Shoto needed the boy's skills for the upcoming ga.
"Let's go." - Coach Yamada said with a serious look, not addressing Shun's suggestion directly. Instead of sharing his thoughts on whether Ryosuke would play or not, he simply started walking back to where the rest of the team was gathered.
Shun didn't complain about the lack of response. He simply followed Coach Yamada as they returned to the group. The coach quickly called everyone to start the eting in the dugout, and without delay, the players sat down, eagerly awaiting his words.
Coach Yamada was very direct in his speech, which made Shun miss the motivational speeches of the past. The coach briefly explained Hokuto's pitcher, Kohei, but it was clear that the team had done their howork and studied the footage Shimizu had sent. Therefore, Coach Yamada didn't need to elaborate much and simply gave instructions on how his players should approach Kohei.
Kohei was a complete pitcher with an insanely fast fastball, an almost unhittable vulcan changeup, and three other highly consistent pitches, a slider, a curveball, and a splitter. In addition to velocity and movent, Kohei also had excellent control for a middle school pitcher, making him an absolute monster on the mound. As a result, no matter what Coach Yamada said, he knew the chances of scoring runs off Kohei were slim.
Thus, the only instruction given to Shoto's batters was to try to extend at-bats as much as possible and avoid swinging at pitches outside the strike zone. Even that was a challenging task against Kohei.
After giving general instructions to the batters, Coach Yamada prepared to announce the starting lineup for the ga against Hokuto. On the mound, the young pitcher Sora. Catcher, Daigo. First base, Takeya. Second base, the young samurai Ren. Shortstop, the team captain, Kenta. At third base, Tomo.
After announcing the infielders, Coach Yamada paused and looked at Shun before announcing the outfielders. In left field, second-year Hisashi. In right field, third-year Shun. And in center field, the first-year prodigy, Ryosuke, starting for the first ti since rejoining the team.
All the players called stood up to acknowledge the coach, but one player was noticeably louder than the others. Ryosuke was clearly moved to hear his na called in the starting lineup again. However, he wasn't satisfied just yet. Now that he had his chance, he wanted to prove to his team that he deserved the spot and help his teammates secure the win.
After the team eting, Shun gathered with Daigo, Sora, and Jiro to discuss the strategies they would use against Hokuto's batters, especially the top of the lineup. Shun was a bit concerned about Daigo, as he wasn't sure if the boy could handle managing three completely different pitchers in one ga. To ease Daigo's nerves, Shun did his best to address all his doubts, ensuring the catcher could lead himself and Shoto's pitchers to victory when the ti ca.
After spending a good amount of ti talking with Daigo, Jiro, and Sora, Shun headed to the field to practice batting. So of his teammates were already using the pitching machine, so Shun simply joined the line and waited for his turn. Since the ga wouldn't be until the afternoon, they had plenty of ti to train a bit before having lunch and heading to the stadium. Shun even considered completing his daily workout routine now so he wouldn't have to do it again at night, but when he rembered he would need to pitch in today's ga, he decided it wasn't a good idea.
Shun then spent the rest of the morning practicing batting with his teammates until Shimizu arrived on the field and called everyone for lunch. The Shoto players imdiately dropped everything they were doing and ran toward the food as if they hadn't eaten in years. After the al Shimizu had prepared the day before, everyone was excited to enjoy the delicious food the club assistant had made. The Shoto players ate while chatting animatedly, but with each passing second, they could feel their anxiety and nervousness growing.
After lunch, the players quickly tidied up the field, putting away the balls, bats, and pitching machines before gathering in front of the bus and boarding one by one. Soon, the bus carrying Shoto Junior High's baseball team was on its way to the stadium where the Kanto tournant semifinals would take place.
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anwhile, at the baseball field of Hokuto Junior High School, a similar scene was unfolding. All the Hokuto players were gathered in front of the bus, but instead of boarding, they were all staring intently at the white-haired boy standing in the middle of the circle.
"Today, we're going to crush Shoto Junior High!" - Sugawara shouted from the center of the circle, leaving his fellow third-years stunned by his lack of decorum.
"YEEEAHHH!" - The younger Hokuto players cheered loudly, clearly energized by their captain's declaration. anwhile, Kohei simply looked at Sugawara with an odd expression. That manic friend of his was truly... unique.
'You'd better not disappoint , Shoto' - Kohei thought to himself with a slight smile. Ignoring his teammates' excited shouting, he casually walked to the bus door, boarded the vehicle, and quickly picked the seat he wanted.
"Hmph! Blue-eyed idiot, you'd better be ready to be destroyed! Hahaha!" - Outside the bus, Sugawara was laughing like the maniac he was, watching his teammates enthusiastically declare they would annihilate Shoto's team. For this ga, Sugawara wouldn't accept anything less than a crushing victory.
After a while, with the shouting subsiding, all the Hokuto players boarded the bus and took their seats. Soon, Hokuto's bus was also on its way to the stadium, ready for the Kanto tournant semifinals to begin.
Thus, the third showdown between Hokuto Junior High School and Shoto Junior High School was about to begin. A clash to settle this rivalry once and for all, only one team could erge victorious and advance to the finals. On one side stood the reigning champions, and on the other, their greatest challengers. The Kanto tournant semifinals were about to beco the stage for one of the sumr's greatest gas.
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