"To achieve this goal, I won't hold back from speaking my mind openly."
With these parting words, Miyuki concluded his initial speech.
The players, well-acquainted with his dark humor and sharp tongue, regarded Miyuki with a mix of amusement and respect. Some had grown accustomed to his unconventional style, while others bore the scars of his sharp tongue.
"Alright, let's get started with practice," Miyuki declared.
Today's training schedule at Seidou High School turned out surprisingly straightforward, much to Sawamura's initial surprise.
First on the list were catching and throwing drills, allowing players to choose their partners freely.
Next came 200 swings of the bat.
After these exercises, pitchers and catchers moved to the bullpen for separate pitching drills—twenty balls each.
This morning's routine was way less than Seidou High School's usual grueling practices.
'There's no way it will be this simple. These warm-up exercises might not be as straightforward as they appear,' Sawamura mused, sensing a hidden challenge.
Familiar with Coach Kataoka's strategic unpredictability, Sawamura had a premonition that the morning and afternoon sessions would prove demanding.
'But for now, the current task took priority.'
Furuya 'caught' Sawamura to join him for catching and throwing practice.
"We don't have to go this hard on each other! This is just a practice you airhead cannon!" Sawamura protested with cat eyes.
Furuya's throws were not just fast but packed a formidable punch. While Sawamura refrained from unleashing his moving pitches during these drills, his fastball was nothing to scoff at, even if it fell slightly short in speed compared to Furuya's.
Practicing with Furuya quickly turned into a friendly but competitive duel. Together, they raised the stakes for each other.
While teammates managed two throws, the duo completed three. It resembled a darting contest—swift, fierce, and precise, the difference is the darts were 143+ km/h(88 mph) fast baseballs and the targets were the bodies (and Mitts) of the two.
They later shifted to random catching and throwing form, intensifying the challenge further.
Teammates like Kanemaru wisely kept their distance from those two nutjobs, allowing ample room for the idiotic duo to push their limits.
Furuya's throws were reaching 150 km/h (93 mph), with Sawamura consistently exceeding 142+.
The consequences of a missed catch were snarky comments and angry screams from the teammates around them.
After the catching and throwing drills ended(Players: "Thank the Heavens!!"), it was time for batting practice.
Sawamura sidled up to Miyuki, teasing him, "Captain, that speech was too passionate for someone like you, to say the least."
"Don't be absurd. Your Captain was always straightforward and spoke from the heart," Miyuki countered, annoyed.
"Yeah, the black and twisted one!"
Sawamura shrugged off Miyuki's seriousness, though Miyuki maintained his calm and annoyed façade.
In reality, Miyuki's speech was entirely sincere; he really did harbor ambitions of consecutive victories.
Yet, he knew defending their title would prove far more challenging than claiming it. During the summer tournament, their opponents nationwide had been unfamiliar with Seidou High School's strategies and had underestimated their prowess.
With minimal targeting and smooth progress to the finals, they ultimately defeated the formidable Komadai High School to secure the championship.
However, a similar path forward seemed inconceivable.
Without a doubt, all of Japan's top teams now regarded Seidou High School as their chief rival, devising specialized strategies to counter them.
Miyuki's speech, theatrical though it may have been, aimed to mentally steel his teammates for the arduous challenges ahead.
So, when Sawamura dismissed it as too passionate for him, it kinda hurt.
Nevertheless...
Such teasing banter was typical among friends. To outsiders, such remarks could easily cause a fight.
After batting practice, Sawamura joined Miyuki for two rounds of pitching. With that, the morning session for Seidou High School's players drew to a close.
They hurried to the cafeteria, enjoyed their meal, digested it, and returned to the baseball field.
They were ready to face Coach Kataoka's demanding training regimen.
"Now, let's revisit the basics with a simple skills test. Let's focus strictly on fundamental exercises, without overcomplicating things. First up, the 60-meter dash!"
Coach Ochiai, stopwatch in hand and notepad at the ready, positioned himself at the finish line.
Coach Kataoka and coach Takashima stood poised at the starting line. (Takashima Rei is also a coach on the team.)
They were conducting a test reminiscent of the team's first tests.
At that moment, Sawamura walked alongside Miyuki.
"Are they planning to shake up the team and reorganize?" Miyuki pondered aloud.
There seemed little reason for such upheaval. Even the first-year players had already spent a solid six months training at Seidou High School, while the second-years had a year and a half under their belts.
By now, the coaching staff should have a clear grasp of their capabilities. Conducting another round of basic tests seemed unnecessary.
This wasn't Coach Kataoka's usual approach, suggesting it was likely Coach Ochiai's initiative.
Sawamura was genuinely taken aback. He recalled from his memory that Coach Ochiai had never employed such things before his regression. So why the sudden shift?
At the starting line, Coach Kataoka also found himself thinking about this.
When Coach Ochiai had consulted him earlier, even he had found the decision somewhat puzzling.
He failed to see the necessity. Time at Seidou High School was already in short supply; there was barely enough for team practice, let alone additional tests.
" 'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you shall win a hundred battles without loss.' Sun Tzu said.
Understanding one's own situation is even more critical than knowing the enemy's information.
Players may have a general grasp of their speed, strength, throwing, and agility, but to what extent? Perhaps they themselves are uncertain of this.
Conducting a basic test before each new team formation enables them to clearly gauge their progress compared to previous assessments.
How much have they improved? Moreover, competitors vying for the same position will understand why they fell short—whether due to insufficient fundamental capability or technical skills."
With Ochiai's explanation, Kataoka immediately grasped the logic.
This approach held merit. It wasn't just the starting players who stood to benefit from this, even substitutes could glean valuable insights.
When they couldn't measure themselves against others, they could benchmark against their own previous performances.
Reaffirming to players that their efforts were not in vain.
"Very well!"
Coach Kataoka nodded in agreement.
It must be acknowledged that Coach Ochiai has undergone considerable transformation since joining Seidou High School.
Originally, he hadn't intended to retain so many players on the baseball team. If their sole aim had been Koshien, he would have preferred to channel their limited resources towards promising, future-oriented players, rather than investing time in those with minimal potential.
But now, his outlook had evolved.
The Seidou High School baseball team represented a cohesive unit. It wasn't just about the starting players; every member deserved consideration and guidance.
Guiding them in mastering baseball skills, even those starting from scratch, necessitated instilling broader life principles throughout this journey, So they can grow mentality as well as physically.
Unconsciously, Ochiai, the seasoned coach, had assumed the role of a quasi-mentor.
Or perhaps it was more accurate to say he had been influenced by Coach Kataoka and the players of Seidou High School.
…