"Fifth batter, right fielder, Shiratsu-kun."
Shiratsu walked to the plate with a blank expression and raised his bat high.
According to the data Sankou has, Shiratsu was a very steady batter.
His skills were well-rounded; he could hit effectively, create opportunities, and execute many tactics on the plate or the bases.
In a situation with one Out and runners on first and third, facing such a troublesome opponent was a headache for Sankou.
"Amahisa-boy, it's time to show your fighting spirit!"
Tahara Toshihiko—Sankou's Coach—unable to sit still, stood up and signaled his players.
The defensive lineup was adjusted appropriately.
Their infielders tightened their defensive range to prevent Seidou High School from using tactics like forced scoring or hit and runs.
At third base, Sawamura raised his eyebrows in surprise.
'Impressive!'
'It seemed that Sankou had figured out Seidou High School's tactics, and their adjustments were precisely targeting Seidou's weaknesses.'
'As expected from one of the top coaches in West Tokyo, his tactical application and on-field management were exceptional.'
Of course, Coach Kataoka was also active.
He signaled his players to prepare for an offensive strategy.
'Miyuki at first base, adopt an aggressive stealing stance and move as far away from the base as possible. Provide cover for Shiratsu at bat and Sawamura at third base.'
'Sawamura at third base, from the first pitch, if there's an opportunity, steal the base aggressively.'
'Shiratsu, no matter what hit the ball and make it land. You can let the first pitch go but don't miss any subsequent pitches. Attack aggressively.'
Coach Kataoka's instructions were to aggressively attack.
Under these orders, Seidou's offensive strategies had many variations. Kataoka's approach was not to dictate a specific method but to allow players to use their creativity.
He simply set goals and let the players figure out how to achieve them.
This was sufficient.
Players graduating from Seidou often have a deep understanding of the coach's tactical instructions because they learned how to think strategically during their time there.
This ability is crucial and can significantly influence a player's future potential.
The game continued, and the tension remained high.
After both teams issued their tactical orders, their strategies were executed flawlessly.
Miyuki, who had originally been on first base, had unknowingly moved several meters away from the base.
Sawamura, at third base, also advanced toward home plate.
"These guys!"
Kousei, on the pitcher's mound, felt as if his lungs were about to burst.
Seidou players were so daring, completely disregarding him as a pitcher.
He threw the ball to first base.
Want to steal bases? Just put an end to it!
At the moment he made the move, Miyuki, who had been nearly four meters off first base, quickly dashed back, making a dramatic slide.
He barely managed to return to first base.
"Damn it!"
Hoshida at first base tried to tag Miyuki Out after catching the ball.
But it wasn't that simple.
"Safe!"
Miyuki smoothly returned to first base, just barely avoiding the tag.
"Tsk!"
"HOME PLATE!!"
As Hoshida fumed, he suddenly heard his catcher's panicked voice.
'Home plate?'
Hoshida was shocked and turned his gaze to home plate.
'How is this possible?'
His eyes widened in disbelief as he saw Sawamura, only ten meters from home plate.
'This is absurd!'
'How did he get there?'
We need to rewind the time by three seconds.
When Kousei threw to first base, Sawamura, who had been on third base, saw the opportunity.
From the moment Kousei threw to first base, it took about 1.3 seconds.
By the time the first baseman caught the ball and moved to tag Miyuki, the umpire announced safe! Add one second
Then realizing that Sawamura was stealing home and getting ready to throw to home plate also took another second.
The total is over 3 seconds.
Even with Sankou High School's thorough training, any slight mistake in their coordination would extend the time to four seconds.
A full four seconds, and even if the catcher received the ball, they would still need a fraction of a second to react.
There's an opportunity!
This opportunity wasn't a spur-of-the-moment judgment from Sawamura. If it were, he'd need time to think, which would be too late.
He had already assessed it.
As soon as Kousei threw to first base, Sawamura would immediately steal home.
Miyuki's distance from first base was also meant to cover him.
Everything was set, only the right moment was needed.
Having planned everything in advance, Sawamura waited for Kousei to make the throw.
Seidou had practiced this tactic privately. Although it was used infrequently due to its demanding conditions, it was still within their capability.
Seeing Sawamura's move, Miyuki understood the plan.
That's why he was so far from the base.
It was risky but worth the reward.
By the time Kousei threw to first base, their tactic was halfway successful.
When Hoshida hurriedly threw the ball to home plate, they had already missed the best chance to tag Out Sawamura.
Snap!
By the time the catcher caught the ball, Sawamura was already close to home plate.
Without giving the catcher any reaction time, Sawamura slid into home plate with the agility of a slippery eel.
This action not only minimized his body but also maximized his speed.
Before the catcher's Mitt could touch Sawamura, his hand was already firmly on home plate.
"SAFE!!!!"
Sawamura jumped up and pumped his fist!
"YEAH!"
The crowd erupted in cheers.
"DEMON KING!"
"DEMON KING!!!!"
"SEIDOU!"
"SEIDOU!!!"
Seidou extended their lead to 2-0.
Although Shiratsu later made an out, preventing the offense from continuing, Seidou High School had taken control of the game.
They held the firm initiative.
Victory was theirs!
At that moment, every Seidou High School player's heart was filled with joy and confidence.
In the stands, a young man named Lee Hyun was deeply amazed.
His exposure to baseball had been relatively simple and short, but even he could see how incredible this play was.
"Is this play normal?"
Lee Hyun, who isn't very familiar with baseball, couldn't help but ask.
The tour guide beside Lee Hyun nodded in admiration.
"Not at the high school level. The runner on first base deliberately drew the pitcher's attention with a pickoff throw, allowing the runner on third base to steal home. The whole strategy was seamless. This requires elite a very high level of tactical understanding and cooperation."
It's no wonder that outstanding high school players can directly enter the baseball draft.
They truly possess the skill level of professional players.
And to think a team of this level has lost to someone…
"Is Tokyo full of these kinds of talents?" one of the group asked.
"Not exactly!"
The tour guide, clearly liking the praise, couldn't hide his smile upon hearing the praise for his supported team.
"The team's players are selected from all over the country. It's only natural that they have such talent level."
"Eh?"
Lee Hyun and the rest of the group, who didn't fully understand Japanese high school baseball, looked at the tour guide in surprise.
After the tour guide explained, they finally understood the special enrollment system of high school baseball.
"So, many of the players at Seidou aren't locals from Tokyo?"
"Certainly!"
The tour guide affirmed with a nod. "For example, none of the three main pitchers at Seidou High are from Tokyo."
Sawamura is from Nagano!
Kawakami is from Chiba!
Furuya is from Hokkaido!!
The group exchanged shocked glances, unable to believe how a simple high school baseball team could have such a large-scale operation.
'They are all chasing dreams…'
It was simply an incredible concept of Lee-Hyun.
"Lee Hyun, you'll have to face a similar situation in the future. Are you mentally prepared for it?"
"I was mentally prepared for this when I left my village," Lee Hyun nodded.
In fact forgot prepared, he was loving the idea already.
Going abroad alone to learn baseball, Lee Hyun initially thought he would be alone in this, but he didn't expect that most Seidou players were recruited from all over the country.
'They too had left their hometowns to play baseball at Seidou.'
Inexplicably, Lee Hyun felt a sense of connection with these players.
A sense of empathy for those in similar circumstances.
…