'Can someone tell me what just happened?'
Although Kariba had indeed missed the catch, he recovered the ball quickly. Based purely on the time it took, the runner should not have had time to reach third base.
'But why was Seto now standing on third base?'
Kariba was perplexed.
For the other players watching, they were also stunned.
"This guy's base-stealing skills are incredible!"
Maezono hummed with surprise.
There were others who could do better in the first string, but only one at most.
That person was right in front of him: Seidou High School's speed expert, Kuramochi Youichi, who was referred to as "Cheetah-sama" by the fans.
After seeing his brilliant performance, even the picky Coach Ochiai quickly wrote down his name on a small notepad.
Seto Takuma!
'This guy could be compared to the previous three.'
"Just before the ball was missed, the runner started running," Kuramochi said.
"Really?"
Maezono's tone was filled with disbelief. Even though he had seen it with his own eyes, he still didn't want to believe it.
'How bold do you have to be to do that?'
You know, in that situation, one mistake and the runner could easily be Out.
The freshmen had finally advanced to second base. This was their first and only chance so far.
"It's absolutely impossible to do something like this without a lot of practice. This kid doesn't just have speed; he's also put in a lot of work on his base-stealing skills." Kuramochi affirmed.
The reason Seto Takuma dared to be so bold was because of his skills. Without that confidence, it would be impossible to steal a base in a situation like that.
"This guy's base-stealing skills are definitely the best among the freshmen, right?" Asou murmured.
Kuramochi shook his head slightly.
"That's not necessarily true."
His voice was so soft that the people around him didn't quite understand what he was saying.
The game continued on the field.
With Seto now on base, the situation had changed significantly.
The freshmen's chances of scoring had greatly increased.
Okumura suddenly adopted a bunt stance.
At third base, Seto also appeared eager to make a move.
He didn't just pretend; he actually stepped away from third base and started moving toward home plate.
Before, the older students might have thought this was a bluff.
But now, no second- or third-year player thought that way.
The opponent had already proven their resolve and will with their actions.
'Move forward!'
Of course, it was unacceptable to let a freshman score a point. Even if this point didn't make much of a difference, it couldn't be allowed.
There's no difference at all between 11-0 and 11-1?
But even so, Sawamura still didn't intend to just let the opponent score for free.
The reason he thought this way was, of course, because of his own plans.
Even for the sake of dignity, the Senpais couldn't easily give away a point.
But even without any benefits, the dignity of a Senpai was something that could never be so easily given up!
After Sawamura gave the signal, they advanced a long distance, surrounding the entire infield.
In the face of such a situation, Okumura, who had been preparing to bunt, was left feeling pressured.
The Senpais had originally planned to teach him a lesson in minutes. But now, with Seto Takuma on third base, no one was sure.
'That little guy's speed was too fast—it was hard to contain him.'
'In this case, we have to be very cautious in pitching and catching.'
Kawashima had his own calculations in mind. After thinking it through, he figured the chance of successfully getting the batter out was about 50%.
In other words, it was a 50/50 chance.
In this case, Kawashima had no problem facing the opponent head-on.
He made his stride and threw the ball fiercely.
Facing a head-to-head situation, even though it was a direct confrontation, there were still strategies involved. This pitch, for example, was at the edge of the strike zone.
Even if the batter knocked it, it won't fall forward.
Facing this pitch, Okumura, who had been in a bunt stance, suddenly pulled his bat back.
'Is this a fake bunt?'
Kawashima instantly understood.
These newcomers were tricky. But now he had figured it out, and he wasn't hesitating anymore.
Just as Okumura pulled back his bat, Seto Takuma, who had been in a stealing stance, returned to third base.
Although they hadn't yet made a play, their cooperation alone was enough to make everyone's hearts race.
"These two guys, their cooperation is too good?"
President Ota murmured, astonished.
Applying pressure from both the Batter's Box and the base at the same time was not an impossible task for the Seidou High School players. However, few pairs could pull it off.
He required a very high level of chemistry between the two players.
For high school players, this kind of coordination was difficult, but these two first-year freshmen were handling it like it was second nature.
Beside them, Coach Ochiai, holding his notes, calmly said:
"Okumura and Seto Takuma are both from Kanagawa's Daikyou. It's said to be a baseball sanctuary that focuses on thinking."
"Oh, are they that good?"
"They're quite famous. Kokai-Sagara often recruits from there. But there are some not-so-good rumors as well…" (His old Team.)
Ochiai, also from Kanagawa, had heard of Daikyou.
"What kind of team is that?" Ota asked curiously.
Coach Ochiai's words were so thought-provoking.
Ochiai pondered for a moment; he was still reluctant to speak ill of his hometown people. He could only pick out things that were presentable.
"The educational framework of that team is to let the players think for themselves…"
Baseball education has always been a very difficult topic. Most prefer to treat players like machines, believing that the better the machine performs, the better the team's performance will naturally be.
As for tactics, they are the Coach's art and have little to do with the players.
On the other hand, some believe that the core of baseball is the players on the field. They should be allowed to think for themselves…
On the surface, the latter seems more likely to gain approval and affection.
But in reality, the situation is quite the opposite. Through practice, it has been proven that the former method generally achieves better results than the latter.
In reality, it has been proven that those players who undergo rigorous training, whose bodies move before their brains, are indeed more likely to achieve results than those who are allowed to think freely.
So gradually, everyone has formed a common understanding: the first thing a player needs to train is their basic abilities in all aspects. Especially in the early stages of elementary and middle school, where the focus is on physical and skill enhancement.
When players reach high school, tactical training is introduced at an appropriate stage.
If the goal is to become a great player, just relying on this mechanized training is not enough. Mechanized training can only create qualified players, but not great star athletes. To become a great player, the athlete must have insight and understanding to go further.
But this still doesn't change the fact that almost all major baseball powerhouses focus on physical training more than the mental training.
They emphasize basic training, and few schools prioritize allowing players to practice on their own.
"A team that lets players think for themselves and then play?"
Ota seemed to understand each word coach Ochiai said, but when put together, he found it difficult to grasp.
A group of teenagers who are not even 15 years old, around 13 or 14—how could they possibly play by thinking for themselves?
Even if such a unique team exists, it's hard to imagine them making a name for themselves.
It's not that President Ota is deliberately being negative; in fact, he expects a group of middle schoolers to come up with their own tactics and defeat a team of the same level as them.
In President Ota's worldview, this seems almost impossible.
The world is vast, and an individual's perspective is narrow. The fact that President Ota finds this incomprehensible doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
Okumura, standing in the Batter's Box, stared at Kawashima on the pitcher's mound.
On the surface, he appeared calm, but in fact, his mind was far from as peaceful as it seemed.
His eyes were sharp, as if they could pierce the sky. (Edgy are we XD)
'Think deeply!'
'Go deeper, ponder the opponent's thoughts.'
These thoughts, like innate instincts, accompanied Okumura.
'The count was one Ball and one Strike, no Outs, and a runner on third base.'
'To avoid the forced scoring, the opponent likely wouldn't dare to throw low-course balls at this time. Considering the situation with the catcher…'
Okumura's brain was like a state-of-the-art computer, continuously processing the situation in front of him. In the depths of his mind, the figure of a man lingered for a long time, unable to fade away.
It was a man in his 40s, with curly hair. Okumura's most vivid memory of him was his smiling face.
In Okumura's mind, this man liked to stroke the players' heads with his big hand, just like a parent spoiling their child when expressing affection.
-"Well done!"-
-"You've improved since last time."-
The players regarded this Coach as a very close person, someone like their parents.
They were also willing to follow his guidance.
-"Listen up! Baseball is a sport where there is a pause after every pitch. This gives us enough time to think about the current situation, potential accidents, and the circumstances we might face. We need to be fully prepared before throwing the ball…"-
-"Then, when the next pitch comes, think about what we should do and what the opponent will do. Think deeper, consider their thoughts."-
-"As long as we are prepared, the balance of victory will tip in our favor."-
-"Also, once you start thinking this way, baseball will become much more interesting…"-
Unknowingly, Okumura's eyes began to become furious.
It was this elder, whom Okumura regarded like his parents, who ultimately chose to betray them and go teach at their rival's school.
'Damn!'
Every time Okumura thought about this, he felt a burning rage. He was no longer a naive child and understood that there were many unavoidable circumstances in the adult world.
'Even if it was out of necessity, there was no need to speak ill of them behind their backs, right?'
'Not to mention joining the rival team just because they offered more money?'
Thinking about it all, Okumura was deeply frustrated.
Humans are creatures with complex emotions. That event hit Okumura and his friends hard. Some even gave up on baseball because of it.
Okumura and Seto Takuma didn't give up on baseball, partly because of their natural talent, and partly because they couldn't accept it…
The more the man called them trash, the more they wanted to prove with action that the man was wrong.
They must use their actions to prove it.
There were many reasons for choosing to come to Seidou High School. In the end, the reason Okumura was able to make the decision to leave his hometown and come to Tokyo to study was to find peace of mind deep within himself.
He wanted a simpler, happier way to play baseball.
But no matter how unwilling he was to admit it, Okumura couldn't deny one thing.
The teachings of that hateful man had already integrated into his body. It had invaded his soul and marrow.
No matter how unwilling he was to admit it, this fact was undeniable.
Gritting his teeth in silence, Okumura swung his bat fiercely.
Ping!
The ball flew off the bat and landed right in front of the left fielder.
Pak!
The baseball hit the ground, and there was no suspense.
Seto Takuma, who had been on third base, sprinted home and helped the freshmen score their first point.
On the other side, Okumura also managed to run to first base, though it was a very close call.
It was really, really close. Just a little more and he would have been tagged Out.
'The ball hit to the outfield was returned so quickly?'
Okumura glanced at the outfielder who made the throw in surprise.
He had to admit, the Senpai players in Seidou's baseball team were amazing…
"YEAAAH!!"
"FIRST POINT!"
"OKUMURA!!"
"SETO!!"
This duo's collaboration to score a point caused quite a stir among the freshmen.
It turned out the Senpais weren't unshakable—if they worked hard enough, there was still a chance to score.
The players were all fired up, ready to take the field.
Right now, their momentum is incredibly strong.
In the dugout, Sawamura looked at Takuma running back to home plate and shook his head.
"Sure enough, these two guys were different."
'But Senpais also had their dignity, and they couldn't let things go on like this.'
Sawamura made a gesture to slice his neck toward the pitcher's mound.
'Take it seriously!'
…