[225] Analysis and Apprehension

Chapter 225: Analysis and Apprehension

Intentional walks are a valid baseball strategy, fully compliant with the rules.

Even if a team relies on them to win, it's permitted by the game.

However, in practice, this strategy cannot be used recklessly.

After all, it's unrealistic to think a team can rely on walking every cleanup hitter to secure victories forever.

Strong batting lineups are not defined by one individual.

Ikuei High School isn't a team that depends solely on one strategy.

When Sato suggested intentional walks, it was situational, not unconditional.

Moreover, his approach emphasized offensive intent, distinguishing it from a purely defensive tactic of walking batters outright.

The infamous "shameful strategy" from years ago, where a team intentionally walked a cleanup hitter every at-bat, serves as a harsh reminder for all teams and players.

Even youthful pride and passion wouldn't allow Sato to take such a passive approach.

Coach Natsume understood this but felt compelled to redirect the focus back to the fundamental issues.

The core strength of a batting lineup lies in the cleanup hitters, typically from the third to fifth positions.

They represent the peak power of any team.

"Yes," responded not just Sato but everyone present after Coach Natsume's words. They recognized this as a critical reminder of what mattered most.

"However, Sato, your logic isn't wrong. Completely suppressing Seidou's batting lineup is impossible. If our team had only one pitcher, this match would likely be decided before it began. At the same time, we wouldn't be here without the two of you. We won't downplay our abilities, but neither will we overestimate them. Understanding this is crucial," Natsume continued calmly.

"Yes!"

Ikuei High School has always excelled at self-awareness, perhaps more so than any other team.

Their ability to identify their shortcomings and compensate with their strengths, while openly acknowledging their weaknesses, is one of their key advantages.

This self-awareness, coupled with adaptability, has been a significant factor in their consistent Koshien appearances and their success in the Spring Koshien finals.

"To be conservative, we must keep their scoring under four runs to have a good chance of winning. As for Seidou's pitching staff, you've seen their abilities. Scoring significantly off them, especially against that first-year left-handed pitcher, is nearly impossible. Thankfully, in the game against Yokohama Kouhoku, he pitched seven innings, and against Seihou, he pitched nearly six. In the first game, he played the entire match in left field. Physically and mentally, he can't be at his peak, which gives us a chance.

"As for their power pitcher, his control is clearly an issue. We need to capitalize on his pitches early in the lineup and ideally knock him out by the second rotation. The third-year ace reportedly has mental struggles and fatigue in his fastball, as shown in the Spring and Kanto tournaments. The second-year sidearmer has limited data, making precise analysis difficult."

After Coach Natsume's reminder, Ikuei's assistant coach presented a detailed analysis of Seidou's four key pitchers, focusing on their strengths and weaknesses.

"The one we need to be most cautious of is their first-year left-handed pitcher, Sawamura Eijun. His fastest pitch clocks at 135 km/h, with an average speed around 133 km/h. What sets him apart is his moving fastball and a unique delivery that hides the release point. Batters report that his pitches appear faster, with an estimated 4-5 km/h visual increase. His control is excellent, capable of targeting all four corners of the strike zone.

"His fastball has slight, unpredictable movement near the plate, which even he can't fully control. His decisive pitches include a changeup, a cutter, and what seems to be a unique breaking ball. This pitch, seen in the Yokohama and Seihou games, exhibits an upward movement near the plate, resembling a rising screwball with slight deceleration. However, these observations are based on speculation, as no concrete data confirms this."

The assistant coach's detailed breakdown of Eijun's abilities only deepened the gravity of the situation among the players. Sato and Kimura, in particular, were astonished that such a formidable pitcher was only a first-year.

Eijun's potential seemed limitless.

His velocity could increase further, his control could improve, and even without additional changes, if his pitch speed reached 140 km/h or more with precise control of the strike zone, there might be few high school players capable of challenging him.

Of course, if they knew that Eijun had already begun deliberately honing his craft and establishing a unique pitching system called "Numbers", they would likely be even more astonished.

"With a velocity of 135 km/h, combined with his unique delivery, it essentially feels like facing a fastball close to 140 km/h. That's definitely tricky," said captain Yanagishita, frowning.

"The key is that special breaking ball. It was the one he used against Sano in their first at-bat, right? From the footage, it seems you can barely catch a glimpse of his release point, but you can't see his grip at all. The speed and timing are too quick. Also, this pitcher occasionally exposes his fastball release point deliberately—probably to confuse batters. Using that as a cue to predict pitches would be a huge mistake with disastrous consequences," Kimura added, shaking his head.

"If we can barely track the pitch and adapt over one or two at-bats, we might have a chance to take it on," Yanagishita said gravely. As the cleanup hitter and captain, he believed even Sano would need a second at-bat to get a read on the pitch.

As for himself, while he doubted he could fully grasp the pitch, he felt confident in at least keeping up with it. Whether he could launch it for a home run, however, would depend on luck.

"That's why controlling the number of runs we allow is critical. Do you understand?" Coach Natsume said with a solemn expression.

"Four runs. That's the dividing line. It's not that we can't win if they score more than four, but if we can keep them under that, our chances of winning will significantly increase. This will be a hard-fought battle, but if we win, the path ahead will be clear, and the championship will be within reach," Coach Natsume said firmly.

"Yes!!!"

Rational analysis and thorough preparation defined both teams' approaches as they braced for the quarterfinals.

With a ticket to the semifinals—and potentially the finals—on the line, both Seidou and Ikuei High Schools were ramping up their efforts.

Two powerhouse teams, set to clash with everything on the line, ensuring an all-out war!

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