<9>Opportunity

Chapter 9: Opportunity

Although Furuya's results in other tests were not outstanding, there were always others who could compete with or even outperform him.

However, with his incredible 131-meter throw and his terrifying, seemingly unstoppable pitch speed, he was undoubtedly the top newcomer.

Director Oota, after witnessing this performance, was so thrilled he almost burst into tears of joy. He grabbed Furuya's hand, his face flushed with excitement, looking like an overjoyed child.

None of the assistant coaches were surprised by the department head's reaction. In fact, given the current state of the team, securing a player like Furuya felt like winning the lottery—an enormous prize from the heavens.

Furuya's performance not only impressed Director Oota and the assistant coaches but also gained the admiration and respect of all the newcomers.

Kanemaru's jaw nearly hit the floor in shock, drooling in disbelief at witnessing such a miracle unfold before his eyes.

After the shock waned, Kanemaru quickly glanced worriedly at his friend.

With Furuya's performance, even if he wasn't originally a pitcher, the team leaders and coaches would likely encourage him to switch to that position.

Given his incredible pitch speed and strength, not making him a pitcher would be a huge waste.

This realization worried Kanemaru because it meant his friend's chance of becoming the team's ace pitcher had just dramatically decreased.

Tojo's face was pale.

As a player from junior baseball and an outstanding one at that, his experiences and maturity far surpassed those of his peers.

What Kanemaru understood, Tojo understood as well.

But precisely because he understood, the impact on him was even more profound.

A successful pitcher needs to possess various qualities—this was Tojo's belief.

As a junior baseball ace, he knew how challenging it was to be an ace pitcher.

But now, after witnessing Furuya's performance, Tojo's steadfast belief was deeply shaken.

He suddenly felt that his previous convictions might not be entirely correct.

With the kind of speed Furuya demonstrated, if he could consistently pitch that fast, many pitching techniques might not be necessary.

Furuya could just overpower everything with his speed.

Tojo and his teammates were undoubtedly talented.

If not, how could he have become a junior baseball ace?

How could he, with his team, have reached the national top four?

But compared to Furuya's talent, there was a considerable gap.

The difference was so vast it left Tojo feeling helpless.

"No! I cannot give up!"

Ultimately, the pride of being a national top-four ace pitcher reignited Tojo's fighting spirit.

Although Furuya's pitching was daunting, Tojo couldn't rest easy without trying on the actual field.

After the freshman tests ended, the reports were sent to Coach Kataoka.

Furuya naturally topped the list.

"131 meters?"

Even though Coach Kataoka maintained an outstanding physical condition, not at all inferior to professional players, his maximum throw distance was 116 meters.

Compared to this Furuya, there was a clear gap.

"This year's recruits are impressive!"

Coach Kataoka thought about the young Sawamura Eijun, who threw a curveball nearly 90 meters, and then considered Furuya's 131-meter throw.

The potential these two pitchers displayed was like manna from heaven for Seidou High School's baseball team, which was in dire need of strong pitchers.

"We'll skip the spring tournament for them; let them first acclimate to the high school training pace."

Here, "them" primarily referred to Furuya.

"What about Sawamura?"

"Let him keep running; throwing a curveball 90 meters... hmpf!"

Coach Kataoka snorted.

Even though the boy had publicly defied him, his pitching performance suggested he had limitless potential for the future.

With such exceptional talent, they certainly needed careful nurturing.

In a prestigious team, traditions are upheld.

No matter how outstanding a player is, as long as there are no unforeseen changes in Seidou High School's first-string lineup, other players would find it difficult to get opportunities in the short term.

Coach Kataoka wouldn't disrupt the established team arrangement for one or two individuals.

But then the unexpected happened.

Shortly after the school year began, Seidou High School's first-string baseball team entered the Tokyo Spring Tournament.

Previously, the Seidou team faced much criticism.

However, their performance in the Tokyo Spring Tournament was remarkable. They advanced to the top 16, and then to the quarterfinals, semifinals...

Just one more victory, and they would qualify for the Kanto Tournament.

During this time, Furuya observed two of Seidou's games.

To be honest, the seniors' performances were quite impressive.

Their defense was solid, and on offense, they were relentless, tearing through the opponent's defenses with ease.

The games didn't even reach the ninth inning.

By the fifth or seventh inning, they had already secured victory.

The first-year students who had eagerly gone to watch the games felt a bittersweet twinge along with their excitement.

With the first-string seniors performing so well, it seemed that their own chances of getting playtime were slim.

Not just in this spring tournament.

Even come the summer tournament, with such a seasoned lineup in the first string, opportunities for newcomers seemed scarce.

In the semifinals, Seidou faced off against Ichidaisan High School.

Despite gaining a significant early advantage, they found themselves constantly pursued by Ichidaisan.

By the end of the game, the score difference was still very small.

It felt as though Seidou barely managed to hold onto their victory.

Coach Kataoka's expression remained grim throughout.

As they faced stronger opponents, their ace pitcher Tanba started giving up more runs.

Previously, these runs were within the tolerable range for Coach Kataoka.

But in this match against Ichidaisan, Tanba was nearly overwhelmed.

This was clearly beyond Coach Kataoka's limits of tolerance.

After the spring tournament concluded, Seidou High School's baseball team ended up as the runners-up.

Coach Kataoka immediately announced an intrasquad match.

The second and third-year players would play against the first-year newcomers.

He was eager to select new talent to join the first string.

While it might seem disrespectful to the upperclassmen, the opportunity that the newcomers had been waiting for had finally arrived.