59 Stepping onto the Pitch

The next week went quickly for the two boys who had kept up with their training religiously. There was an additional fire in their bellies as they spurned each other on to improve at a rapid rate.

Soon enough, the day of the game arrived.

After barely squeaking by Joto middle school, they were up against Itakura Junior High. While this team had limited success during their baseball tournaments, Ken knew something that the others did not.

If he remembered correctly, a first year by the name of Hayato Yagi would have joined the squad this year. He was a clean up batter who would eventually turn pro, joining the ranks of the Yokohama Warriors in his 2nd year of university.

Thankfully, Ken saw Hayato's name as one of the reserves in their line up. Either he had not impressed the coach enough yet, or his skills had yet to manifest. Out of curiosity, Ken activated his Identify function while they were lining up.