[81] Pre-Match Arrangements

Chapter 81: Pre-Match Arrangements

Under You Shunshin's leadership, the Akikawa High School players practiced diligently, using Tanba and Eijun as models, simulating their pitching styles—Eijun's precise control (as seen in the previous two games) and Tanba's curveball.

You Shunshin replicated these styles as faithfully as possible. When it came to understanding pitching, there might be no one in all of Tokyo who could match him.

In You Shunshin's view, the next game's starting pitcher would surely be either Eijun or Tanba, as per their scouting.

The second-year pitcher had mostly appeared as a reliever, and Kawakami, being a sidearm pitcher, was difficult for You to emulate.

As for Furuya, You Shunshin considered him the easiest pitcher from Seidou High to defeat and this sentiment was indeed echoed in the original story.

In You Shunshin's eyes, a pitcher with only speed was insignificant.

Conversely, You Shunshin viewed Eijun with a sense of wariness because his ability to precisely hit the four corners was already outstanding for a first-year pitcher.

Most importantly, You Shunshin sensed that Eijun's pitches held secrets unknown to him. Otherwise, no matter how good his control was, his impressive performance wouldn't be possible.

The unique nature of Eijun's pitches once again played a crucial role.

You Shunshin couldn't truly understand the distinctiveness of Eijun's pitching without facing him in the batter's box yourself.

It was this mysterious and unpredictable quality that heightened You Shunshin's vigilance against Eijun, especially since Eijun was a left-handed pitcher and Akikawa's lineup consisted primarily of left-handed batters.

"Alright, next is bunting and base-running practice," You Shunshin said, a spark of determination in his eyes.

"Yes!"

Whether in games or training, You Shunshin remained the unshakable center of the team, around whom everything revolved.

At the edge of the field stood not only Akikawa's coach, Coach Ozaka, but also two familiar figures—the reporters from Monthly Baseball Kingdom magazine, Fujio Mine and Akiko Owada.

As reporters focusing on Seidou and interesting opponents they face, Fujio Mine was diligently gathering information on any noteworthy teams, such as Akikawa High School with their ace, You Shunshin.

"Speaking of which, this has always been our team's style."

"Strictly speaking, Shun has been the unwavering core since he joined."

"With Shun, we've gotten further than we ever could have imagined."

"Shun's way is to train the whole team, hoping to elevate our overall skill level."

"Even facing Seidou, the players believe that as long as Shun is there, anything is possible."

Coach Ozaka, stubbornly maintaining his trademark phrase "speaking of which," shared his determined perspective.

"Really? So the coach's catchphrase is 'speaking of which'?" Akiko Owada, taking notes, realized this with surprise, almost as if discovering hidden treasure, quickly jotting it down.

Fujio Mine, standing next to her, twitched his mouth slightly.

"Hey, don't write down things like that!" Fujio muttered, his voice low and filled with a bit of helpless laughter.

"Speaking of which, until last year we were a team that losing in the first round wasn't unusual for. But since Shun arrived, he's transformed our team's status simply as one pitcher. Shun is a player of remarkable willpower and skill," Coach Ozaka remarked softly, a warm smile playing on his lips as he watched You Shunshin orchestrating team drills on the field.

His words carried deep trust and confidence in You Shunshin.

"Speaking of which, as long as Shun is here, the players' morale is incredibly high. No matter the opponent, their desire and confidence to win are unmatched."

So that's it? You Shunshin, dubbed the "precision machine," had his control augmented not only by his talent and effort but also by such an encouraging environment.

Fujio Mine watched You Shunshin on the field, understanding dawning in his eyes.

Day by day, feeding balls to his teammates, in games, in practice, in personal exploration—constantly refining and enhancing his pitching control.

It was astonishing that a mere 17-year-old high school student could achieve such incredible pitch control.

Whoosh

Pop

"Amazing. Even during free batting practice, he pitches with such seriousness," Akiko Owada commented, watching the focused figure on the mound. She could sense his intensity and couldn't help but express her admiration.

Beside her, Fujio Mine wore a serious expression.

The team surrounding You Shunshin, centered around him as their undeniable core, exuded a strong sense of cohesion and unity. Honestly, even Seidou High School could face an upset if they underestimated this team.

The upcoming match might prove to be more thrilling and surprising than anyone would expect.

On July 23rd, at the Fuchu Municipal Stadium, with the match starting at 9 AM, the stands boasted a slightly larger crowd than usual.

Most spectators gathered notably more around the first base side than the third base side. This wasn't only because it was the fourth round of the tournament, featuring Seidou against Akikawa High School.

Another enticing factor was the second match of the day in the third round, featuring Ichidaisan High School versus Yakushi High School.

Both were seed schools, and this match represented Ichidaisan's second game.

Due to the scheduling, Ichidaisan had played one less game than Seidou, still being in the third round.

A victory for Seidou today would advance them to the quarterfinals, while a victory for Ichidaisan would leave them just one match away from meeting Seidou in the quarterfinals.

This additional intrigue brought a slightly larger audience than usual.

The spectators were eager to see how these prestigious schools would dominate the competition and held some interest in the Seidou versus Akikawa match-up. After all, You Shunshin's pitching had instilled some confidence in parts of the audience.

However, the spectators had no idea that today, at the Fuchu Municipal Stadium, a dark horse was set to stir things up in West Tokyo, affecting the district's competitive landscape for years to come!

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