<48> The Night Before the Practice Match

Chapter 48: The Night Before the Practice Match

"Today's training is over! Now, everyone, finish up with a 5-kilometer run! Everyone, shout it out!"

"That's it? We hardly did anything today!" Sawamura asked in confusion.

"The practice match is tomorrow. We just needed to get a feel for defense and practice some bunting and baserunning to this extent. Save your energy! Now, stop talking and get in line!"

"Akagi, fight!!! Louder!" shouted Sendo from his bike, lazily watching with a megaphone in hand.

"Akagi, fight!!!" echoed the team as they began their laps.

…

"Coach, you're sure everything's set for tomorrow's practice match? You said you'd handle it, so I left it to you."

"Who do you think I am? In Tokyo, how many coaches would refuse me a favor? Your opponents tomorrow will be Seiwa Junior High School, not far from the Wildcats. Their coach, Takei, is your senior and a former Wildcat himself. They're considered a second-tier team in Tokyo, which means their overall strength is a bit higher than yours. Don't feel pressured—just do your best!"

"Understood!"

"Alright, then, good luck! Goodbye!"

"Did everyone hear that?" Sendo asked his teammates after hanging up the phone.

"So, how does it feel? Nervous? They're a team stronger than us overall," he said with a smirk when no one responded.

"We'll win!!! WIN!!!" someone shouted immediately.

"Eijun's confident, see?"

"Yeah!" The others started nodding along.

"Actually, there's no need to worry. 'Overall strength' is just Coach's assessment. It's not that his judgment is off; it's just that he hasn't seen Eijun's pitching. Let's have a little faith in our ace."

"The fact that they're slightly stronger just means their pitcher isn't unbeatable. Doesn't that make things easier to handle?"

Sendo's words helped everyone feel genuinely relieved.

"Now, let me announce the batting order for tomorrow."

"Batting first, shortstop Ohno!"

"Second, right fielder Aoki!"

"Third, second baseman Kondou!"

"Fourth, pitcher Eijun!"

"Fifth, first baseman Takada!"

"Sixth, center fielder Omura!"

"Seventh, third baseman Oyama!"

"Eighth, catcher Shin."

"Ninth, left fielder Wakana!"

"Not quite what you expected, huh?" Sendo paused and asked.

"Yeah!" A few nodded, realizing this lineup wasn't based purely on skill level. Otherwise, Sawamura, whose batting isn't as strong as Wakana's, wouldn't be fourth.

"Baseball is a game where strategy is crucial. Since we're an underdog team, we can't follow conventional lineup arrangements—got it?

"Now, I'll go over our tactics. First, Ohno's job is to get on base. He'll look for opportunities to steal or work with our strategic mind Aoki for a safety bunt or a hit-and-run.

"Then our best hitter, Kondou, will drive you guys home. After that, Eijun will use a bunt to advance the runners. The opponents definitely won't expect a cleanup hitter followed by a pitcher who only bunts."

"What the heck!!!" Sawamura immediately protested.

"Eijun, quiet for a moment," said Wakana, and Sawamura fell silent.

"Takada, focus on fastballs or surprise with a bunt. Then, Omura, our 'small guy who hits big,' should go for strong swings or aggressive bunts to keep up the pressure."

"The rest of you will be managed similarly; I'll give signals during the game. When you don't get a signal, it's up to you to decide on stealing or hit-and-run plays."

"Aside from Wakana, Eijun, and Takada, once you reach base, keep the pressure on the opponents constantly."

"Takada, feel free to attempt a steal or fake a steal once or twice based on the situation. Given your build, they'd never expect it. When I signal, look for the opportunity. They're bound to be thrown off by that. Pretty interesting strategy, right?"

"Wow, that's amazing! I've never heard of playing baseball this way!" Ohno exclaimed.

"You're a... strategic mastermind!" Sawamura accused, pointing at Sendo.

"Hey!!!"

"Everyone's counting on defense here. Eijun's pitches are difficult to hit far unless the batter has solid fundamentals. The soft baseball we use doesn't go far if you don't hit the ball's core."

"So, Omura, I need you to step up closer and help our second base and shortstop team cover the infield. Ohno, Kondou, Omura—you guys are more athletic, so defense will focus on you as well. Let's make things easier for this guy to pitch, okay?"

"We're teammates, after all! Helping each other out is only natural! You can count on us, Coach!" Ohno added with a joking tone.

"Yeah! We're teammates!"

"Everyone!" Sawamura said, touched.

"Up until now, it's been Ei-chan carrying us. I'm excited to contribute to the team!" Takada said.

"Then let's go play a great game tomorrow! Let's enjoy it, let's go big, and let's win!"

"Yeah!!!"

"Finally, everyone, remember the signals well, and take some time to practice batting, and mentally go over the baserunning and bunting setups. We kept things light today, so I bet you're all still full of energy."

"Tomorrow, meet at 5:30 a.m., do short sprints to warm up, and we'll head out by 7:00! Don't overdo it tonight, understood?"

"Understood!" the team replied, heading outside for some night practice.

....

"Let's get started then! I'm not going easy on you," Fumino said, pulling out her practice book with a determined but adorable expression.

"Bring it on!"

"By the way, are you going out for extra practice again tonight? You're really something—pushing yourself so hard. I've never seen anyone this competitive with themselves. If you love it so much, why not play baseball with them?"

"Without worthy competition, it wouldn't mean anything," Sendo murmured, revealing the lonely side of a prodigy.

"What?"

"Nothing. There's no need to work this hard for such a small reason! Besides, the balls those middle school kids throw just don't get me excited," Sendo quickly covered up when he realized Fumino hadn't caught his comment.

"Alright, first question, hurry up!"

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