[178] Reunion with a Formidable Rival

Chapter 178: Reunion with a Formidable Rival

Of course, aside from the second-round opponent brought up by Captain Yuuki, there were other schools and matchups that drew attention.

Among them, one particular pairing caught Eijun's eye. It wasn't just any matchup—it was because of the name listed: Komadai Fujimaki High School. But more importantly, their opponent made Eijun show a peculiar expression.

Komadai Fujimaki High School vs. Teito High School.

Teito High School, another representative team from Tokyo, represents East Tokyo.

Due to a lack of fierce competition in East Tokyo in recent years, some traditional powerhouse schools have completely fallen off the map.

As a result, Teito High has become a regular participant in the Koshien tournament.

However, the lack of intense competition doesn't mean Teito is a weak team.

Teito High is known as a "perennial champion team."

There's a world of difference between being a "regular participant" and a "perennial champion." For example, Nanagamari Tech might frequently appear at Koshien, but Teito High is consistently in the running to win.

This enormous disparity lies in their vastly different track records.

Whenever Teito High reaches Koshien, their minimum achievement is usually making it to the Round of 16, often advancing to the Quarterfinals or better.

Over the past few years, they've achieved Final Four finishes, been runners-up, and even won the championship.

Among Tokyo's "Big Four" powerhouse schools, based on comprehensive past performance, the hierarchy is as follows:

Inashiro Industrial > Teito High > Ichidaisan High > Seidou High.

This clearly reflects Teito High's strength, status, and reputation.

And now, Teito High was unexpectedly set to face Komadai Fujimaki High in the second round. This gave Eijun a subtle sense of glee.

After all, Teito High could expose the true capabilities of Komadai Fujimaki High.

Teito High's strength is unquestionable.

Eijun firmly believed that Komadai Fujimaki High would need to go all-out to defeat Teito High.

That said, Eijun still considered Komadai Fujimaki High the favorite to win.

Roughly speaking, the odds were about 70-30 in favor of Komadai Fujimaki High.

It's not that Eijun looked down on Teito High—during the original fall tournament, Teito High nearly defeated Seidou High.

And now, with their third-year players still on the team, even Seidou would find it challenging to secure a win against them.

In terms of pure strength, the gap between Komadai Fujimaki and Teito High should be no more than 60-40. So why did Eijun think the odds were 70-30?

The key lies in information. Teito High likely knows very little about Komadai Fujimaki High's capabilities.

On the other hand, Komadai Fujimaki High is undoubtedly well-informed about Teito High.

There's no room for complacency or underestimation here.

Any team strong enough to make it to Koshien knows better than to make such a rookie mistake.

This discrepancy in information access will heavily influence the outcome of this match.

Modern baseball isn't just about comparing the raw strength of two teams.

Tactics, strategies, and the coach's ability to make decisions during the game—these factors often determine the winner of a game.

On the information front, Komadai Fujimaki High is a step ahead of Teito High.

This is why Eijun raised their odds of winning.

He was eager to see how Komadai Fujimaki High would fare against Teito High.

He couldn't wait to see if this dark horse could topple a perennial champion team.

That said, this was just one intriguing point of focus.

For Eijun and his teammates, the most important matter at hand was their own second-round opponent—Yokohama Kouhoku Academy.

There was no point paying attention to other teams' games if they couldn't first secure their own victory.

Otherwise, they'd be packing their bags and heading home, with no energy left to care about anyone else's results.

With this in mind, after Yuuki brought back information about their second-round opponent, Seidou High immediately convened a pre-game strategy meeting to analyze Yokohama Kouhoku Academy and finalize their starting lineup.

That evening, in the conference room of the hotel where Seidou High was staying, all the team members gathered.

Chris stood at the front, dissecting the profiles of Yokohama Kouhoku Academy's players one by one.

"Yokohama Kouhoku lineup hasn't changed much since the Kanto Tournament this year," Chris began, meticulously going through the details. "They've swapped out a few substitute players, including two first-year students. Judging from the regional tournament, these two are likely being groomed to adapt as next season's main players. For now, they don't pose much of a threat to us."

Despite this, as a prestigious school, even Yokohama Kouhoku's first-year players were worth investigating.

Chris had diligently dug into their past performance, including their middle school records, to ensure nothing was overlooked.

After all, Seidou High had recruited three incredibly talented first-year players this year, all of whom had already become assets to the team.

Among them, Eijun had emerged as Seidou High's de facto ace pitcher.

Chris couldn't ignore the possibility that other teams might also have prodigies like theirs.

His intuition wasn't wrong—several teams had promising first-years, including the northern monster from Komadai Fujimaki High.

That player, Masamune Hongou, boasted a terrifying fastball exceeding 150 km/h, with control that surpassed even Furuya and slightly edged out Eijun's current stability.

Operating with such foresight, Chris had focused on the two first-year players from Yokohama Kouhoku Academy.

Based on their playtime and performance, they seemed to be promising rookies but nothing more.

One was a catcher, and the other an outfielder—neither of whom posed a significant threat to Seidou.

"Their batting lineup is still centered around their captain, Furano. While their lineup looks simple and straightforward, and their raw power isn't particularly strong, their strength lies in their persistence. They're adept at seizing opportunities. During the Kanto Tournament, this was how they managed to suddenly pull away with a big lead," Chris explained with an objective tone.

Hearing this, Tanba's expression darkened slightly.

That Kanto Tournament game had been a disaster for him.

Despite starting well, he was completely read by the fifth inning, and by the sixth, he had given up a string of runs, leading to their defeat.

This time, Tanba was determined to prove himself and settle the score.

For Tanba, Yokohama Kouhoku carried a special significance. It was the only game where he had been thoroughly dismantled this season.

His desire for redemption burned brighter than any of the other three pitchers.

This is my fight, and I'll settle this score myself.

Chris continued, "As for their pitching staff, their ace is still Ino. There's evidence that he developed a new pitch during the regional tournament—a changeup. It seems he's mastered it since the Kanto Tournament. Paired with his already tricky inside-sinking pitch, this makes him an even tougher opponent."

Chris's tone turned serious as he described Yokohama Kouhoku's ace pitcher. The room fell into silence, with the weight of the challenge ahead sinking in.

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