Scrimmage (1)

Linus was currently in the plank position, staring at the system page in front of him. He was feeling a sense of pride in his progress over the past three weeks, but also realized there was still a long road ahead. His stats had gone up slightly, but each small improvement felt earned.

[Linus Edberg]: Level 3

[Exp]: 80/100 

[Physicals]: D 

- Strength: E

- Stamina: D-

- Agility: B- 

[Pitching]: F-

- Control: F-

- Velocity: F-

- Break: F-

[Fielding]: F+ 

- Fielding: F+

- Arm strength: E-

- Arm Accuracy: F

- Reactions: E-

[Batting]: E- 

- Contact: E 

- Power: E- 

- Bunt: F

[Mentals]: E

- Clutch: E

- Vision: E

- Discipline: E-

It wasn't a massive leap, but for Linus, it felt like real progress. His batting had improved the most; that's where he put most of his effort, both in personal drills and with his system's level up upgrade. The batting drills had become routine, almost comforting in their rhythm. His fielding stats had inched up as well, though he still had a long way to go to be considered reliable.

Linus couldn't help but smile. His Agility stat was holding strong at B-, making it his best attribute by far, and his Stamina had even crept up to D-. It felt good to see numbers reflecting the work he had put in.

His gaze moved back to the Batting category. E for contact, which was a huge leap from where he started. His biggest curiosity for tomorrow's scrimmage was seeing how this improvement would hold up against live pitching, especially when he'd likely be facing the team's ace, Lukas Eriksson.

Lukas was one of those players whose confidence could sometimes border on arrogance, but he had the skills to back it up. Linus had observed Lukas during practice, watching as he effortlessly fired pitches that seemed impossible to hit. Despite the upcoming challenge, Linus felt a strange excitement brewing. His batting had improved, and he was eager to test himself against the best pitcher in the youth team.

His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden notification from the system.

[*Daily Mission Complete!*]

- Reward: 5 Exp

A small chuckle escaped his lips. The missions were part of his daily routine now, and while the experience points from each one didn't seem like much, they added up. He was just a few points shy of leveling up to Level 4, which meant one more upgrade was on the horizon. 

"I should probably focus on getting some rest," he mumbled to himself, flipping through the system stats one last time before closing the interface. Tomorrow's scrimmage would be an excellent opportunity to put his improvements to the test, but he needed to stay sharp to be able to perform well.

***

The next day, Linus arrived at practice earlier than usual. The field was quiet, with only a few players already there, warming up and chatting. He spotted Elias Lundgren, the head coach's son and his first friend on the team, stretching near the dugout.

"Hey, Linus!" Elias called out, waving him over with a grin.

Linus jogged over, feeling the tension in his muscles loosening up as he joined Elias in the warm-up. "Ready for the scrimmage today?" Linus asked, his voice a little more enthusiastic than usual.

Elias nodded, tossing a baseball up and catching it easily. "Definitely. You've been improving fast, by the way. Coach noticed too," Elias said, giving him a thumbs-up.

Linus smiled, feeling a warm glow at the compliment. "Thanks. I've been trying to keep up with everyone."

"Well, today's your chance to see how it all plays out. You will be going up against me and the rest of the starters, so you'll have to face Lukas on the mound. Should be interesting," Elias said with a knowing smirk.

Linus tried to play it cool, but his heart raced at the thought of facing Lukas in a real scenario. "Yeah, interesting," he echoed, the anticipation building up inside him.

As more players trickled in, Coach Chris Anderson gathered everyone around. The scrimmage was set to start in a bit, but first, they'd run through their usual warm-up drills. Linus focused on every movement, trying to get loose and relaxed before the match.

Once the warm-up concluded, the teams split into two for the scrimmage. Linus found himself on the team going up against the starters. As expected, Lukas would be pitching. Linus couldn't help but glance at him from the dugout, watching as Lukas stretched his long, lanky frame and went through his pitching routine. There was an effortless confidence in the way Lukas carried himself, and it was hard not to feel a bit intimidated.

But Linus reminded himself of his progress. His batting had gone up, and he had been hitting better during practice as well. This was just another step forward, another test, and another way to get better.

As Linus joined up with Team 2, he felt the familiar buzz of pre-game excitement radiating off the other players. Filip Johansson, the second starter pitcher, was there stretching with a determined look on his face. Filip was always intense when it came to competition, especially when it involved trying to outdo Lukas. Today was no exception.

"Ready to see Lukas eat his words?" Filip asked, a slight smirk on his face.

Linus nodded, though he was more focused on his own performance than the brewing rivalry between the pitchers. He knew Filip took pride in his role as the team's secondary pitcher, but the rivalry with Lukas had been heating up recently. Linus wondered how much that would affect Filip's performance today.

Oliver Bergström, meanwhile, stood a few feet away, tossing a ball up and catching it absentmindedly. His calm and steady presence was a comfort to Linus. Oliver wasn't the best hitter, but he was one of the most reliable players when it came to fielding. Linus had spent many practice sessions with him, working on throws and building trust on the field.

"Guess we're up against the big boys today," Oliver said, offering Linus a friendly nod. "Lukas is gonna throw heat, so just stay relaxed at the plate."

Linus appreciated the advice. He'd seen how much pressure Oliver put on himself when it came to batting, but Oliver's calm demeanor in the field was something Linus admired. It was a reminder to stay grounded.

"Thanks, I'll do my best," Linus replied, tightening his grip on his glove as he mentally prepared for the scrimmage.