No Turning Back (6)

After the water break, Linus and Elias joined the rest of the team in the outfield, falling into step as they headed to their assigned spots. Coach Chris announced they'd be splitting into two groups—one for fielding drills in the outfield, and the other for batting practice. Linus and Elias were put into the outfield group.

"Fly balls and line drives," Elias explained, glancing at Linus. "We just have to focus on getting under the ball and reading where it's gonna land."

Linus nodded, taking it all in. Standing out in the outfield, he noticed the pitchers gathering on the other side of the field. "What's going on over there?" he asked, gesturing toward the group.

Elias followed his gaze. "Oh, they're doing their pitching fielder drills now that we're out here. It's a rotation thing. We handle the fielding while they get their pitching work in, then after they do their fielder drills while we are in the outfield or batting."

"Got it," Linus replied, still feeling tired from the infield drills.

Coach Chris blew his whistle, signaling the start of the drills. "Alright, get ready for fly balls. You want to get under it early, so there's less chance to make a mistake."

Elias went first, moving swiftly to position himself under the high-flying ball. His movements were smooth and precise, and he made the catch with ease. Linus watched carefully, noting how Elias tracked the ball's path in the air. When it was Linus's turn, he focused hard, adjusting to the ball's movement. He managed to catch it without much trouble, though his steps were a little less graceful than Elias's.

"Not bad," Elias called over with a small grin.

Linus smiled back, feeling more confident even though he knew that he was getting easier balls. They continued to handle fly balls for a while.

Next up were line drives. Coach instructed them to focus on keeping the ball in front of them and moving forward to make the catch. The ball came in fast, and Linus had to react quickly. His footwork wasn't perfect, but he managed to line himself up and make the catch most of the time.

"Good job staying with it," Coach Chris said, nodding in approval. "Just work on getting there a bit quicker next time."

The outfield drills went by quicker than expected, and soon it was time to swap with the batting group. Linus felt a sense of excitement building as they grabbed their bats and helmets. Batting had intrigued him more than fielding, especially since that's what he had struggled with when he played in the US.

Linus and Elias eagerly made their way to the batting stations. 

"Alright, pair up," Coach Chris called out. "One tosses, the other bats. Rotate every ninety seconds."

Linus and Elias paired up immediately. 

Elias turned to him, giving him a reassuring smile. "Alright, this drill's pretty simple. I'll be tossing the ball to you underhanded, nice and slow. All you need to do is keep your eye on the ball, stay relaxed, and swing. Don't overthink it—just focus on making contact. Got it?"

Linus nodded, gripping the bat a bit tighter. "Got it. Eye on the ball, relaxed swing."

"Exactly," Elias replied. "You don't have to smash it, just make contact. The rest will come with practice."

They stepped up to their positions, with Linus ready to bat and Elias standing a few feet away, holding a bucket of balls. "Alright, let's start slow," Elias said as he prepared to toss the first ball.

The ball arced gently toward Linus, who swung but missed completely. He tensed up for a moment, then remembered Elias's advice to stay relaxed.

"Don't worry about that one," Elias said with a casual wave. "Just relax your grip a bit and keep your eyes on the ball the whole way through."

Linus nodded, adjusting his grip as Elias tossed another ball. This time, he stayed calm, tracking the ball with his eyes. Ding—the bat connected, and the ball bounced off, heading out into the net. It wasn't a strong hit, but it was clean.

"There you go!" Elias called out, tossing the next ball. "That's all you need to do. Just stay in that groove."

Linus felt his confidence build as he found a rhythm. Each time Elias tossed the ball, Linus kept his focus on making clean contact. The bat connected more consistently, sending the ball into the field with a satisfying ding whenever he made good contact.

"Great swing," Elias commented, tossing another. "You're getting the hang of it."

Linus smiled between swings, appreciating how the simple mechanics of the drill helped him get comfortable with batting. He could feel the improvement with each hit.

As they continued, Elias gave small tips here and there. "When you use your back leg for power, don't forget to keep your right elbow down and then follow through," he said during one break. "But don't worry too much about that for now. Just focus on solid contact."

Linus took the advice, focusing on keeping his movements smooth. He wasn't aiming to hit home runs right now, only on having the balls connect cleanly with the bat, and it felt good.

By the time his 90 seconds were up, Linus had made contact with almost every ball. They swapped roles, and Linus tossed to Elias, watching as his partner effortlessly smacked the ball into the outfield.

"You make it look so easy," Linus said, tossing another underhand.

Elias grinned, connecting with another solid hit. "It's just practice. You're already doing great for a first-timer. You've got good instincts."

The rotation continued smoothly, with Linus feeling more and more comfortable with the bat in his hands. He could already tell that batting was quickly becoming his favorite part of the game.

After batting, they returned to the field where Coach Chris told them that practice was almost done and they just had base running left. Linus overheard some of the other players groaning, clearly not excited about it. Curious, Linus turned to Elias and asked, "What's the deal with baserunning? Why don't they like it?"

Elias chuckled and shook his head. "It's basically intense sprints around the bases. Not many people enjoy sprinting at full speed, especially after all the drills. It's just exhausting."

Linus shrugged, not entirely put off by the idea. "Sounds tough, but I guess it's just part of the game, right?"

"Yeah, but it doesn't mean we have to like it," Elias joked as they jogged back to the base paths to begin the final drill.