Diamond no Ace: My Sharingan

"West Tokyo Tournament, Round Four, Match Two. The Seidou High School baseball team is officially facing off against the Hachiouji High School baseball team."

"Please take care of us!"

"Please take care of us!!!"

After the players from both teams exchanged greetings, they returned to their respective dugouts.

In the top of the first inning, based on the result of a coin toss, the Seidou High School baseball team would be the first to attack.

The opposing team had won the toss but chose to bat second.

This surprised the players of Seidou High School.

Given their status as one of the top offensive teams in the nation, they usually preferred to attack first in games.

Their powerful lineup could potentially overwhelm their opponents right from the start.

This would be very beneficial for their subsequent games.

In their first-round match against Gogen, the Seidou High School baseball team had chosen to attack first.

Although they didn't completely crush their opponents at the beginning, they still managed to score.

From the very start of the game, they firmly controlled the pace.

Now, their opponent had chosen to let them attack first?

The Seidou players were momentarily in disbelief.

Was this a stroke of luck falling from the sky?

"Don't worry about what the opponent is thinking. Since the opportunity is in front of us, we need to seize it firmly. Just bring out the state you practice in every day."

The Seidou High School baseball team had the most rigorous training regimen.

The players often claimed that they sweat more and shed more tears than anyone else during practice.

It was clear how familiar they were with their practice state.

"Yes."

The players were filled with fighting spirit.

"First batter, number six, shortstop, Matsumoto-kun."

The first to step into the batter's box was Matsumoto, who was known as the most well-rounded player on the Seidou High School baseball team.

Once he stood in the batter's box, his eyes locked onto the opponent, and he gently swung his bat.

The movement of the bat was subtle but rhythmic.

After Matsumoto took his position, it felt as if he could hit the ball cleanly and effortlessly, no matter where it was pitched.

The catcher of Hachiouji High School noticed this and clenched his jaw.

He could read the signs.

Even without a real confrontation, just observing the preparation of the Seidou High School players, he could feel the professional pressure emanating from Matsumoto.

He was acutely aware that the opponent they were facing was no longer just any team.

They were professionals.

Did they really have a chance against such a level of opponent?

The catcher of Hachiouji High School glanced up at his partner.

His partner stood on the pitcher's mound, clearly sensing the aura radiating from the opponent.

However, his partner showed no signs of fear.

The expression on the pitcher's face was the same as usual, perhaps even more excited than before.

He gripped the baseball tightly in his five fingers, as if he was ready to throw it at any moment.

"Ha!"

The main catcher of Hachiouji High School silently exhaled.

As long as their ace was on the mound, it didn't matter if the opponent was the Seidou High School baseball team.

Bring it on!

Just as the catcher adjusted his glove, the pitcher on the mound was already eager to deliver the pitch.

"Whoosh!"

The pitching motion was smooth and fluid.

The baseball came in cleanly.

Standing in the batter's box, Matsumoto gripped the bat tightly.

He focused on the outside pitch, not hesitating for a moment.

He decisively stepped forward and swung the bat.

"This one's mine!"

The ball landed perfectly in Matsumoto's sweet spot.

He would not let this opportunity slip away.

However, just as the bat was about to make contact with the baseball, the ball suddenly changed.

"Ping!"

Although the bat still made contact with the baseball, Matsumoto's expression was one of extreme surprise.

The ball that was hit flew forward less than five meters before landing in the infield.

Then it bounced.

The first baseman of Hachiouji High School dashed over and caught the ball in one swift motion.

Then he returned to first base.

"Out!"

In the Seidou High School dugout, the players exchanged glances...

After seeing Matsumoto's confident stance, they had all thought that the ball would surely fly out.

They never expected it to be an infield bounce.

When Matsumoto returned, he answered without anyone needing to ask.

"It was an outside slider! That guy hasn't used it in the previous two games."

So when that pitch came in, Matsumoto instinctively thought it was an outside fastball.

With his long arms and legs, he was precise in his hitting, especially adept at hitting outside pitches.

He never expected that the opponent would exploit this mindset.

"It seems that it's not just us studying the opponent; they are studying us as well. In terms of pure intelligence work, we haven't gained the upper hand."

Chris stroked his chin as he spoke.

This was already a very polite way of putting it.

Getting out on the first pitch due to the opponent's strategy meant they had suffered a setback in terms of intelligence.

There was nothing to be done about it.

The Seidou High School baseball team was a top national powerhouse; even though they hadn't reached Koshien in four consecutive years, their team's visibility was still incredibly high.

It was far too easy for others to scout their information.

On the other hand, their opponents, who were relatively unknown, made it extremely difficult for Seidou to gather intelligence on them.

"Damn it, I hate this feeling of being on the defensive."

One player said angrily.

"Since our intelligence work wasn't up to par, let's gather information on the field."

The second batter, Yoshida, stepped up.

As the ace pitcher of the team, Yoshida always spoke with a sense of confidence.

It seemed that as long as everyone believed in him, there was no problem he couldn't solve.

At this moment, Coach Kataoka also found Zhou Hao.

"Pay close attention to this pitcher."

Zhou Hao was momentarily taken aback, looking at his coach in confusion.

"He has something you lack."

The ace pitcher from their last opponent, Gogen High School, although he had been overwhelmed by Seidou, was not without merit.

But Coach Kataoka clearly did not regard that guy highly.

He didn't give Zhou Hao any reminders.

However, today's opponent was different; Coach Kataoka saw in him the qualities that an ace pitcher should possess.

Although the Hachiouji High School baseball team was not particularly strong, their ace had a solid skill set.

Filled with confidence, Yoshida stepped into the batter's box and took a strong stance.

As he saw the baseball coming, he didn't wait.

Instead, he stepped forward and swung decisively.

"Ping!"

After making contact, the baseball soared into the sky.

Seeing the ball fly out, the players of Seidou High School lit up with excitement.

This hit was even more impressive than they had imagined.

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POWER STONE!!!

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