Diamond No Ace: The Strongest Hitter

Chapter 205: Harada's Intuition

"What are you watching?"

"This?" The white-haired player from Inashiro Industries looked at his senior, who was engrossed in watching TV.

"The Kanto Tournament match between Seidou High School and Yokohama Kouhoku," Harada replied directly.

"Isn't it too early to study Seidou? We'd only meet them in the finals, and it's not even guaranteed they'll make it that far! Their next opponent is Ichidaisan High, after all! Instead of focusing on them, shouldn't we concentrate on our own practice?" The tsundere prince was in full tsundere mode.

"You're not wrong. But we're already familiar with the players from Ichidaisan High, and their growth is predictable. Seidou, however, has introduced four freshmen in one go—especially these two guys. First, there's Furuya, the power pitcher who stunned Kanto in his debut during the tournament. And then there's that man—Sendo Akira—who couldn't wait to make his starting debut right after enrolling.

"His defense, batting, and baserunning are all top-tier. Particularly his defense and speed. You can't miss his agility on the bases. As for his defense, we know Isashiki's capabilities well. Yet, starting from the spring tournament against Ichidaisan, Sendo took over as the center fielder, pushing Isashiki to left field. A man capable of that is no ordinary player.

"While his high batting average is only for reference due to the limited number of games, there's no denying that Sendo has become a key player for Seidou. However, there's very little data on him—only a handful of official games. And remember that practice match we had with Seidou and Shuhoku? Did you notice anything, Narumiya?"

"Oh! That day he had just arrived at the field, right? It seemed like he was resting that day. So, Seidou didn't even let him play against Shuhoku, likely to keep him under wraps." Though tsundere, the king himself has a keen baseball sense.

"Exactly. We understand Seidou's strategy—keeping an ace player with minimal data hidden from opponents. But judging from their condition back then, it seemed they had just finished training camp and hadn't fully recovered. Even if he had played, it wouldn't have revealed his true strength.

"The only explanation is…"

"That man must have been an entirely different player by the time of the Kanto Tournament. Although fatigue from training camp may have masked his true abilities, comparisons with other Seidou players reveal something is different. But does keeping him hidden really make sense?"

"It's likely that Sendo still has some weaknesses they're trying to conceal by limiting his appearances. But there's no doubt that the man we're seeing now is entirely different from the one in our data. If we wait to analyze him until we face him, finding his weaknesses will be much harder."

"So, you starting research now? Relying on quantity over quality?"

"No, I just have a gut feeling about him. Something about him seems dangerous. It's like I've seen him somewhere before. My instincts are telling me to be cautious. However, since his plate appearances are so few, focusing on volume isn't practical."

"Didn't expect you to be this type."

"Huh? What do you mean by that?"

"Haha, nothing!"

"Don't worry. This year, we're the strongest!" The tsundere prince immediately switched to king mode.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to underestimate them!" Harada spoke firmly, though he couldn't deny a sense of reassurance. This was Narumiya Mei, their absolute ace at Inashiro Industries.

"Well then, you enjoy watching. I'm going to bed!"

"Yeah, yeah. This is my job, after all! How is it bedtime already? Hey, Mei!" Harada's grumbling sounded a bit like a resentful wife, reminiscent of how he handled preparation before matches in the original story.

Everything, except for asking Narumiya to memorize batter profiles, fell on his shoulders.

On the other side, at Seidou High…

"Sendo-chan! You've been practicing your swings more diligently lately. Why not use the indoor practice field?" Pudding-senpai was chattier than usual around Sendo, using fewer grunts to communicate.

"It's too bright in there. Besides, I don't like crowded places. It's quiet here," Sendo replied with a smile.

"Swinging the bat, huh? I've just been feeling bored and wanted to practice. It's probably because of the training camp. That schedule was packed, and life felt so fulfilling. Now that I have so much free time, even reading manga doesn't feel engaging anymore."

Of course, Sendo was half-joking. Admitting that he didn't want to lose or that he wanted to work harder was harder for him than anything.

It's not surprising—someone who's never needed to try hard suddenly deciding to work harder would feel a bit awkward. For geniuses, whose talents often allow them to dominate effortlessly, admitting they want to try is almost an insult to their pride.

Sendo practiced for two reasons:

1. Narumiya Mei's pitching made him feel, for the first time, that he might lose.

2. This was the seniors' final summer, and he wanted to extend it as much as possible while staying true to himself.

His seniors only faintly sensed the second reason, unable to grasp the complexities of a genius's pride.

Even other "genius" catchers like Miyuki or Chris couldn't fully understand it. Sendo's talent was so extraordinary that he never needed to try hard to find success.

"And what about you, Senpai? Why aren't you in the indoor practice field?"

"Pretty much the same reason. Plus, this spot has always been a place where the team and I practiced early on."

"Sendo-chan! I'm going to reclaim the No. 5 batting position!" Pudding-senpai declared, swinging his bat with determination.

"That was just a practice match!"

"No, Sendo-chan. You're more suited to being the core batter right now. All of us third-years agree."

"I see…" Sendo realized there was no point in arguing further. In his eyes, this was another case of perception bias.

In reality, Sendo underestimated his own batting skills.

"If you want to improve, Senpai, it might be better to learn more about pitch selection from that scheming glasses-wearer. While it's hard to say how much it'll help with the tournament so close, your baseball career won't end in high school, will it?" Sendo casually dug a hole for Miyuki to fall into.

"Just giving him something to do!"

"Hmm…" Pudding-senpai fell deep into thought.

"From my observations over the past few months, it seems that senpai struggles with breaking balls. But if he can predict them in advance, wouldn't that help a little? In this regard, that jerk is practically a pro."

"Of course, senpai shouldn't expect too much of an impact in the current tournament," Sendo explained his analysis succinctly when he saw his senior deep in thought. Naturally, the final decision rested with Masuko.

Sendo felt a little helpless for only realizing this now, but considering they'd only known each other for a few months and his own knowledge of professional baseball was limited, it was a decent insight.

After all, he hadn't even decided on his own training direction yet. Still, this was all for the sake of Masuko's future baseball career.

Sendo's ability to listen attentively, his empathy, and his gentle and thoughtful way of speaking made him exceptionally popular, even though his personality was somewhat similar to Miyuki's.

Even Tanba, who was notoriously difficult to get along with, could have smooth conversations with Sendo. This was one of the reasons for Sendo's stellar interpersonal skills.

"I see. Thanks, Sendo! But with the tournament so close and this not being something that can be improved overnight, I don't think it's worth the trouble right now. We'll save it for later," Masuko replied with understanding.

Hearing this, Sendo breathed a sigh of relief. As expected, it wasn't possible to fully drag Miyuki into this mess.

"In that case, Senpai, you could consult Chris-senpai. While he's been pretty busy recently, it wouldn't take much time to get a few words of advice from him."

From a catcher's perspective, Chris is even more skilled than Miyuki.

"That jerk has a lot of habits, but Chris-senpai feels like he can see right through a batter's mind and adjust his calls accordingly. He's definitely a great option," Sendo suggested, taking the chance to tease Miyuki since his original plan didn't work.

"Thanks, Sendo-chan!"

"Don't mention it, Senpai!"

The next day marked the start of the final adjustments before the tournament.

Most of the training was practical and game-like, whether it was fielding or batting. Nearly everything was done manually.

Recently, more and more OBs (alumni) had been coming to watch the training, not just those living nearby.

Some would visit during breaks from work, though full-time workers had little time to spare and could only cheer for Seidou in their hearts or keep up through newspapers.

If Seidou made it to Koshien, there would undoubtedly be many who'd come to watch the games on their days off.

These visiting OBs never came empty-handed, always bringing a lot of gifts for the team. It was clear that Seidou's baseball club was such a successful program that its alumni found it hard to let go.

After so many years of not reaching Koshien, the alumni, apart from the school itself, were likely the most anxious. Many of them had fought on the stage of Koshien before, after all.

Some of these alumni had become temporary fans of the team's star players, especially Sendo.

It wasn't that the other players weren't impressive; it was simply that Sendo was only a first-year. While he needed encouragement as a newcomer, he was also the pillar of Seidou's future.

A first-year already cemented as a key player and destined to become the core of the batting lineup by the fall—there was no doubt about that.

He was the top candidate for the cleanup spot, not even up for debate.

The current lineup was dominated by third-years who were the true offensive powerhouses of the team.

The support from the OBs was both motivation and pressure.

Watching these alumni, some too hesitant to strike up a conversation for fear of interrupting the training, and others rushing in and out, how could the players not feel motivated or under pressure?

Under Chris-senpai's intense training regimen, the two pitchers' defensive skills had significantly improved.

For instance, at that moment, both Furuya and Sawamura had made outstanding defensive plays one after another, giving everyone a sense of relief.

This was when Sawamura's popularity became evident.

Everyone complimented Furuya seriously, but when it came to Sawamura, someone couldn't help but joke, "It was just a lucky break!"

This led to a humorous interaction between the two pitchers.

"Nice lucky break!" Furuya, looking adorably clueless, tried to strike up a conversation with Sawamura.

"You're the same way, idiot!" Sawamura retorted loudly, clearly unhappy.

This was just their unique way of getting along, and the two had been growing closer lately.

Meanwhile, Sendo noticed Chris-senpai and the other third-years who had gone out to scout had returned, signaling the end of their reconnaissance mission.

As high school baseball became increasingly professionalized, the level of competition continued to rise. Naturally, professional-level information warfare had become inevitable.

Information played a significant role in baseball.

After training ended and dinner was over, the Seidou players gathered in the cafeteria for a meeting. Chris presented the scouting report.

"Player with jersey number one, left-handed pitcher Masaki Kikunaga, uses an over-the-shoulder pitching motion. His fastest pitch is in the high 120s (over 125)."

"He has two breaking balls: a curveball and a slider."

"He was named the ace pitcher this summer as a second-year student. Last year, he played in the outfield as a first-year. His control isn't great!"

"He's the middle child of three brothers, and his hobby is billiards. His older brother also plays baseball!"

"That last bit of information wasn't necessary, was it? Also, Chris-senpai, where did you even get these personal details? Sure, it's easy to find out he played outfield as a first-year, but how did you learn about his family situation and hobbies? Seriously!" Sendo silently complained about Chris-senpai's notebook.

Thanks to Seidou's wealth and resources, they recorded almost every game they played to prevent surprises from underdog teams. Every recorded game increased their chances of victory and reduced potential risks.

After all, the strength of high school baseball teams was highly unstable and unpredictable.

Even though the odds of an underdog team rising in a competitive region packed with powerhouses were slim, it wasn't impossible for one to upset a couple of major teams. For instance, a team with a stellar pitcher capable of shutting out a powerhouse for nine innings could score one run and win.

Even if that pitcher only had enough stamina for one game, the regional tournament gave them at least two days of rest between games, unlike the continuous pitching required in Koshien.

Other anime protagonists, like Goro Shigeno, could hit home runs while also pitching shutouts.

To be honest, someone who consistently pitched at 154 to 158 km/h, with a max speed of 160 km/h, combined with solid control and a vast array of breaking balls, was a complete monster.

Just getting a single hit off them would be a fantasy, let alone multiple hits like in the anime.

------------------

If you want to read 20 chapters advanced.

Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Shu_21