Chapter 229: Post-Match and Pre-Match Preparations
"Line up!"
The players from both teams stood in two rows, each with different expressions. Seidou, having avenged their previous defeat, appeared more relaxed.
"Bow!"
"Thank you for the match!"
As the game ended, Raichi was still unable to compose himself, tears streaming uncontrollably from his eyes.
Akiba and Mishima tried to comfort him.
"Yo! Don't blame me! I said what I did back then!"
"I really enjoyed today's match! I've grown a lot too. Thank you!"
After the lineup, Sendo approached them.
"Raichi!!!"
At that moment, Sawamura rushed forward without hesitation.
"I won't lose to you next time!" He extended his left hand toward Raichi, who was still hanging his head and crying.
"Wait…! Eijun-kun!" Haruichi, hearing him spout nonsense again, hurried over.
"Huh? You guys won, right? Are you mocking us, you bastard?!" Mishima pointed at Sawamura and shouted.
"Sorry! He's just an idiot!" Haruichi quickly apologized while holding onto Sawamura.
"I will definitely win!!! Come on, shake my hand! Hurry up!" Sawamura broke free and forcibly grabbed Raichi's left hand, feeling its calloused hardness. In that instant, he understood something.
Then, he turned and grabbed Sendo's hand…
"What are you doing?"
"Your hand is so warm! And there are no calluses!" Sawamura blurted out something completely random.
"Idiot! Of course! Why would I have calluses?" Sendo shook him off.
"Sorry! This idiot was just talking about his personal rivalry with Raichi! Can we exchange LINE contacts? See you again in the fall!"
"Hah… You really leave me no choice. Fine, I'll add you." Mishima pretended to be reluctant, but his face showed clear joy.
"Now we're even for what happened a few days ago!"
"Even?"
"That father and son said some pretty harsh things after your game against Ichidaisan."
"Didn't you ask Raichi what he did before the game started?"
"I see now!"
Sendo didn't say much more. Those who lost a match needed time to process their emotions. He led Sawamura and the others away.
They also needed to thank the audience, pack up their things, and leave the field.
There were very few words the victors could say to the defeated. The summer was over for the losing team—no words could change that. Saying too much might even come off as condescending mockery.
Only their teammates, who had fought alongside them, could truly comfort them.
...
"Sendo!"
"Miyuki!"
"Tetsu!"
"The match we bet on!"
"Great pitching, Tanba!"
"BOSS!" Hearing this, Coach Kataoka's face darkened.
"Kataoka-san!"
"Two more games to go!"
"This time, you have to make it to Koshien!"
"This team can definitely do it!"
"Tetsu-san!"
...
As soon as Seidou left the field, they were welcomed by a corridor of OBs, fans, and classmates cheering for them.
"What's wrong, Eijun-kun?" Haruichi asked, noticing Sawamura staring intently at his own hand.
"Huh? No… it's just… that guy's hand was as hard as a rock… like stone!" Sawamura clenched his fist. "I absolutely don't want to lose to him!"
"You guys have had it rough, huh? Being in the same region as that monster for three years," Jun-san turned around and teased Sawamura.
"That team is only going to get stronger," Ryousuke added.
"Is that so? Well, doesn't that make it even more interesting?" Sendo countered.
After a brief moment of silence, the two seniors smiled.
"Maybe, for them, the next three years will be just as tough," Jun-san chuckled.
"That's true."
"Anyway! Before that, we're having a review meeting tonight!" Miyuki interrupted.
"Especially you, Sawamura! Reflect on your mistakes properly!"
Hearing his catcher say that, Sawamura shuddered.
Miyuki then turned to Furuya and put both of them through the wringer.
"Oi! You four-eyed schemer!" Sendo suddenly fixed his gaze on Miyuki.
"I told you not to call me that! …Fine, I get it! I'll wash them for you!" Miyuki instinctively retorted, but upon seeing Sendo's sharp eyes, he remembered their bet.
Sendo was satisfied with the response.
—
"With that, Seidou advances to the semifinals! Just two more wins to reach Koshien!"
"A powerful lineup centered around cleanup hitter Yuuki-kun, supported by an aggressive four-pitcher relay."
"But most importantly, the revival of ace Tanba-kun stopped Yakushi's offensive momentum! Maybe they're even stronger than Inashiro…"
On the way back, Owada and Fujio discussed the match.
"A first-year who feels the pressure from the expectations around him…"
"And a third-year who turns those expectations into strength!"
"In the end, the outcome of Raichi's final at-bat came down to the time spent with his teammates, didn't it?"
"But…"
"But?"
"Sendo-kun's final at-bat completely overturned that conclusion. With only a three-run gap, two outs, and runners on second and third, it was a perfect scoring opportunity. The pressure was immense."
"As a first-year, Sendo at that moment must have placed more trust in himself than his teammates."
"So, his pressure wasn't any less than Raichi's. But he still sent a perfect pitch soaring into the stands—not a lucky home run, but a decisive one."
"What exactly is the source of that kid's drive?"
"Not only that, but Sendo-kun has been evolving throughout this summer tournament. In this game alone, he underwent multiple transformations!"
"The Sendo from the first inning was completely different from the one in his final at-bat!"
"His presence will be crucial to how far Seidou can go this summer!"
"He's the only player who has both rapid growth potential and a yet-unknown short-term growth ceiling, all while maintaining a high level of stability."
"High school baseball only lasts two and a half years. But within that short time, players can grow tremendously."
"I can't wait to see what kind of player Sendo-kun will become after graduating high school!"
—
That night, everyone watched the TV coverage of the day's matches. The four semifinalists had been decided.
"That Narumiya Mei argued with his coach again? What an interesting guy!" Sendo commented after watching the news.
"You're thinking too far ahead! Our opponent is officially Sensen!"
"A powerhouse team with over 80 members, consistently making it to the quarterfinals!"
"This spring, they faced Ichidaisan in a one-run pitchers' duel but were eventually defeated," Chris said, flipping through scouting reports.
"They have a really tall pitcher, right?"
"He's over two meters tall, isn't he?"
"And he's been wearing the ace number since his first year!"
The immense potential of this pitcher had already caught the attention of professional scouts.
The towering giant—Yousuke Maki!
With his height, he could throw fastballs at an extreme downward angle, and his curveball was said to be the highest-released curveball in all of Japan!
"A tall pitcher with a curveball… isn't that…?" Sawamura muttered, and the whole team immediately turned to look at Bald Ichirou.
Soon after, the coach announced that Tanba would be the starting pitcher for the game two days later.
This not only fired up Tanba-senpai but also gave him a valuable opportunity to build confidence through real-game experience.
"A curveball showdown, huh?"
"Your height might not measure up, but you better not lose the curveball battle!" Jun-san teased.
"Tanba-san's curveball is definitely the best," Sendo added, making Tanba deeply moved.
"In terms of head shape, though, we've already won!" Tetsu casually threw in another joke, proving just how much he loved Tanba's bald head.
"That has nothing to do with head shape!"
"Yahahaha! Well said, Tetsu-san!"
"Head… head shape…" Tanba mumbled weakly.
"This is a landslide victory! Just look at how good it feels to touch!" Ryousuke said, already reaching out to rub it.
"I SAID STOP TOUCHING IT!"
—
After finalizing the pitcher rotation, it was decided that Furuya would get a day of rest.
With that settled, the team was dismissed for independent training.
Meanwhile, Sendo and Kawakami sneaked into the review meeting.
The main topic for today's session: "What to do when you get hit."
"Baseball is a game where getting hit is inevitable."
"As a pitcher, giving up runs is perfectly normal!"
"The important thing is what you do after getting hit or after conceding a run."
"If you start panicking on the mound, take a moment to look around."
"Try shouting to your teammates—it can help you calm down," Chris-senpai explained.
After that, the players shared different ways to regain composure.
Miyauchi-senpai, however, added his own agenda: telling Sawamura to stop making a racket in the bullpen, or he'd beat him up next time.
—
"Um… why am I still getting opportunities? I gave up runs," Sawamura asked, still unable to understand why the coach continued to trust him.
"What are you even worried about?! You're normally so carefree and happy!" Miyuki immediately fired back.
"No! I caused trouble for the team!"
"Didn't Chris-senpai just explain? Giving up runs is normal for a pitcher," Sendo sighed, unable to watch anymore.
"Oi, oi! Don't tell me you're afraid to pitch again just because you gave up a home run?" Miyuki added.
"Did you see how many home runs Sanada gave up today? Do you know how he handled it?"
Miyuki and Sendo were ganging up on him at this point, leaving Sawamura completely speechless.
"I already said that was my pitch-calling mistake!"
"Is that how someone who made a mistake should act?" Sawamura finally snapped.
"Exactly! You need to reflect on yourself too!"
"That Raichi was clearly targeting Eijun's four-seam fastball!" Sendo suddenly turned the attack on Miyuki.
"Oi, oi! Which side are you even on?!" Miyuki was caught completely off guard and speechlessly complained.
"I am a warrior of justice!" Sendo declared dramatically.
Miyuki's face darkened instantly.
Finally, after a reminder from Chris, Miyuki went into serious mode and gave a detailed analysis.
"Listen up, idiot!"
"Stop calling me an idiot! Idiot, my ass!"
Then, breaking down Sawamura's pitching style, he brutally exposed just how inexperienced he still was.
Overwhelmed by reality, Sawamura mentally collapsed and even started calling himself an idiot.
But Miyuki made it clear to Sawamura—his greatest weapon, the reason the coach continued to have faith in him, was his courage.
This realization hit Sawamura like a bolt of lightning.
"Let's go together—to Koshien!" Miyuki ended their conversation with those words.
—
The next morning, during class, Fumino mentioned to Sendo about a conversation Wakana and Sawamura had earlier that day.
Only then did Sendo remember—his former teammates from No. 3 High School had lost in their first match. They'd be coming to watch tomorrow's game!
At that moment, Sendo felt a rare wave of homesickness.
It wasn't something he experienced often, but this conversation made him think of his grandparents—and his parents, who were far away.
He had called his grandparents yesterday, and they told him they'd be coming to watch the finals.
Even more surprisingly, his long-absent parents would also be at Jingu Stadium to cheer for him.
But his grandparents also reassured him—there was no pressure.
Win or lose, he would always be the best in their eyes.
—
"Losing, huh?"
"What's wrong? Your swings are a little rushed," Tetsu noted.
"No… I just remembered something."
"Then take a break."
"No! I want to practice a little longer!
"Yesterday, in my final at-bat, I still can't understand why I reacted to that cutter. It felt like I knew it was coming before it was even thrown."
"Any clues?"
"None!"
"Then go rest. Right now, you're too distracted to recall anything. If you keep forcing it, you won't get anywhere. Cool your head for a bit."
"…Alright." Sendo reluctantly nodded.
—
"ALRIGHT! LET'S GO! I'M FIRED UP!"
Suddenly, from the other side of the field, Sawamura's voice erupted as he took off in a full sprint.
It was unclear what had triggered him this time, but it was reminiscent of when Raizou had looked down on him before.
"Shouldn't we stop him? The game is tomorrow," Haruno commented to Miyuki.
"That idiot!" Miyuki cursed and immediately ran after him.
—
"Japan's highest-released curveball, huh?
"Honestly, I can't even imagine it," Jun-san sighed, standing next to Sendo.
"We've never faced him in practice games either," Ryousuke added.
"It's probably a pitch that slants diagonally downward from above…" Sendo, now resting, began rattling off complex mathematical theories that completely lost his seniors.
"Shut up!" Jun-san groaned. Not everyone was a math genius, okay?!
Beware the wrath of the academically challenged.
"Man… I wish I were taller. A higher release would make the angle much sharper…" Ryousuke muttered, lamenting his height.
"But isn't hitting in baseball actually easier for shorter players?" Sendo pointed out cautiously.
After all, the strike zone's vertical boundaries were determined by the batter's body size—the shorter the player, the smaller the strike zone.
In fact, in MLB history, teams had exploited this by recruiting dwarfs as batters.
"…Never mind!" Under Ryousuke's menacing gaze, Sendo quickly backed down.
In Seidou, joking about height was a forbidden topic.
Someone took that way too seriously—and had for years.
Even Jun-san, who loved teasing people, got chills when he saw Onii-san's cold stare.
—
"Weren't you told just to move your body lightly today?! Listen when people talk to you!"
Miyuki scolded Sawamura the whole way back.
"I-I'm totally fine!"
"You definitely don't look fine! You're out of breath, aren't you?!"
"Yahahaha! What a troublesome guy!"
"Seriously," Sendo agreed with Kuramochi's assessment.
Sawamura selectively forgetting instructions was already a daily occurrence.
—
"Main roster!!!"
"Hmm?"
At that moment, Coach Kataoka's voice rang out across the field.
"Everyone, gather at Field B!!!
"We're starting drills for handling high-angle pitches!!!"
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