Seido High School Baseball Club, Director's office.
A tall, burly man wearing sunglasses was reviewing the new recruits' entrance test scores. This man was Kataoka Tesshin, the de facto head of Seido High School's Baseball Club.
Kataoka himself was a Seido graduate. It was a tradition for top-tier schools to elevate people who came from within. Less important departments didn't matter, but the key positions were always filled by Seido alumni. The Director of the Baseball Club, the Manager, the Admissions Director. All were like this.
Manager Ota, round and cheerful, sat on the sofa with Takashima Rei. The two were discussing this year's recruits.
"Manager Takashima really has an eye for talent. The players she personally scouted took the top three in the basic physical tests. Miyuki's long throw was the best in the entire team, reaching 115 meters. That's two meters farther than Chris back then. Kuramochi is also impressive. His speed is already beyond high school standards. With proper guidance, he'll become an important weapon for us. And Zhang Han…"
When Zhang Han's name came up, Manager Ota paused. He could not find a suitable adjective.
The kid was good at everything. He made smart use of his advantages. His hitting had even surpassed Asou, Miyuki, and Yamaguchi. He had the highest hitting score among the first-years.
Ota had a strange feeling about him. Zhang Han seemed incredibly versatile. No matter where you placed him or what task you gave him, he felt like someone who would pull it off.
He understood his responsibilities and had exceptional execution. If Ota had to evaluate him, "very good" was the only phrase that fit. Anything more detailed felt inaccurate.
Takashima Rei nodded with a proud smile. Recruiting so many promising newcomers in one go filled her with confidence. They would not immediately become core players, but their arrival alone brought hope.
"Director, the five names on your list have a chance to become active players before the Summer Tournament. How should we arrange them? Or should we wait until after the Newcomer Welcome Game?" she asked as she walked gracefully toward Kataoka.
The five players she referred to were the top five on the list in Kataoka's hand.
First place: Miyuki Kazuya, catcher. Potential SS, current ability A+.
Second place: Zhang Han, pitcher, first baseman, outfielder. In middle school, he focused mainly on these three positions. He was Matsukata Little League's core third batter. Even when he wasn't pitching, he remained on the field seventy percent of the time. He was one of the key players who helped Matsukata reach second place in the National Tournament.
Although Zhang Han's overall ranking wasn't as high as Miyuki's, his section in the evaluation was the longest. Whoever made the list clearly had high expectations for him.
Third place: Shirasu Kenjiro, outfielder. He had almost no presence, and his appearance was plain. Compared to Zhang Han or Miyuki, he faded into the background. But his capability was undeniable. He stayed in the top three for almost every test. Selecting players based on strength alone, he was a perfect candidate. Baseball speaks with results, and Shirasu's strength was real.
Fourth place: Kuramochi Yoichi, shortstop. His hitting and throwing weren't remarkable, but his defensive potential was high. His middle school record was excellent, and his habits showed quality. Most importantly, he had frightening speed. With the right timing, he would become a trump card. One exceptional skill was enough to earn him a spot on the list.
Fifth place: Asou Takeru, first baseman, outfielder, and middle school cleanup hitter. His scores were consistently high, and his overall ranking was strong.
There were others with potential: Ono Hiroshi, Kawashima, Kawakami, Yamaguchi, Maezono, Sugawara Nao, Kijima, and so on. Compared to the previous batch, this year had far more promising players. But their specific strengths had not fully emerged, and their bodies were still developing. They still had a long way to go before they could stand out.
The top few, however, already showed strength comparable to second-team members. Two could even challenge First-string players in certain areas.
That was why Takashima Rei believed they had a real chance to become active players before summer.
With so many newcomers, Seido couldn't take them all in at once. They had to be screened and prioritized. The top-ranked ones had the right to compete for uniform numbers. Even if they didn't make it now, once the third-years graduated, they would likely appear on the First-string roster.
"Middle school records don't matter. Look at the potential they're showing now. It's still raw. Training should focus on the basics first," Kataoka said calmly.
Their potential was good, but their physical condition was far behind. Not just compared to elite players, but even compared to last year's recruits.
"Miyuki, Zhang Han, Shirasu, and Kuramochi. During regular defensive practice, let them join the second team's drills."
Then he added, "Promote those four."
"Promoted to the second team this early? Isn't that too soon?" Manager Ota asked. Even though he was optimistic, pushing new recruits forward only days after joining felt too fast. Usually this happened in May, after the Spring Tournament.
"For regular basic training, they remain with the new recruits. Only during defensive practice will they join the second team. They won't participate in the second team's practice games yet."
A sharp glint flashed beneath Kataoka's sunglasses.
"We'll observe their defense and offense. If someone stands out, an early promotion is not out of the question."
The team situation was rough. Aside from Yuuki and Chris, there were no strong core players among the second-years. The third-years mocked them as the most useless generation, but they themselves weren't much better.
Tanaka Kakuei, Azuma Kiyokuni, Hidezawa Mayumi. Those three were the only steady pillars. The rest were average.
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