After sorting out his thoughts, Zhang Han didn't wait until the next day. That very afternoon, he went to find Coach Kataoka.
"Coach, I want to pitch."
Zhang Han, who usually followed the team's arrangements without complaint, finally voiced his own desire.
Coach Kataoka looked at him calmly, "Do you mean completely switching to left-handed pitching, or just developing your left-handed pitching first?"
These were two entirely different paths.
If Zhang Han fully switched to left-handed pitching, all of his existing habits would be overturned. That could lead to faster results, but the risks would be far greater. After all, up until now, his left-handed potential was still just a hypothesis.
No one knew if it would truly work.
"I want to practice left-handed pitching first," Zhang Han said without hesitation. "If it proves feasible, then I'll gradually adjust the rest."
"This could take a very long time," Kataoka reminded him. "And there are risks."
"I want to try."
Zhang Han's eyes were steady.
There was no doubt anymore. He had made his decision.
Coach Kataoka fell silent, thinking about Seido's pitching situation.
With Hidezawa still around, things were manageable. There were hidden dangers, but overall, the situation was stable.
But once Hidezawa retired?
Relying on Tanba and the first-year Kawakami alone…
Kataoka didn't even want to think further. Their potential wasn't bad. In an ordinary team, they could serve as ace pitchers without issue.
But this was Seido.
A powerhouse.
Their current strength simply wasn't enough.
Even if the batters could carry them through one or two matches, once they ran into teams like Ichidai San or Inashiro, problems would surface immediately.
If Zhang Han could develop, even if he never reached Hidezawa's level, he could still deepen Seido's pitching pool. If necessary, they could adopt a pitching rotation.
But if possible, Kataoka truly didn't want to rely on that. Developing one pitcher was already extremely difficult.
Developing several at once? What were their traits? Their personalities? Their stability? Would frequent switching affect performance?
All of these were headaches.
High school baseball was still high school baseball. Even powerhouse teams couldn't have that many top-tier pitchers.
Having one was already a blessing.
In recent years, Seido had produced only one true ace-Hidezawa. The others hovered around Tanba, Kawakami, and Zhang Han's level. Pitchers like that could serve as support, but it was hard to entrust them with decisive moments.
As for professional teams, why did they seem overflowing with excellent pitchers?
The reason was simple.
There were over four thousand high school baseball teams, but only twelve professional teams. Even if each pro team had five quality pitchers, those players were selected from hundreds.
Of course they were strong.
And that didn't even include pitchers coming from universities or the adult leagues.
"I'll arrange it," Kataoka finally said. "After the Summer Tournament ends, you'll undergo testing. Based on the results, we'll design a comprehensive training plan."
"Thank you, Coach."
That was more than Zhang Han had hoped for.
If things continued like this, after a year or so of development, once his pitching matured, Zhang Han might even become a dark horse pitcher in West Tokyo—or perhaps nationwide.
Unfortunately, fate liked to play jokes.
Seido, which hadn't produced good pitching prospects for several years, soon encountered two exceptionally gifted pitchers.
True natural talents.
Zhang Han's road to becoming an ace was destined to be anything but smooth.
Fortunately, he wasn't blinded by the temptation of pitching. He continued to focus on his development as a fielder.
He didn't lose anything.
On the contrary, his pitching practice would eventually give him another opportunity.
That, however, was a story for later.
For now, attention returned to the Seido High School Baseball Team, who were fully focused on preparing for the final.
West Tokyo Finals.
Seido High School vs. Nioh Gakusha.
Watching footage of Nioh's games, it was clear they were a well-trained team. Their movements were clean and precise, with solid fundamentals.
"I haven't heard much about them before, but they're pretty strong."
"Nioh used to be a powerhouse. They've just been overshadowed by others these past few years."
Tokyo, a city with tens of millions of people, had no shortage of strong high school baseball teams.
Some powerhouses, like Ichidai Third High School and Inashiro Industrial, had remained dominant for years.
Some, like Seido, had gone quiet for a time before rising again.
And then there were teams like Nioh Gakusha.
Once glorious.
Nioh had belonged to that category. They had been brilliant in the past. Only after the turn of the century did they gradually fade from the spotlight. Unexpectedly, this year, they surged back into prominence.
They and Seido were called the two dark horses of the tournament. But the value of these two dark horses was very different.
Seido had displayed overwhelming dominance from the start, defeating Ichidai San and Inashiro Industrial one after another. They had always been considered championship contenders.
Nioh, on the other hand, surprised people by performing well, but few expected them to actually reach the finals.
Now, the two dark horses met at the final stage.
Who would go all the way?
For most people, there was no suspense.
Even though both teams were dark horses, the one most likely to win was still Seido.
Whether it was past achievements, the opponents they defeated, or their overall performance, the gap was obvious.
It was hard to imagine how Nioh Gakusha could defeat Seido.
Conversely, people could easily imagine multiple scenarios in which Seido handled Nioh.
Yet this was precisely what worried Manager Ota. Arrogant soldiers were bound to lose.
Before the finals, everything surrounding Seido felt too favorable.
The team's confidence. Public opinion.
Everyone spoke with one voice.
Seido would win.
But no matter what, Nioh had reached the finals. They were a former powerhouse with real strength. Seido was not guaranteed victory. If the game went smoothly, things would be fine.
But if any setbacks occurred…
The consequences could be dangerous.
With confidence on one side and hidden worry on the other, the West Tokyo Finals, The clash between Seido High School Baseball Team and Nioh Gakusha-
Began as scheduled.
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