Hosen High School of the Kanto region.
As fellow schools from Kanto, the Seido High School Baseball Team was not completely unfamiliar with Hosen. Still, it would be an exaggeration to say they knew them well. Hosen was not a team that demanded special long-term attention, and none of the tactical preparations Seido had made in advance were directly applicable to them.
Those preparations had been aimed at true Koshien powerhouses like Osaka Kiryu and Saibo.
Hosen High School was not weak. They had a certain reputation, and their strength was undeniable. However, compared to those top-tier giants, there was still a clear gap. They had not reached the level of a universally recognized public enemy.
Yet meeting such an opponent, not overly famous but clearly powerful, in their very first match was a huge test for Seido High School, a team that had only just returned to prominence.
Coach Kataoka and Takashima Rei spared no effort in gathering information about Hosen High School.
They did manage to collect everything available, but they did not dare present it directly to the players.
Hosen High School was the representative from Chiba Prefecture, and their path to Koshien had been unusually smooth. Most of their regional matches were early knockouts with decisive outcomes.
In other words, during the Chiba Prefecture tournament, they encountered almost no real pressure and advanced with ease.
Based on this, Kataoka and Takashima Rei reached the same conclusion.
Hosen's true strength could not be accurately determined.
They could only analyze general tendencies, tactics, and habits from the footage. As for detailed information on individual players, it was practically nonexistent.
"What should we do?" Manager Ota scratched his head. "We finally make it to Koshien, and our first opponent is this troublesome."
Their luck really was not great.
"At least we've already reached the second round," Takashima Rei said calmly, arms crossed. "There's no need to be overly pessimistic. Hosen High School might not be as strong as we imagine."
Kataoka nodded in agreement.
Although their opponent's true strength was unclear, some clues could still be inferred from their performance.
One major reason Hosen advanced so smoothly was that the overall level of competition in Chiba Prefecture was relatively weak.
It was like selecting the tallest person from a group of hunchbacks.
That was why Hosen appeared so dominant.
Judging from their actual performance, they were strong, but not overwhelmingly so. If they had competed in West Tokyo, it would have been extremely difficult for them to last until the end.
"It's strange," Ota muttered. "How did such a strong team come out of Chiba Prefecture?"
"That's not strange at all," Takashima Rei replied. "They're a regular Koshien participant. Besides their prefectural tournaments, they also compete in the Kanto Tournament. That level of competition is excellent training."
After a moment, she added, "Don't tell the players too much. Let them experience it on the field themselves."
"Isn't that too risky?" Ota frowned. "The opponent isn't weak, and the intelligence gap is huge. We…"
Takashima Rei hesitated.
Hosen High School had not fully revealed their strength in Chiba Prefecture. How strong they truly were was still a mystery.
Hosen's information was opaque.
Seido High School, on the other hand, was completely exposed.
The West Tokyo Tournament had caused a massive stir, especially Seido's games against Ichidai San and Inashiro. Those matches were widely circulated.
Anyone who wanted footage did not even need special connections. It was freely available online.
The intelligence gap between the two sides was obvious.
Being too famous was not always a good thing.
"Then what do you suggest?" Kataoka asked. "The information we have isn't reliable, and telling the players too much will only make them anxious."
In Kataoka's view, speculation was meaningless. It was better to let the players experience everything firsthand.
So in the two days before the match, Kataoka only gave general guidance on tactical thinking.
He did not mention a single specific countermeasure.
Captain Tanaka, feeling uneasy, pressed him for answers.
"We don't have clear intelligence on the opponent," Kataoka said. "The data we do have isn't trustworthy. It's better for you to collect information yourselves on the field."
Tanaka was stunned.
It took him a moment to realize what that meant.
Their Director had no concrete plan at all.
"Then at least give us the information," Tanaka insisted. "We can analyze it ourselves."
"There isn't enough time," Kataoka replied calmly. "Even if I gave it to you, you wouldn't gain much from it. It's better to experience it directly. I trust you."
Kataoka looked at Tanaka with complete confidence.
Tanaka was left speechless.
With the Director saying that much, what else could he say?
He could only wait for the game itself.
On the afternoon of the third day of the Summer Koshien Tournament, Seido High School, with minimal specific preparation, stepped onto the field to face Hosen High School.
As a nationally renowned powerhouse, Seido had been absent from Koshien for several years. Now that they had finally returned, many long-time supporters came specifically to watch their match.
Thousands of fans also traveled from Tokyo to cheer for them.
In total, around ten to twenty thousand spectators in the stadium were there for Seido High School Baseball Team.
When these fans gathered together, their chants were not perfectly synchronized, but sheer numbers made up for everything.
"Seido, go!"
"Seido, go!"
The overwhelming presence immediately shocked Hosen High School's cheer squad.
There were also fans from Chiba Prefecture who came to support Hosen, numbering around two to three thousand.
But compared to Seido, the gap was enormous.
Seven or eight times over.
"As expected of Seido High School," a Hosen player said quietly, visibly moved. "This really is the presence of a national powerhouse."
The teammates beside him frowned.
He was clearly boosting the opponent's morale while lowering their own.
Yet none of them could refute it.
The difference in fan support was undeniable.
"No matter how famous Seido is," Hosen's Director said gently, "they haven't been to Koshien for several years. Most of their players are experiencing Koshien for the first time. Even their Director has only been here once before, and his results weren't great."
He paused briefly.
"The footage shows they're strong, but whether they can truly perform under pressure like today is still a question."
Hosen's Director looked refined and mild.
At first glance, he seemed to be in his early twenties.
In reality, he was already thirty-six, a typical middle-aged man, seven or eight years older than Coach Kataoka. According to reliable rumors, he was married with children.
His voice was soft and calm, and his players listened attentively.
Yes.
Seido High School was not without its weaknesses.
"The fourth game of the second round of the Summer Koshien Tournament," the announcer declared, "Seido High School versus Hosen High School officially begins!"
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