The white ball landed and bounced.
The Hosen High School outfielder rushed forward with all his strength, but he still could not reach the ball immediately. He could only watch it bounce once before reacting.
By that time, Zhang Han had already reached First Base safely and stood there calmly.
"Safe!"
No outs, runner on First Base.
In the Hosen High School dugout, their Director's brows were tightly furrowed.
It was happening again.
When Seido High School attacked in the first inning, they seized the initiative immediately. The leadoff batter reached base and created an excellent scoring opportunity.
Hosen had used every method they could think of, even sacrificing their pride by intentionally walking Azuma Kiyokuni, just to escape without giving up a run.
And now, at the start of the second inning, the exact same situation appeared again.
These Seido players had an astonishing ability to launch surprise attacks.
Even if their ace pitcher managed to keep Seido scoreless again, being placed under such constant pressure would rapidly drain his stamina.
Koshien games did not have the concept of early termination like regional tournaments.
In other words, no matter how large the gap between the two teams was, all nine innings had to be played.
Hosen's bald ace pitcher trained extremely hard and was considered a model student-athlete at the school. Under normal circumstances, his stamina was more than enough to pitch a full nine innings at high intensity.
But if the game continued at this pace, it would be impossible.
Not just for him. For anyone.
If this dragged on, he would not be able to hold out.
At this moment, Hosen's Director had already begun to reconsider his original tactical plan.
In the stands, the fans were also buzzing with excitement over Zhang Han's hit.
"They got another one. Seido's players are really dependable."
"They say he's a first-year. That's incredible."
"A powerhouse really is a powerhouse. Did you think it was just hype?"
"Zhang Han? Is that a Korean name or from Taiwan?"
"He's from China. I think I've seen reports about him before."
"That impressive?"
"He was in the national youth baseball tournament last year. He was the core batter for Matsukata, the runner-up."
"No way. Why don't I remember that?"
"Your eyes were glued to the champions. Of course you wouldn't remember the runner-up."
Zhang Han had not become famous during his youth baseball days.
The biggest reason was simple.
They were runners-up, not champions.
If Matsukata had won that final game last year, Zhang Han would not dare say he would have become famous nationwide. But within the baseball world, his reputation would certainly have been high, and not limited to Tokyo alone.
Competition is a winner-takes-all world.
In team sports, if you do not win the championship, everything else fades into the background. In individual sports, people remember the gold medalist. Who remembers silver and bronze?
Are there exceptions?
Of course.
There are always monsters who break free of such rules.
In high school baseball, there has never been a shortage of players who became famous nationwide despite never reaching Koshien, simply because of extraordinary pitching speed or other eye-catching traits.
There have also been ace pitchers who finished second but drew more attention than the champions.
But those cases were rare.
And the potential or miracles those players displayed were far more shocking than a championship itself.
Unfortunately, although Zhang Han's growth rate was astonishing, he did not yet possess the overwhelming presence needed to create such miracles.
That was why his reputation could not compare to those monsters.
It was only after he stepped onto the Koshien stage and delivered outstanding performances that more people began to remember him.
To be honest, Zhang Han's achievements before this were by no means small.
But in terms of fame, everything he had accumulated before was not as impactful as this single hit.
It was not that his previous efforts lacked value.
Rather, compared to effort, platform mattered far more.
A first-year regular on a national powerhouse team, performing brilliantly in his first appearance at Koshien, combined with his unique background.
Zhang Han already met all the conditions to become famous overnight. How far that fame would spread depended on what he did next.
Casual viewers watched the excitement. Experts watched the technique.
While the crowd discussed the significance of Zhang Han's hit and its influence on the game, some people saw past the surface and focused on Zhang Han himself.
"That kid has guts."
This was clearly Zhang Han's first time playing on the Koshien stage, yet he showed no visible nervousness.
Look at the seniors around him. Which one of them had not restrained their own performance due to tension and caution?
But Zhang Han showed none of that.
People only saw him bait the pitcher just now. They did not realize how much courage that decision required. If it were anyone else in the same situation, they probably would not have dared to make that choice.
The risk was simply too high.
If it worked, he would be praised without question.
But if it failed, he would look like a fool trying to be clever.
Did other players not think of this method?
Of course they did.
Anyone who reached this stage was an elite, both individually and as part of a team.
So why did no one else do it?
The reason was simple.
They did not dare.
They subconsciously feared failure and embarrassment. Compared to that fear, Zhang Han's courage was almost reckless.
"With that kind of mindset as a first-year, this guy would definitely be a troublemaker if he went pro."
The word troublemaker here was not entirely negative. It was also a form of recognition.
Someone who could stir things up and create headlines.
As the discussion continued, the game moved on.
Isashiki Jun originally planned to swing with full force, but unexpectedly, Coach Kataoka gave him the signal for a bunt. Although Isashiki Jun felt extremely uncomfortable, he did not dare disobey the Director's command.
"Ping!"
He bunted the ball.
The bunt itself was far from perfect.
But because his earlier stance had been so aggressive, it gave everyone the impression that he was about to clash head-on with the pitcher.
The sudden switch to a bunt completely caught Hosen's defense off guard. By the time they reacted and picked up the ball, Zhang Han was already charging toward Second Base.
"Snap!"
"Out!"
"Safe!"
One out, runner on Second Base.
Just like that, Zhang Han advanced to Second.
The next batter for Seido High School Baseball Team stepped up.
Miyuki Kazuya.
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