"He's truly as strong as a monster!"
Sanada watched Zhang Han, who had run a full circle around the field and returned to home plate.
The Seido High School Baseball Team supporters around them, including their own players, were all celebrating Zhang Han's victory wildly.
Playing against such a monstrous team, the players of Yakushi High School Baseball Team didn't know if they had a chance to turn the tide.
Zhang Han himself, however, returned to his dugout expressionlessly, as if he had done something insignificant.
The players in the Seido dugout rushed forward to celebrate with him, but he calmly extended his hand and high-fived everyone. There was no joy on his face from beginning to end.
"Are we completely insignificant?!"
Sanada instantly understood Zhang Han's meaning.
Previously, the players of Yakushi High School Baseball Team had defeated Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team, the champions of the Spring Koshien.
After that, their players inevitably became overconfident. For a group of teenagers who had just defeated the champions of their age group, how could it be easy to prevent them from getting carried away?
From then on, the players of Yakushi High School Baseball Team felt that their goals had changed.
Before, they just wanted to achieve good results. As for what level these good results should reach, they really hadn't thought about it.
The semifinals, or even the finals, were good goals.
On this basis, Coach Todoroki Raizo arrived.
After Coach Todoroki Raizo arrived, their goals naturally changed accordingly.
They put in more sweat and tears than before, and their goals naturally advanced a step further.
Their goal became Koshien; they desperately hoped to show their skills at Koshien Stadium.
This was a very good goal, and also a very realistic one.
The original Yakushi High School Baseball Team was bravely moving towards this goal.
But in the process of their advancement, by chance, they encountered the National Champions.
Before that game, even though Coach Todoroki Raizo had explained everything clearly to them, all the players of Yakushi High School Baseball Team, including several first-year players, did not believe that they could truly achieve the final victory as their Coach said.
How was that possible? That was the National Champions of the Spring Koshien, the strongest powerhouse in West Tokyo now.
Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team.
How could they defeat such a monstrous team?
Perhaps it was precisely because of this mindset that when they played against Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team, they had no pressure at all. After giving their all, the final result was that they won.
Whenever they played against one of the powerhouses in West Tokyo, especially against Seido High School Baseball Team, they would immediately lose a good deal of their nerve.
Just like today's game, although the players of Yakushi High School Baseball Team all took the field full of fighting spirit, many of them had no confidence in their hearts.
Just thinking about playing against Seido High School Baseball Team, they couldn't even imagine what it would be like to win.
As the Ace of the team, Sanada was, of course, very aware of this, which was also why he was eager to deal with Zhang Han.
Unfortunately, Zhang Han's strength far exceeded his previous imagination.
The final result was that he was hit with a Homerun.
How to describe this feeling?
"It's so despairing that you just want to give up the game."
Though he said that, Sanada was not one to give up easily.
This was fully demonstrated in his subsequent pitch.
Despite being hit with a long hit to second base by Yuuki, he immediately followed up by powerfully striking out Isashiki Jun, cutting off Seido High School Baseball Team's opportunity to score further.
The top of the first inning ended, with a score of 1:0.
Although Yakushi High School Baseball Team had conceded a run first, they quickly controlled the situation and did not give Seido High School Baseball Team any further opportunities to extend their lead.
"Great pitch, Sanada!"
"Shunpei Senpai, well done."
"That's the spirit, our Ace won't give up."
As the offense and defense switched, the players of Yakushi High School Baseball Team continuously gathered around Sanada as they returned to the dugout.
Even Raichi, that simpleton, stammered and gave a thumbs up: "Sa-Sanada Senpai!"
"Alright, how long are you going to praise me? I just gave up a Homerun. I don't think I pitched that well. After this, I'll need you to help me get those runs back."
"Don't worry, Senpai, leave it all to this genius!"
Mishima Yuta, with a thumbs up, kept pointing to his chest.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
Sanada was also very supportive, saying with a smile.
After speaking, Sanada turned his head to Raichi, "And you."
Raichi nodded excitedly, repeatedly.
He was already impatient to step into the batter's box and face off against the players of Seido High School Baseball Team.
On the other side, in the Seido High School Baseball Team dugout.
Coach Ochiai stroked the little beard on his chin, frowning as he observed everything happening in the Yakushi High School Baseball Team dugout.
"This team has an absolute core and Ace."
Anyone who had watched Yakushi High School Baseball Team play would surely have been drawn to Raichi Todoroki first. His swing was exceptional, even among third-year players.
Not to mention, he was only a first-year newcomer who had just joined high school.
The appearance of such a monster would naturally attract everyone's attention immediately.
But in fact, the one truly leading this team forward was someone else. That person was the second-year Ace pitcher, Sanada Shunpei.
It was precisely because of the existence of this player that Yakushi High School Baseball Team was not a disorganized mess, but a complete whole.
With him and Raichi, these two Aces, one for defense and one for offense, the future prospects of Yakushi High School Baseball Team were absolutely limitless.
"Our players are not to be trifled with either."
Coach Kataoka did not deny Coach Ochiai's deduction.
But clearly, he was also more willing to believe in the strength of his own disciples.
On the other side, Todoroki Raizo kept patting the shoulders of the players coming off the field.
"You little rascals are very capable."
Although he was praising his players, his gaze was constantly fixed on the Seido High School Baseball Team dugout.
Zhang Han, whose face showed little expression, but who had no blind spots from any angle.
And Yuuki Tetsuya, who also had a cold face, was changing his equipment, preparing to go on the field.
The two core hitters of Seido High School Baseball Team had only seen Sanada Shunpei's pitch during the Spring Tournament.
Today, in their encounter, they unceremoniously hit his pitch out.
"With those two as the core, it's impossible to completely shut down Seido High School Baseball Team's offense."
Even if they were intentionally walked, it wouldn't work; Seido High School Baseball Team did not only have these two hitters.
Once they were intentionally walked, it would be equivalent to giving other players on Seido High School Baseball Team a chance to perform.
Kominato Ryosuke, Isashiki Jun, Miyuki Kazuya, Masuko Toru...
In Seido High School Baseball Team, the players capable of scoring were simply countless.
In this situation, without the courage to face Yuuki and Zhang Han, they didn't even have the qualification to play against Seido High School Baseball Team.
Given this premise, if they still wanted to take down the Kanto Tournament champions, they could only focus on offense.
Almost instantly, Todoroki Raizo changed his previous arrangement.
"First Batter, Third Baseman, Raichi Todoroki."
Seeing the first batter step into the batter's box, the players of Seido High School Baseball Team were stunned.
"Was their previous lineup like this?"
"This practice game was too sudden, and we didn't exchange lineups beforehand..."
Regarding Yakushi High School Baseball Team's arrangement, Seido High School Baseball Team could be said to be completely unprepared.
They never expected that Yakushi High School Baseball Team would make such an arrangement.
"Do they want to make a preemptive strike?"
Ochiai had some guesses, but Coach Kataoka seemed to have other ideas for this practice game.
In this situation, even if Ochiai had suggestions, he couldn't openly discuss them with Coach Kataoka.
Bottom of the first inning, Yakushi High School Baseball Team offense.
The players of Seido High School Baseball Team began to take their defensive positions.
The first pitcher to appear was the first-year monster rookie, Furuya Satoru, who could throw 150 km/h fastballs.
This made the spectators very excited.
Speaking of the most eye-catching rookies in West Tokyo this year.
Then, without a doubt, Furuya Satoru and Raichi Todoroki would definitely be on the list.
And they should be the top two.
Even last year's Zhang Han was not very comparable to these two.
Zhang Han became the fastest pitcher in the nation during the autumn of his first year. And at that time, Zhang Han, due to his excellent performance at Koshien Stadium, was already a nationally renowned super rookie.
When he, a star, achieved another remarkable accomplishment, people's shock was not as great.
In contrast, Raichi Todoroki, who had already hit multiple Homeruns before the Summer Tournament even began, and Furuya Satoru, who had thrown a 150 km/h fastball, truly made a name for themselves with a single feat.
Many people were looking forward to the showdown between these two monster rookies in today's game between Yakushi and Seido.
They wondered how lucky they would be to witness it.
Unexpectedly, the people from both teams were so understanding and offered such an exciting showdown right at the beginning of the game.
Everyone was paying attention, and everyone's eyes were fixed on the two young men facing off.
This made Miyuki, who was preparing to catch, feel a little uneasy. He had actually already deduced the outcome of the two's confrontation.
Come on...
Although he had already guessed the possible outcome, Miyuki still gave his guidance with all his might.
Even if it was just a dying struggle, he actually didn't want Furuya Satoru to stumble here, especially to lose to Raichi Todoroki.
Furuya Satoru, as the person involved, did not have Miyuki's conflicted emotions. In the process of confronting his opponent, he immediately used all his strength.
He pressed all his strength onto the two fingers holding the baseball, then furiously threw the baseball out.
"Boom!"
The thrown baseball emitted a deep roar, approaching home plate at an extremely fast speed.
Honestly, this pitch was by no means slow.
But Furuya Satoru, who threw the pitch, was not satisfied at all. He felt that a part of his strength had not been used at all.
As a result, the ball he threw was not as fast as he had originally imagined.
At the batter's box, Raichi Todoroki stared intently at the flying baseball.
Here it comes.
It's almost within reach.
Now.
Fixing his gaze on the angle of the flying baseball, Raichi Todoroki gripped his bat tightly with both hands, then swung it out fiercely.
"Boom!"
As his bat swung, Miyuki felt as if the air in front of him was being sucked dry.
This guy...
"Ping..."
The bat accurately struck the white ball, sending it flying fiercely.
After the baseball was sent flying, Raichi Todoroki let out a long, deep breath.
Then, he was heard laughing,
"Gah gah, gah gah gah!"
His laughter was like a duck's quack, exceptionally harsh and shrill.
But at this moment, no one was paying attention to his laughter anymore.
Everyone's attention was focused on the white ball that had flown out.
They saw the baseball fiercely hit the net, then create wave after wave.
"Homerun!"
"1:1, tied!"
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