Chapter 69: Top-tier Coach

Seidou High School has scored a point!

In such a high-level pitcher's duel, scoring first is undoubtedly a signal. This signal marks that the Seidou baseball team has fully taken control of the game.

The situation in the game has undergone a dramatic change.

Before Seidou scored, it was actually the New York Manhattan Academy Team that had the upper hand.

But now, the situation has reversed completely. The team in control is no longer the New York Team, but Seidou High School.

In the dugout, the Seidou High School players are bouncing with excitement.

Sawamura, who scored, and Miyuki, who used a bunt to get Sawamura to first, meet at home plate.

They can't contain their excitement, cheering loudly and high-fiving each other.

It's hard to imagine how strong the Dream Team really is unless you face them directly in a game.

Seidou High School is not inexperienced. They have already dominated in their home country and have recently played several exchange games with strong American schools.

These opponents are no pushovers in any way.

And Seidou High School has been able to overpower them, so they have nothing to be worried about.

Not to mention the professional players; even their non-professional or semi-professional players are among the top in their field.

Yet, even so, when facing off against the New York Team, they still feel somewhat overwhelmed.

The opponent is just too strong!

Strong enough that they can hardly believe, that the opponent can be this powerful.

But the facts are there.

The Seidou baseball team's players are not idiots.

They know very well that if they were to compare players in the same positions one by one, the Seidou team has at most an equal level in only a few positions. For the rest, Seidou is at a disadvantage.

In fact, they are not even on the same level.

This gap cannot be covered by just one or two players.

But to their surprise, despite being in such an unfavorable position, the Seidou baseball team not only managed to reverse the situation but even scored first.

This has given all the Seidou players a huge boost of confidence.

Maybe the outcome won't be as bleak as they thought.

Before seeing the overwhelming strength of the Dream Team, many players had a subconscious feeling of impending failure.

Although no one admitted it out loud, it was an undeniable fact.

However, the points scored by Sawamura and Miyuki changed a lot of players' subconscious thoughts.

It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck them; maybe the result wouldn't be as bad as they imagined.

Under the lead of Sawamura and Miyuki, they might have a chance to compete with their opponents.

Maybe they could even win?

And the pitcher's mound still has Sawamura.

Thinking of this, the Seidou players felt even more assured.

From the moment they scored, they had never been more certain.

They can win!!!

One point has filled the Seidou baseball team with infinite hope.

Their desire for victory is like a small spark that can ignite a prairie fire!

And it was this very point that completely woke up the Dream Team.

Now, the Dream Team facing off against Seidou High School is a newly reformed team, after having disbanded for almost half a year.

As they came back together, their chemistry, to some extent, had a feeling of strangeness.

So at the beginning of the game, they spent a great deal of effort just trying to sync up their rhythm with their teammates.

Plus, they had slightly underestimated Seidou High School, not really taking them seriously.

As a result, they've now lost a point!

Losing a point is a rare experience for the Dream Team.

They don't even remember the last time they conceded a point.

Seidou High School, or more precisely, Sawamura, has delivered a sharp slap that has fully awakened this sleeping lion.

As the core of the Dream Team, to lose a point in front of their loyal fans is a blow to their pride.

The Dream Team players can hardly accept this.

On the mound, Allen looked like he had lost his mind.

After getting two Outs, he faced the next batter, Shiratsu.

VROOOOOOO!!!

KABOOM!!

"STRIKE!"

"STRIKE!!"

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!!!"

Without hesitation, he dealt with him swiftly.

Three Outs, offense and defense exchange.

The New York team players slowly returned to their dugout.

Their eyes were red as if they wanted to swallow someone whole.

Clearly, they had been deeply shaken by the earlier exchanges.

Sawamura and Miyuki exchanged a knowing smile.

They were more pleased by the New York Team's reaction than by the points they scored.

Through the earlier exchanges, both of them had to admit that the two teams were not on the same level.

This gap is becoming more apparent as the game progresses.

If the Seidou baseball team really wants to win this game, they'll have to come up with some strategies.

For example, completely infuriates the opponent, making them lose their composure.

Generally speaking, opponents who lose their cool are far easier to deal with than those who remain calm and controlled.

But before they could enjoy their victory too long, they saw Walter, the Coach of the New York Team, stand up.

"Do you want to win?" Walter said, looking at his players one by one.

Under his gaze, no one chose to back down.

"Good, everyone's in good form," Walter nodded approvingly.

"I must say, the team we're facing today is unlike any other we've faced in previous games. Their strength is exceptional, their approaches are methodological, a perfect balance between strength, skills, and talent, especially that Ace pitcher…"

Walter began by complimenting the Seidou baseball team.

It's hard for most people to remain composed upon hearing such praise.

But the New York Team players' eyes all gleamed with excitement.

Walter is considered one of the best Coaches in America.

If he didn't have some skill, he wouldn't have been targeted by Major League teams for recruitment.

And based on the players' previous impression, once Walter starts praising the opponent, it's clear he's already figured out a plan.

Though they don't know exactly what the plan is, they trust their Coach implicitly.

Sure enough, after a lengthy speech, Walter finally revealed the task he needed to set up.

"The opponent is strong! To take them down, we'll need to use some methods. Did you see how they scored? Typical big league tactics."

"They don't care about the process or appeal, as long as they can score, they'll do anything. To handle an opponent like this, we must fight fire with fire."

"Use their own tactics to deal with them."

This may sound easy to say, but the complexity of actually carrying it out is beyond what most people can imagine.

However, when Walter spoke these words, it seemed as simple and casual as breathing.

This not only showed his trust in his disciples but also demonstrated the grandeur of his status as a top-tier Coach.

Whether it's a leader of a team or a leader in a business organization, when a leader gives a task, it must be decisive and firm.

This is one of the basic qualities of a leader.

Walter excelled in this aspect. His words made people believe in him without question.

"The opponent's style is very similar to professional baseball! Although their individual strength is not at the same level, their overall system is very well-constructed. That's why they were able to score that point."

After analyzing the strengths of the Seidou baseball team, Walter also pointed out their weaknesses.

"Of course, their lineup is not perfect. The biggest problem with Seidou High School's team is the large gap in skill among the players. Their best players are their pitcher and catcher. It's because of these two leading the team that the rest of their players were able to perform above their usual level. This is both their strength and their weakness."

"Kids, when playing against an opponent like this, it's impossible to win by individual effort alone. Playing solo will only lead to being picked apart one by one!"

"So, in the next phase of the game, I want you to prioritize the team's interests. Don't try to get everything in one go. Steady and gradual, focus on getting on base first no matter how you may look…"

Walter, the Coach, spoke passionately.

The players of the Dream Team seemed to have been hypnotized by his words.

All they did was nod; not a single word of opposition came from them.

The game resumed, and the first batter to step up to the plate, Bill, immediately surprised both Sawamura and Miyuki.

This cleanup hitter for the Dream Team had no intention of attempting a power hit.

Seeing this, both Sawamura and Miyuki were utterly frustrated.

They had prepared a big trap for these American players, but to their surprise, the opponent wasn't even considering jumping into it.

'This was awkward!'

It made the two of them look like complete fools for digging the hole.

What frustrated them the most was that, earlier, the American players had already fallen for their setup.

How had they suddenly changed their minds after listening to their Coach's speech?

They just couldn't understand it.

Even Miyuki, who was usually calm, couldn't help but scratch his head.

Sawamura, however, had a hunch about what was going on.

Coach Walter in Major League Baseball, was said to be a master of persuasion.

Sawamura had never been under him as a player, so he hadn't experienced it firsthand, but he had heard it from others.

Now, seeing the performance of the Dream Team, Sawamura understood.

It seemed that those rumors he had heard were not just empty gossip; there was some truth to them.

He looked at Bill, the usually egotistical and fearless player, who now seemed to have been brainwashed.

If not, Sawamura couldn't understand why Bill wouldn't aim for a power hit.

Shaking his head, Sawamura discarded the random thoughts in his mind.

At this moment, he couldn't afford to worry about such things.

The most important task now was to secure Outs.

Bill had deliberately choked up on his bat, trying to handle this opponent with simplicity, but it wasn't going to be easy.

Going in with force wasn't going to work!

That guy had top-tier dynamic vision and his hitting had already reached an impeccable level.

Whether they could deal with him was another story, but if Sawamura relied on his usual reliable pitches, they would probably get exposed.

Not to mention if all the skilled players of the Dream Team followed the same tactic.

Sawamura wouldn't have enough of his secret pitches to keep up.

After considering everything, Sawamura realized that using a fishing ball now was the most suitable option.

'The opponent's goal was to hit the ball first and foremost!'

'If there wasn't a better way to stop it, they might as well let them hit it as they pleased.'

Sawamura exchanged a glance with Miyuki behind the plate, and they instantly understood each other's intentions.

They would go ahead with the fishing pitch!

After the silent communication, Sawamura took his position on the mound and threw the ball.

WHRROOSH!

The baseball shot out like a laser.

In the Dream Team's dugout, Walter held his chin with one hand, looking as if he was deep in thought.

"A Bait pitch!"

From his previous observations, he had almost figured out Sawamura and Miyuki's usual tactics.

What would Seidou High School do in this situation?

Walter had already anticipated it.

And it wasn't a new thought; he had predicted this even before Bill came up to bat.

On the batter's plate, Bill stared intently at the incoming baseball.

The pitch wasn't difficult to hit. Bill was confident he could send it flying.

But the direction he aimed for was already covered by someone.

At that moment, Bill's brain worked like a computer, calculating everything.

He now fully understood the strategy of the Seidou team.

By his habit, he would normally swing hard to send the ball flying.

But Walter had specifically told him before he came up to bat:

"Don't be greedy! The most important thing is to hit the ball cleanly. The faster you send it away, the better."

With this in mind, Bill gripped the bat tightly and swung it with all his might.

PAAK!

The baseball was struck and rebounded at incredible speed.

On the mound, Sawamura's expression became complicated.

The ball's flight was exactly as he had predicted.

The first baseman, Maezono, was already in position, ready to catch it.

What surprised Sawamura was the speed of the ball after it was hit.

Sawamura's pitching speed was fast, though not quite on the level of Allen or Furuya.

But it was faster than most pitchers.

It reached 148 km/h!

Yet, the ball that Bill hit flew way faster than Sawamura's original pitch.

It was like a streak of lightning, passing through Maezono's defense and landing just behind the first baseman.

…

T/N: Feel free to leave a Comment guys!

And Powerstones are much much welcomed!