<58> The Semifinals, Kokai U Sagara High School Baseball Team!

Chapter 58: The Semifinals, Kokai U Sagara High School Baseball Team!

Time flies, and two days have passed in the blink of an eye.

The Seido High School baseball team is facing off against their semifinal opponent, the Kokai U Sagara High School baseball team.

"The stands are really lively today!"

Several media reporters had just arrived at the stadium and immediately noticed the extraordinary scene.

Whenever the Seido High School baseball team plays, the stands are typically quite packed.

This time, it's even more overwhelming.

Every corner of the stands is filled with people.

Even professional games rarely see such attendance.

"Everyone probably wants to witness firsthand the monster boy who can pitch over 150 kilometers per hour."

Thanks to the relentless efforts of the reporters, Furuya has become incredibly popular, gaining fame even beyond the usual circles.

The fans in the stands are the best evidence of this.

"I can't wait to see it!"

The reporters were undoubtedly very pleased with their efforts.

Their faces were beaming with satisfied smiles.

Meanwhile,

The other two teams that have made it to the Kanto region semifinals also appeared in the stands.

"Did you see that? That's the Inashiro Industrial High School baseball team! They're the biggest favorites for the Kanto tournament this year!"

"Aren't Seido the biggest favorites?" a puzzled fan asked.

"They're both from Tokyo. Before entering the Kanto tournament, they played a match against each other. The result was Seido losing!"

Fans who favored Seido were, of course, unwilling to accept this explanation.

"What do you know? Having already qualified for the Kanto tournament, their regional final was just like chicken ribs, tasteless yet a shame to discard. It's said that players from both teams didn't give it their all. If they had, who knows who would've won?"

Of course,

Even the most die-hard fans of the Seido High School baseball team have to admit that the Inashiro Industrial High School baseball team is definitely a formidable opponent.

"Even Hakuryuu's players are here!"

The players from Hakuryuu High School look even more impressive than the players from Inashiro Industrial High School.

Just looking at their strong and long legs, you can tell they are definitely not an easy team to deal with.

"I can hardly wait!"

"The Kanto competition is finally getting interesting."

The Kanto tournament, akin to a small Koshien, is highly coveted within high school baseball.

This year's Kanto tournament has felt somewhat dull. The strong teams are too strong, and the weaker teams don't stand a chance.

As a result, several matches turned into complete blowouts.

So far, the match between Seido High School and Yokohama Kohouku is widely recognized as the most intense.

Compared to it, other matches have had little suspense.

But now things are different. Both teams in the upcoming match are strong and powerful.

The clash between them inevitably sparks intense anticipation among the audience.

"Do you think Furuya will start on the mound?" the spectators wondered aloud.

Their speculation wasn't unfounded.

Seido's previous game against the Nada High School baseball team was incredibly exciting.

It was explosive, to say the least.

Even now, fans who watched that game feel as though it happened just yesterday.

Every detail of the game is vivid in their minds.

While Nada High School's baseball team might not have been extraordinary, they were certainly no slouches.

Yet Seido High School's team managed to thoroughly overpower them.

Such an experience is thrilling and unforgettable.

Having been through it once already, Seido High School isn't about to let this opportunity slip by.

In today's game, they might replicate their previous approach.

As the game officially began, against everyone's expectations, Seido High School did not start Furuya.

Instead, they chose their ace, Koichiro Tanba, as the starting pitcher for the game.

Seeing this, the players from Kokai U Sagara High School breathed a sigh of relief.

A 150 km/h fastball!

When they knew Seido would be their opponent, they tried practicing against it with a pitching machine.

The result was not promising at all.

To face Furuya's pitches head-on would almost be like courting disaster.

The Kokai U Sagara players planned to employ delay tactics.

Though somewhat shameful, it's better than being completely overwhelmed or losing decisively!

Moreover, they firmly believed that "overly rigid things break easily."

Behind Furuya's seemingly invincible pitching, there had to be weaknesses.

Such as his endurance!

With Furuya's pitching style, it's unlikely he could pitch a full nine innings from any viewpoint.

Even if he somehow managed to last until the end, his speed and quality would inevitably deteriorate in the later innings.

This was Kokai U Sagara's strategy.

In other words, they had already prepared for the worst before the game.

To their surprise, Seido's coach presented them with such a gift!

Furuya, whom they were so wary of, wasn't on the mound. Instead, he was positioned as an outfielder.

"Seido clearly doesn't plan to start with Furuya as the pitcher."

"Considering the finals ahead, Coach Kataoka's decision makes sense."

"If they don't plan to have him pitch, why isn't he resting on the bench to conserve energy?" some fans questioned.

As a key pitcher, shouldn't Furuya be resting in the dugout?

"They probably can't afford to lose his hitting abilities!"

Even the fans in the stands could guess Coach Kataoka's rationale.

"He's been up at bat twice, with one hit and one home run! His scoring efficiency is unparalleled in this Kanto tournament."

"With such a valuable player, Coach Kataoka wouldn't pass up having him in the game."

In one corner of the stands, Seido's second-string players gathered to cheer on their teammates.

At the front of the group were some of Seido's second-string players.

Kanemaru enviously watched his seniors already in position on the field.

"I wish we had the chance to play for the team…"

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