"Strike!"
"Batter out!"
The number flashing on the big screen after the final pitch suddenly set off a wave of discussion in the stands.
"149 kilometers?"
Kōshū was not known for his velocity. His specialty was maintaining an average fastball speed of around 143 while still hitting the corners with precision. For many pitchers, accuracy and velocity were things that could not be balanced at the same time.
So, the spectators had not come to watch Kōshū's pitch speed.
"Seido's ace just threw 149, right? I remember he's never thrown that fast before."
"Yeah, I looked up just now. I looked too late and only caught a glimpse, but it really was 149."
"No way. Can he still keep that kind of pitch accurate?"
Whether he could maintain that accuracy would become clear soon enough.
Nitta Manager's eyebrow twitched involuntarily. As expected, an ace from a powerhouse high school gets access to all kinds of resources. Country teams like ours can only make up for our lack of technology and equipment through hard work.
On the surface, Kyoma University had been a dark horse that fought its way through the Summer Koshien and claimed the championship. But the prerequisite for that victory was that they had been obscure enough beforehand.
No one had specifically gone to Hokkaido to study their game footage, nor had anyone compiled the characteristics of Kyoma University's ace.
But after the Summer Koshien, those advantages no longer existed. Kyoma University would face pursuit and pressure from powerhouse schools in every prefecture, schools with superior equipment and abundant resources. Nitta Manager did not feel relieved in the slightest.
Winter Training should start earlier. Silently, he doubled the training volume for the players in Kyoma University's Dugout.
Hongo naturally noticed everything happening on the field. His gloomy face