"Third batter! Left fielder, Isashiki-kun!"
"All the delicious food is mine! Watch me eat it all up!!!"
" Sendou!" At that moment, Captain Tetsu called out to Sendou.
"Um?"
"This time it's Slider! Please!"
"Learn!"
"Should we block their winning shot, Tetsu-san?"
"Good judgment!" Sendou agreed, instantly understanding Captain Tetsu's idea.
This has nothing to do with whether Coach Matsumoto saw through Sendou and Captain Tetsu's tactics.
This blockade means that if the opponent throws Slider and the pitch is known, it's difficult for Captain Tetsu to miss, allowing Captain Tetsu to focus on other pitches.
"With one out and runners on first and third, it's Seidou High School's third-round Center Batting Lineup's turn!"
The score difference was only one point. If the score was tied, Long Hit would lead to a comeback! The commentator emphasized the severity of the situation.
"Will they come? Force a run?" Nagumo frantically scanned the runners' movements. There was no one on first base and enough outs; it was an excellent opportunity to force a run.
The sudden attack caught Nagumo somewhat off guard.
"However! In this situation, it's definitely better to be prepared to lose a point!"
Being too focused on scoring points will only make the situation worse. Kuramochi's at-bat and Coach Matsumoto's guidance have made Nagumo understand the manager's attitude.
Even without watching, he knows what the supervisor will ask him to do, and he won't panic like before.
"Be careful, Kan!"
"Mm!" Hirobi Tate nodded slightly.
"Call out!"
"Wow! Big Spicy Shrimp!!!"
"Ping!"
"First goal outside corner!!!"
"Puff!"
"Haha! This shot... so even Jun-san couldn't get it to the right side?"
"This pitch resulted in a hit! The runner on third base is home! Seidou adds one run!"
That makes it one out and first to third!
Although he claimed he was going to eat everything, Jun-san still played his role steadily and didn't try to Long Hit.
This is what the three-man team does.
In this classic batting order, the strongest batter is of course the fourth batter, the second is the third batter, and the last is the fifth batter.
Generally, the third batter has the highest batting average on the team, and he continues to lead the subsequent batters, accumulating bases.
The fourth batter is the strongest, followed by the fifth batter, who has the strongest Long Hit ability.
However, the fact that Seidou has two fourth-string batters makes the lineup somewhat unbalanced, but it is enough to illustrate Jun-san's status in this batting lineup.
"Fourth batter! Center forward, Sendou-kun!"
"Keep going, Sendou!"
"Fight back!"
" Sendou! Just hit Home Run! Home Run!" Sawamura continued to say things that were just asking for trouble.
That's as if hitting Home Run is easy.
"He stepped forward without hesitation, clearly aiming for the first ball after the short game?"
They actually guessed correctly that my first goal would be Outside Corner Ball!
"It seems we need to be more careful with the pitch selection for the first pitch." Nagumo thought to himself, looking at Isashiki on second base.
Moreover, Nagumo discovered that in this situation...
Sure enough, even Hirobi Tate couldn't laugh anymore.
But he has a biological father!
" Kan!" Coach Matsumoto shouted, standing on the edge of the bench.
"Huh?" Everyone in the room looked over!
"Just suppress them! Suppress them!"
"You can do it, right?"
"That's right! Kan!"
"We can't miss this kind of exciting battle!" Captain Shibata chimed in, standing next to Coach Matsumoto.
" Kan! Just focus on dealing with the attackers!"
We're here for you!
"That's right! Suppress them!"
Don't worry about the points we lost, we'll get them back right away!
Coach Matsumoto's words, coupled with the support of her teammates, caused Hirobi Tate to change her expression a second time, and she became full of Fighting Spirit once again.
"As expected! That person is a very capable coach!"
Kiryu is a formidable team!
"They're completely different from the teams we've faced in the previous two rounds!" Miyuki exclaimed again.
" Sendou! Hit it out!" shouted Isashiki-senpai.
Sendou himself seemed unconcerned and walked into the Batter's Box.
"Let's settle this once and for all!"
"Call out!"
"Smack!"
"Nice shot!"
"First ball Slider! The batter watched it go!"
"This guy... I figured it out, it's Slider!"
That makes sense!
Standing so far back, and with his lightning-fast reflexes, he could see the ball change shape the instant before making his move.
" Changeup aren't so easy to trick him into swinging!" Nagumo saw the ball enter the Strike Zone, but he didn't feel much joy.
"As expected! It's still this sharp no matter how many times I watch it!"
"This Slider!" Sendou thought, putting his hand to his mouth and blowing on it before getting into his hitting stance again.
"Puff!"
"Call out!"
"Smack!"
"Bad ball!"
"The second ball Strike Zone it went low to the outside corner!"
"You didn't even make a move! Why?"
He's not the kind of batter who stays calm and collected when he gets the ball! ( Sendou isn't calm...)
Moreover, almost all of these kinds of bad shots have been taken in the games so far!
This guy is completely incomprehensible!
In this respect, it's even better than those glasses! Nagumo pondered for a moment.
We absolutely have to take an Inside Corner Ball kick!
"Want a curveball?" Nagumo's eyes widened instantly at the thought.
"No!
Narumiya Mei's Changeup was a Low Ball to the inside corner, and it was also Slow Ball, but he hit it 140 or 150 meters!
hateful!
High inside! Aim for the ball at the batter's chest; it doesn't have to be a perfect shot, just use the angle to make the batter back!
If we aim for the Inside Corner Ball, we'll be in a huge position; we'll finish them off with the Outside Corner Ball!
"Puff!"
"Call out!"
"We're retreating! Should we take cover?"
"Huh? No way..." Nagumo was a little disappointed when he first saw Sendou retreat, but when he noticed the baseball bat had moved, he realized something was wrong.
I was reminded of the recordings of previous matches!
"Ping!"
Sendou stabilized his lower body and, while dodging with his upper body, delivered a Mountain-Splitting Chop!
This guy really likes Isashiki's quick-thinking attack stance; he's even mastered it into his signature weapon.
Nagumo then remembered this striking posture from the previous match. He thought it was just a flash of inspiration or a coincidence, but when Sendou made his move, he realized that it was not like that at all.
"Puff!"
"Yoshi! We've landed!"
"The right field sideline extends the Ball Trajectory!"
"That bastard really likes that striking move!!!"
Hahaha!"
"And they even broke through the outfield in one go!"
"Yoshi ah!!!" Only Isashiki could shout like that while running the bases.
He ran all the way to third base!
Kuramochi, who was already at third Kuramochi, easily ran back to home plate.
Sendou also jogged to second base, but his speed was no slower than the others.
After all, he knew that this ball, due to the vertical slicing, would have a high speed before landing, but would lose most of its kinetic energy in an instant after bouncing up and wouldn't fly very far.
So even if he uses his high speed before landing to break through the outfield defense, Isashiki won't be able to get back to home plate, so there's no need for him to sprint.
"Yoshi!!!"
Huh! Could it be that Sendou's entire at-bat was aimed at the Inside Corner Ball?
"Completely ignoring your orders to supervise me..." Head Manager Oota exclaimed excitedly, then realized something was wrong and said somewhat awkwardly.
"Ah! But he's a reliable hitter who can assess the situation himself!"
Aiming at the inner corner is probably to prevent our objective of aiming at the outer corner from being exposed so quickly!
And she's very confident in herself!!!
"This kid!" Coach Kataoka naturally saw through Sendou's thoughts at a glance and chuckled lightly in a good mood.
"Huh? Is that so?" Head Manager Oota asked, somewhat bewildered.
"You've known him for a while now, that kid's got a lot of schemes up his sleeve!"
In this respect, even Miyuki is no match for him! Coach Kataoka did not immediately recover from his serious expression.
It is clear that he was very satisfied with the assessment of the Immortal Sendou.
Since he is entrusted with assessing the situation, he will act based on his own abilities, the team's tactics, and the situation on the field.
This is exactly what Coach Kataoka wanted to see, so he was naturally extremely satisfied.
On one hand, Sendou's mind is really sharp; on the other hand, we are also considering helping him to grow psychologically, since he will have to rely on this man in autumn.
Although one shouldn't think about the future during the Koshien, this isn't contradictory; in fact, it's killing two birds with one stone.
After all, Coach Kataoka had already realized how weak the team's offensive line would become after graduating from the third year.
Therefore, the lane needs a guide, or a pillar or role model like Captain Tetsu.
After all, in the original story, Miyuki was more reliable in the later stages of the Autumn Tournament, demonstrating the full concentration that only someone with a runner on base could muster, but his raw skill was still not up to par.
When the new team first started, Miyuki a 20% win rate and failed to perform at crucial moments, which was simply appalling.
Moreover, in the original story, the new team would have more than a month to get used to each other.
No one wants to be beaten up by their own district after returning from Koshien.
Therefore, at least one absolute point needs to be developed to draw some energy from the other hitters.
As for the rest, since Koshien hasn't finished, Coach Kataoka really can't afford to think too much.
In fact, many Diamond A fans are not very familiar with Coach Kataoka's actual skill level.
Speaking of this, we have to mention something else.
Many anime viewers just skim through it. Coach Kataoka gives the impression of being tough on the outside but warm on the inside. He maintains a strict demeanor and keeps a certain distance from the players, but he cares about everyone in his heart.
Those in command would perceive him as a passionate supervisor.
The impression given by the passionate director is that he is too inexperienced and lacks tactical acumen.
However, even if you only look at the storyline up to the end of the Autumn Tournament, you will find that although Coach Kataoka is not mature enough in some aspects, he is no less than any famous player in terms of overall ability. It can be said that he has inherited Coach Sakaki's true teachings.
That's why Coach Sakaki was able to confidently entrust Seidou to him.
To illustrate this, I'll mention a few details that, if you can recall them, will give you a general idea of Coach Kataoka's ability to command during matches.
In the Sensen Match, he decisively ordered the target to be aimed at the curveball, and provided one-on-one batting instruction to Kominato.
Meikawa Battle called Kuramochi aside for a one-on-one lecture and sent Tanba to the Bullpen to put pressure on people.
Inajitsu's comprehensive pre-match analysis and guidance, his decisive abandonment of Changeup during the match to allow the player to swing and wear down Narumiya Mei's stamina, and the strategy of using a feint followed by a short hit against Sawamura in the Eighth Inning.
There were also many Autumn Tournament, and various details proved Coach Kataoka's ability as the team's controller.
No coach or insider would underestimate Coach Kataoka; they just felt sorry for him.
Mine Fujio, such a talented journalist, pays attention to Seidou every year, partly because Seidou is a topic of discussion, and partly because he recognizes Coach Kataoka as a person.
Seidou has never declined. What is being said about decline is that their strength has diminished. Coaches from all teams, whether it's Ichidai San High, Inajitsu, Sensen, Teitou, or Kiryu, all acknowledge Seidou's strength. It's just that they've never been able to make it to Koshien.
The fact that they couldn't get into Koshien is related to Coach Kataoka, but not to his ability.
Coach Kataoka is young and has only been in charge of Seidou for a few years, so it is difficult for him to gain the trust of those top junior high school players.
Even the white-haired guy thought so.
These famous junior high school students mostly watch the summer Koshien; they also have matches in the summer, but nobody watches the Summer Preliminaries.
I only know that Seidou is very strong and not inferior to others, but I still have some doubts about Coach Kataoka.
When there's nothing to do in the fall, most of the people like Narumiya Mei have already decided which school to attend. For example, this white-haired guy has already taken a group of people to Inajitsu. They'll probably just go to watch Inajitsu's matches. Seidou is still very strong, but as long as they can't make it to Koshien, it's not of much use.
Only people like Aso and Azuma Kiyokuni, who want to prove themselves and are confident in themselves, would enter Seidou.
Leading Seidou to Koshien is a high-profile event, attracting more attention and higher praise.
That's why Rei-chan is so amazing. Senior Chris didn't have much reason to go to Seidou; he's not the type to show off.
The players on Captain Tetsu were all from the neighborhood and weren't particularly strong in junior high school.
Captain Tetsu and Isashiki, who weren't in the Baseball Club in junior high, were all substitutes in Little Senior League.
Unlike Tetsu's Younger Brother, who is the fourth batter in Little Senior League, this year is called Bumper Crop Year. After all, junior high school players are all talented celebrities like Narumiya Mei and Miyuki, and they wouldn't have chosen top junior high school players from Seidou before.
Unlike Tojo, who is a pseudo-celebrity who relied on his seniors to reach the national Semifinals.
The Kanagawa where Onii-san is located is not as strong as Seidou in terms of overall strength, and he himself has the idea of going to a famous school in a distant place to train. Of course, his strength as a first-year student is not outstanding in Seidou.
Otherwise, it's impossible that he was only First Team bench player in the second year. In the fall of the second year, all of Azuma Kiyokuni's class retired, and he only became a starter then.
Coach Xianquan was saying that this generation of Onisang only grew rapidly last autumn.
The lack of good students and bad luck are one of the reasons why Seidou has never been able to enter Koshien, but no one doubts that they are among the top teams in the country.
Back in the spring, Press Box said that if there was a good pitcher, dominating the nation might not be a dream.
Coach Inajitsu said during the practice match that this year's team should not be underestimated.
When Coach Kiryu encouraged Hirobi Tate, he said that this was a national-level team.
These details all indicate that this is a top national team that has been unlucky enough to never make it to Koshien.
Coach Kataoka is a coach who is no less than any famous player.
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