"The game has been completely controlled by Sawamura!"
A professional scout on the stands murmured with great emotion.
No matter when, whenever he watches a game featuring Sawamura Eijun, he always gets this unreal feeling.
He upped the challenge, forcing his opponent to be the one keeping up with him, and dedicated the direction of the game.
That kid seems like he can do anything. Anytime, anywhere, you can witness something about him that leaves you in awe.
If it weren't for the fact that there are too many of his peers on this field, he might even be jumping for joy right now!
If he could get such a treasure for his team, the position of transfer department head would probably be his.
But unfortunately, in today's information-driven society, it's hard for a genius to go unnoticed.
Before they became famous, the Yakushi High School baseball team was only at the level of the top 16 in West Tokyo. But even then, their Ace, Sanada, had already attracted the attention of many people.
If Sanada could do this, there was no doubt that Sawamura would be even more remarkable.
Sawamura had been a nationwide baseball star and prodigy since his middle school days.
If it weren't for his age back then, professional teams' scouts might not have been able to resist reaching out to him.
Since Sawamura joined Seidou High, scouts from all 12 professional teams had started to show up regularly to watch his training, almost like it was part of Seidou's daily training routine.
Their intentions were already obvious.
Refocusing on the game again, there are still plenty of people on the field who can see what the scout saw clearly.
They also realize that the balance of the game is gradually shifting in favor of Seidou High School's baseball team.
Fans are willing to believe that Seidou will fully take control of the game and take the lead from Narumiya.
Now is a perfect opportunity.
"Third batter, pitcher, Sawamura-kun!"
Sawamura, who was batting third, steps up to the plate first.
With Sawamura batting in the third spot, Seidou High's chances of scoring are very high in this situation.
Sawamura's brilliance isn't just limited to his pitching. If it were just his pitching, there's no way he would be sitting as the first-choice by scouts.
Everyone pitches, and while some might have slightly better results than others, the situation, the team, and many other factors all come into play.
It's hard to say definitively who has the better overall ability.
If we were to argue about it, each side would have its own reasons.
What makes Sawamura most remarkable is that his batting average is one of the highest in high school!
Of course, this only applies to players who made it to the Koshien, so regional tournament data doesn't count.
He also has the best fielding and defensive stats!
In terms of total hits, he ranks highly, and he holds several home run records as well.
No matter the aspect, whether it's batting or fielding, Sawamura can hold his own in a one-on-one competition.
After the third-year players retire, Sawamura's title of the nation's number-one player will grow louder.
This point has been acknowledged by almost every baseball fan in the country.
With such a batter in the first spot, even if he doesn't hit a home run, he can still easily turn a regular hit into a score.
From this perspective, Seidou's chances of scoring in this inning are very high.
Sawamura at the plate exudes an incredibly intense aura.
The runs he previously gave up must be returned. That's his mindset, and that's exactly what he plans to do.
As soon as he stepped up to the plate, he immediately entered that incredible state of focus, blocking out everything outside the field with extreme mental concentration.
His eyes were firmly locked onto the pitcher's mound.
'Here we go!'
'Come on, let me hit it!'
Sawamura was practically itching for the ball to come flying at him, ready to smash it with his bat.
On the catcher's position, Tadano, his heart was pounding fiercely.
It had to be said that the previous encounter between Sawamura and Narumiya had left a huge psychological shadow on him.
Whenever he thought about the powerful hit Sawamura had made, Tadano's mind would race in confusion, as if 15 buckets of cold water were being poured in all directions.
Although both of them were in the same grade, Tadano had once considered himself a competitor.
But reality is always cruel.
His competitive spirit had long since faded under the harsh blows of reality.
Now, he could no longer see Sawamura as an equal.
With that, the confrontation between Sawamura and Narumiya took on a layer of thick mystery.
'Mei-san! What are you thinking?'
At this moment, Tadano really was at a loss.
He knew his senior well!
There was no way Narumiya would give up on a direct confrontation with Sawamura. No matter how dangerous the situation, he would do whatever it took.
For years, Mei-san had been secretly competing with Sawamura.
They would compare themselves in everything.
In the end, when it came to hitting, Narumiya had to give up, as he couldn't match Sawamura's home run stats.
It wasn't that he wasn't frustrated. He just couldn't do anything about it.
But when it came to pitching, Narumiya was determined not to lose.
As his teammate, his role now was to support his senior with everything he had. Even if the hope was slim, they had to take down Sawamura here.
'Not to mention, we're still holding our trump card.'
Tadano's heart surged with pride.
He forced himself not to think about avoiding the battle. He couldn't let Mei-san be disturbed by even the slightest distraction.
'Here we go!'
Tadano crouched down and assumed the receiving stance, opening his Nitt wide.
Narumiya on the pitcher's mound was quite pleased with Tadano's performance.
His junior had finally caught up step by step.
Although he still looked a little inexperienced, he was starting to resemble a real star player!
Glancing at Sawamura, the pressure he felt from him was even stronger than before.
To be honest, he really wanted to have a fair showdown with Sawamura right then and there.
This desire even overcame his rationality.
'Then let's do it!'
Unable to hold back his emotions, Narumiya threw the pitch with all his might.
Roaar!
The ball, traveling at over 150 km/h, shot like a bullet, reaching Sawamura in the blink of an eye.
Sawamura, standing in the Batter's Box, didn't hesitate for a second. He swung his bat with full force to hit the ball.
PAAK!
The baseball flew out of bounds after being struck.
The speed at which the ball flew out was so fast that the Inashiro Industrial High School defenders didn't have time to react.
"FOUL!"
In the Seidou High School dugout, Coach Ochiai stroked his small beard and muttered to himself.
"That pitch should have been outside the strike zone. Why did he swing?"
"I think Eijun is trying to tell Narumiya-san not to avoid him!"
Kominato Haruichi said uncertainly.
After hitting the foul ball, Sawamura swung his bat again, then stared intently at Narumiya.
He knew that pitch had been outside the strike zone.
But he swung at it without hesitation.
The reason wasn't as Kominato had thought, as a deliberate provocation.
He just believed he could hit the ball.
He didn't expect to miss!
With Narumiya's ball velocity and power, even if the pitch was outside the strike zone, it would have been hard for anyone, even Sawamura, to hit it.
The ball was too heavy, too fast—without a perfect swing, it would be impossible to pull the ball back.
'I can't swing at that kind of pitch again!'
Sawamura silently reminded himself.
What he didn't know was that Narumiya, just like Kominato, had a different idea.
Narumiya thought, 'That boy Eijun is trying to provoke me!'
Does he want to face me in a showdown?
Suddenly, Narumiya's mind was hit with a cold realization. He remembered what his coach had told him before the game.
"Why are you pitching? To prove yourself and gain attention, or for the team?"
"Of course, it's for the team!"
Narumiya answered without hesitation.
It was a joke—of course, there could only be one answer. There was no other option.
"If it's for the team, think carefully about what will benefit the team the most."
With no unnecessary words, Coach Kunitomo's meaning was crystal clear.
Narumiya knew, without a doubt, what choice he should make.
In this situation, all he had to do was think from the team's perspective.
In Narumiya's eyes, Sawamura was doing the same thing.
'If Eijun wasn't thinking about the team's benefit, why would he swing at that Ball?'
It was simple…
'He's afraid I'll walk him.'
'What an egotistical thought!'
'If you're swinging at Balls, I'll just keep throwing them.'
Ahead by one Strike, Narumiya, having 'figured out' Sawamura's intentions, threw the second pitch outside the strike zone.
SNAP!
"BALL!"
This time, the Ball thrown by Narumiya Mei was not swung at by Sawamura. Instead, he let it pass.
The count was now one Ball and one Strike.
Standing in the Batter's Box, Sawamura and the pitcher Narumiya stared at each other, both a little bewildered.
They had both thought they had figured each other out, but now it didn't seem so clear.
'You little brat, trying to play mind games with me? Didn't you say you don't let Balls pass? Why not swing, then?'
Narumiya's stubborn side flared up, and without hesitation, he threw his second pitch.
Roaar!
This time, the ball wasn't thrown outside; instead, it came in on the inside corner, heading straight for Sawamura.
'Great!'
Sawamura had not originally planned to swing at a Ball, but upon seeing this one, he couldn't help but think it was a good pitch.
He could reach it, and he could swing at it.
He took a step outward, shifting his body back by about ten centimeters.
This slight adjustment made the pitch that would have been impossible to hit now a possible one.
PAAAAAK!!!!
…