Chương 68: <68> The Luxury of a Batting Pitcher
Chapter 68: The Luxury of a Batting Pitcher
The next day...
"Excuse me!"
"You're here, Sendo!"
"Sano-sensei! How did it go? Did you manage to schedule any practice games?"
"We've got two. The day after tomorrow, Saturday, we'll play against Tokumei Academy's middle school team. And on Sunday, the opponent will be Nakamoku Middle School."
"Tokumei Academy reached the top 16, making it to the third round before being eliminated, while Nakamoku is a team that lost in the first round. I've also reached out to a few other schools for later dates, and I've shared the upcoming schedule with them, which should make things more efficient!"
"I remember you said that practice game outcomes don't matter, and that losing is actually preferable. So, I've arranged for the stronger team first. That okay, Sendo?"
"Of course! And impressive work, Sano-sensei! You managed to secure a top-16 team for us! (It's the polite thing to say, at least!)"
"It's because you beat a second-tier level team in Tokyo. Tokyo's a well-known battleground, and even if soft baseball is weaker there, it's not much different from Nagano. That probably made Tokumei see us as a comparable match."
"Also, I submitted the roster for the Autumn Tournament. You'll be on the bench as a substitute. The first and second rounds will take place two weekends from now, so we still have about half a month."
"That was the plan from the beginning, right? I'll leave it all to you, Sano-sensei! And half a month still gives us a good amount of time."
"Glad to hear it!"
"Well then, I'll be heading back!"
"Handling those guys must be tough, huh?"
"It's manageable. Everyone's fine, except for that idiot Eijun. He can be reliable sometimes, but at other times, he's completely clueless, which can be a headache. Well, see you!" Sendo said, leaving the office.
"Looks like we have a shot at getting past the first round this autumn! If you make it, I'll treat you all to barbecue!" Sano muttered to himself, forgetting that it was Sawamura who had said that winning a game would mean barbecue. And the most daunting part? Sawamura would definitely hold him to it!
...
"Sendo/Sen-chan! So, did Sano-sensei manage to find us opponents?" As soon as Sendo returned to the field, everyone gathered around him.
"Worried?"
"We played terribly in the summer! We were afraid no one would want to play us."
"Oh, so you do know, huh? Just thinking about it makes me laugh… Relax! There are over 60 schools in the prefecture. We're not the only first-round exit! Plus, practice games aren't common for first-rounders, so there's no shortage of matches for us."
"Sano-sensei managed to line up two schools. One of them lost in the first round like us, but the other reached the top 16, though that's just the third round."
"Alright! We don't care about our opponent's rank. Just having games to play is good enough!" Ohno said.
"Exactly! This is only the beginning. If we perform well in the autumn, we'll have no shortage of tough opponents in the future! Let's do our best!"
"Yeah!!!"
"Oh, and two weekends from now, the preliminaries for the Nagano Autumn Tournament will begin…" Sendo went over what Sano had told him, quickly covering the details.
"Alright, let's start practicing!" Sawamura called out.
"Yeah!!!"
"Wait! Everyone!"
"What is it?"
"Since we're so close to the tournament, batting practice is essential. You all swing daily, right?"
"But you also need real pitching to improve. Without actual experience, even visualizing practice can start to become less effective, right?"
"It's not as simple as imagining a runner on each base!"
"But we don't really have that setup!" someone nearby pointed out.
"That's why you should be happy! I'll be your batting pitcher! But everyone only gets one at-bat, with at least three pitches per person! As long as there are three or more pitches, the next player steps in if you hit in-bounds or strike out!" Actually, these were the words Sendo had held back yesterday. Originally, he'd intended to keep quiet for a few days to get himself a bit more free time!
"Can you even pitch, Sendo? I don't think I've ever seen you practice pitching. What about walks? How will those count?" Sawamura, showing a hint of rivalry, squinted at Sendo, his gaze sharp.
"What did you say?" Sendo grabbed Sawamura by the mouth, squeezing until Sawamura mumbled an apology.
"Tch! Do you know who I am? There's no way I'd struggle with something like this! Not everyone is as clueless as you!" Sendo retorted, releasing Sawamura.
"Alright, let's not waste time. Let's get started! Remember, once all eight of you have had a turn, I'm heading out!"
"Um…1…2…3…4…there are nine of us!" Sawamura said, counting carefully.
"You don't count! Use your time for running!"
"Huh? Why?!"
"First up!"
"Me!" Kondou stepped up, putting on his helmet.
"Ready?"
"Bring it on!"
"First pitch, high and inside! Whether or not you think you can hit it, swing! It'll help you get used to swinging! Every rep counts!"
"Whoosh!"
Swing and a miss!
Since everyone was taking turns at bat, and with a net set up in the catcher's area instead of someone crouching to catch, there was no longer that satisfying "pop" of the ball landing in a mitt.
"Next pitch, outside and low!"
Whoosh!
Another swing and miss!
It wasn't that Sendo's pitches were particularly fast; in fact, he was purposefully controlling his speed to around the upper 120 km/h range.
However, for his teammates, it didn't feel like a slow pitch. The precision and tricky placement, combined with a large angle of release, made it challenging to hit.
It was no surprise. Sendo was noticeably taller than the rest, giving his pitches a sharp downward angle.
And with his controlled speed, he could manipulate the inside and outside corners easily, creating a sense that the strike zone was deceptively large. So, it was only natural that they'd struggle.
One could say that with Sendo's pitching style—despite lacking any breaking balls—there would be few, if any, pitchers in all of Nagano who could match his level.
"Next pitch, outside again, but this time high. This one should be easier to hit if you aim carefully!"
"Got it! Bring it on!"
Ping!
Kondou made contact, but the ball veered foul, missing the infield, meaning Sendo still had to keep pitching.
"Darn! If I'd known this, I'd have said three pitches per batter max!" Sendo muttered to himself, though it was mostly for his own amusement.
"Next pitch! Inside and high. This one's going to be tricky!"
This time, Kondou didn't respond, but gripped the bat a bit tighter.
Swoosh!
A series of motions led to a pitch with an unexplainable sharp sound.
Whiff!
"Alright, swing and a miss! Next!"
"I'm up!"
"Darn it! I want to bat too!" Sawamura muttered as he ran laps, casting longing glances at the others.
…
But on this first day, there was no way they'd make Sendo throw too many pitches. In the end, he dispatched his eight teammates with only 25 pitches.
"Well then, I'm heading out! Keep at it, everyone!"
"Thanks for the hard work!"
"Yep!"
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