Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

Chapter 274: Seidou's Countermeasures

"All four pitchers need to be dealt with carefully. If I had to prioritize, I would focus on their ace, Iguchi Gakuto, and the first-year pitcher, Masamune Hongou. If we can conquer these two, the scales of victory will undoubtedly tip in our favor," Chris said in a low, steady voice.

Yuuki, Jun Isashiki, and the others nodded solemnly.

One is their starting ace, and the other is the closer.

Setting aside their individual strengths, the order of their pitching roles alone highlights their significance within the Komadai Fujimaki team compared to the other two pitchers.

"Both the start and the end of the game are tricky to handle. It's going to come down to a test of timing," Miyuki murmured, his eyes gleaming faintly.

"Exactly. We can't let them maintain their relay-pitching rhythm. We have to force them into making early changes and disrupt their sequence. Only then can we take control of the game," Chris agreed, nodding slightly.

Eijun and the others nodded as well.

For a team that relies on relay pitching, disrupting their rhythm is a surefire way to seize the upper hand.

This will be one of the crucial strategies for Seidou to secure victory.

"The first inning is critical. We need to focus on it. If we can score in the first inning, we'll undoubtedly take the lead and dictate the game. Against their ace pitcher, I suggest targeting his lower-zone pitches right from the start. As long as we apply pressure, we have a good chance of breaking through and scoring runs," Chris explained, pausing briefly before continuing.

Coach Kataoka nodded slightly in agreement.

In terms of analyzing the game and the team, Chris had reached an exceptional level of insight. His suggested strategy for the first inning closely aligned with Coach Kataoka's own game plan, proving their mutual understanding.

"Next, let's move on to their batting lineup…"

The focus started with the pitching staff.

To defeat Komadai Fujimaki, conquering their four pitchers was the top priority.

Naturally, Chris addressed this first before analyzing their batting lineup.

After all, compared to truly elite lineups, Komadai Fujimaki's batting lineup posed less of a threat.

Pitching first, batting second.

Despite this prioritization, Chris did not underestimate Komadai Fujimaki's batting lineup.

He meticulously went through their key batters, especially the three cleanup hitters who were the main threats.

Unbeknownst to Chris and the Seidou team, however, Komadai Fujimaki's coach, Nitta, had already made adjustments to their cleanup order.

"These are all the details on Komadai Fujimaki's lineup. When facing their batters, it's crucial to avoid high pitches. Their lineup isn't overly aggressive in swinging, but they excel at exploiting high pitches. Keep your pitch control within a standard range. That said, if you overly avoid high pitches and deliberately keep the ball low, it might lead to too many walks. When they faced Teito High, Teito's ace was too focused on keeping the ball low, resulting in two consecutive walks. Those walks led to a collapse in that inning, which cost Teito the game. Be mindful of this balance."

Chris directed his gaze at the four pitchers, speaking firmly.

"Understood," Eijun, Furuya, Tanba, and Kawakami replied in unison.

Although Kawakami knew his chances of pitching in the finals were slim, he still listened attentively to the analysis.

Throughout the Koshien tournament, he had prepared diligently.

As a backup pitcher, Kawakami had a commendable attitude and mindset.

Unfortunately, he hadn't been given a chance to play in the major games.

The main pitchers were Eijun and Tanba.

Furuya, despite being a first-year, had an innate gift for fastballs and enormous potential, making him a key development priority.

His appearances were nearly as frequent as Tanba's.

Even so, preparation was necessary for everyone. Whether or not he played, Kawakami remained professional and ready.

This was what Kawakami did most often in his pitching career—fulfilling the responsibilities of a backup pitcher.

It was also the reason he had secured his place on the team. By excelling in his role, he became the kind of player any coach would value and appreciate.

Though, admittedly, there was a faint sense of melancholy, like the sorrowful winds of an impending farewell.

"The strength of Komadai Fujimaki High doesn't need any further explanation. They've already proven it with their record. Teams like Teito, Hakuryuu, and Yamamori are all formidable opponents, but each of them was utterly defeated by Komadai Fujimaki. And it wasn't even close. Facing such a team, any single misstep could spell our defeat. For tomorrow's game, I don't want to see any careless mistakes. Understood?" Coach Kataoka said solemnly, his gaze sweeping across the Seidou players.

"Yes!" the team responded in unison.

"The pitchers must maintain absolute focus. No batter should be underestimated. As Chris mentioned earlier, be mindful of pitch control. Patience will be the key to tomorrow's game."

"Yes!" Eijun, Tanba, and the others replied firmly.

"Offensively, we'll go all out from the first inning. This game could hinge on just one run. We don't need to score a lot; even a single run in the first inning will increase our chances of winning by 10%. Target the low pitches and attack aggressively right from the start. Don't be afraid of getting out. Once you're on base, aim for the next base with confidence. Got it, Kuramochi? If you're too afraid to take risks, you won't achieve anything. While the pitchers need to stay steady, the batters must have the courage to take risks and push forward. Understood?"

"Yes!"

Yuuki, Jun Isashiki, and the others shouted loudly in agreement.

Kuramochi, in particular, had a determined look in his eyes.

In this summer tournament, his performance had been underwhelming at best, and he knew it.

Now, in this final game, Kuramochi vowed to show his best side and contribute to the team with everything he had.

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