Wednesday night.
After the first team's players finished their training, they all gathered in the baseball club's dedicated meeting room.
After several days of analysis and preparation, the coaching staff has figured out the general situation of the city's top three high schools, as well as their corresponding tactics.
Starting tomorrow, we will do targeted exercises.
Before practicing, hold a meeting so that everyone has a general idea in mind.
At the same time, it is also to gather everyone's morale.
West Tokyo has three top-tier clubs in the country, namely Daocheng Industry, City University High School and Qingdao High School.
Over the years, I dare not say 100%, but 90% of the time, the three teams take turns to represent West Tokyo in Koshien.
This is also the origin of the names of the three major wealthy families.
Moreover, they are not only strong in West Tokyo, the records of these three schools in Koshien are also very impressive.
Otherwise, they would not have been able to become the top baseball team in the country.
As the saying goes, there can't be two tigers in one mountain.
Not to mention, there are three big tigers in the territory of West Tokyo.
They also have to compete for the only spot in Koshien.
It is conceivable how delicate the relationship between the three teams is.
They were wary of each other and looked down on each other.
The relationship between the three teams also spread to their players.
Their players admire each other, compare with each other, and look down on each other...
Knowing that the next game would be against the city's third high school, the players began to get ready without any mobilization from Coach Kataoka.
Before the coaches started assigning training tasks, many players already knew what they should train towards.
What is a mortal enemy? What is a bitter rival?
To put it bluntly, the players of Qingdao High School baseball team know the city's third high school better than they know themselves.
What players does the opponent have? What kind of lineup will they send out when playing against you ? What kind of tactics and formation will they adopt?
There was no need for Kataoka to explain these things. Many second- and third-year players knew them clearly.
If there is anyone who doesn’t understand, it would probably be the two first-year students, Zhang Han and Yu Xing.
Except for the two of them.
The other members of Qingdao's first team, the players from the city's third high school, tactics, supervision, etc.
They all have unforgettable feelings.
Of course it can't be love or friendship, but hatred.
Whenever I think of the game they played against the city's third-year high school in the spring tournament, the players of the Qingdao High School baseball team, especially the second and third-year seniors.
They all wish they could tear the flesh off the third-highest student in the city.
In the meeting room, Director Kataoka was talking about the contents of the city's third high school. Most of the things he talked about were old-fashioned, and there was nothing surprising.
Those are probably the three high schools in the city, two freshman players who have just been promoted.
Hoshida and Miyakawa who graduated from Matsukata Little League.
Both of them were freshmen, and both were promoted to the first team in their freshman year. Especially Xingtian, he became the team's main first baseman.
First baseman!
This position is generally the standard for strong players.
It is impossible for a player without strength to hold this position. It is even more incredible for a newcomer to sit in this position in the third year of the city.
"In three games, he had three hits and two home runs. His on-base percentage was as high as 50%, and he didn't act like a rookie at all. Matsukata came from Little League, and his defensive fundamentals are also very solid."
When introducing Hoshida, Takashima Rei, who was serving as the commentator, had a trembling voice.
Obviously, she also found it hard to believe that this was a record that a freshman could achieve.
Then think of Zhang Han in their own team.
Takashima Rei couldn't help but sigh, are all the players from Matsukata's Little League baseball team monsters?
After hearing Takashima Rei's introduction, many third-year seniors turned their heads and stared at Zhang Han.
At the same time, in the operations meeting room of the city's third high school baseball team.
The same scene is also playing out.
Their situation is similar to that of Seidou. Just as the players of Seidou know the third highest school in the city, the third highest school in the city also knows Seidou High School inside and out.
Watch the video of Seidou's games and compare them with those in the spring tournament.
It's easy to spot the difference.
The most important difference here is the two new first-year students.
Kazuya Miyuki and Zhang Han.
Miyuki perfectly replaced Chris's position, and the strength of the Seidou High School baseball team, which had suffered a great disaster, did not decline.
In addition, the styles of the two catchers are similar, so Miyuki can actually be regarded as another Chris.
One is injured, one takes over.
The strength of the Seidou High School baseball team is, at best, neither increasing nor decreasing.
But now, Qingdao High School's strength is obviously much stronger, especially in offense.
The media even said that the offensive power of Seidou High School baseball team is No. 1 in the whole of Tokyo.
Of course, the city's third-year high school, which considers itself to be the best in offensive power, does not agree with this evaluation.
But they also had to admit that Qingdao High School's offensive power had indeed grown a lot.
The most crucial person here is Zhang Han.
Two home runs, two walks, and a couple of hits…
All in all, the on-base percentage is as high as 65%.
The batting average also exceeded 50%.
With such impressive results, it would be impossible not to attract the attention of the city’s top three high schools.
When the city's juniors were discussing Qingdao, the topic quickly focused on Zhang Han.
Although their team had some connection with Zhang Han before, ordinary players were not aware of it.
They basically knew nothing about Zhang Han.
So everyone's attention was focused on the two first-year students.
Hoshida and Miyagawa.
Xingtian was not very good at speaking. He scratched his head and finally uttered a few words.
"Zhang Sang is very strong!"
The senior student from the city's university almost rolled his eyes when he heard this.
Is not this nonsensical?
They also knew that Zhang Han was very strong, otherwise why were they all gathered here? A storytelling conference?
It was Miyakawa who took the initiative to step forward and explain to everyone.
"Zhang-san is different from us. He was already a main force for Matsukata in his freshman year. But at that time he was a pitcher, and even when he wasn't pitching, he was in the outfield. Now he's not a pitcher anymore, and his defensive position has changed. We really don't know what his current situation is like."
The contestant from the city's senior high school felt a pang in his heart.
According to Miyakawa, Zhang Han’s strength has undergone a drastic change after entering Qingdao High School?
If that is the case, they may have to re-evaluate Zhang Han's current strength.
Just when the players from the city’s senior high school were shocked.
Miyakawa seemed to be gasping for breath and said something else.
"Seniors, don't worry too much. Zhang Sang also has weaknesses."
A conference room dedicated to the Seidou High School baseball team .
Zhang Han also said something similar.
"That gorilla in Xingtian is not as strong as everyone sees!"
…