As they entered the field, the first thing they saw was the opposing team.
Before they could even acknowledge the cheering fans, the other team had their full attention.
"Goodness!" one player blurted out, eyes wide with surprise.
Another chuckled nervously, "If I didn't know better, kind of looks like we're playing against a bunch of weightlifters."
"They're huge, aren't they?" a third whispered, a bit in awe.
They'd all seen the photos and videos, but it wasn't the same as seeing them in person.
Those guys were seriously built.
Right then, they knew this game would be something else, and they'd have to be careful.
It wasn't just them.
The fans in the stands were pretty quiet too.
"What's up with these Seikō guys?" one fan wondered aloud.
The players had looked at the stats, so they knew a bit, but the fans were seeing it all for the first time.
Seeing how muscular they were, a lot of people had the same thought: they looked more like a team of gorillas than baseball players.
"Hey, is that the legendary Gorilla Brigade?" One fan called out jokingly.
The name stuck pretty fast, and the Seidō fans couldn't help but grin.
"Hey, who's calling us gorillas?" one of the Seikō players demanded, a bit offended.
In the Seikō dugout, a player who was definitely over six feet and weighed a good amount glanced up at the stands, like he'd caught something.
"Idiot, no one's going to say that out loud! Just shut up!" Another player snapped, annoyed.
They'd heard the gorilla thing before. It was old news.
Didn't mean they liked it, though, or wanted anyone bringing it up.
"Alright, focus up! Think about the game!" the coach snapped, getting their attention.
Seikō Academy's coach, Kumakiri Jirou, wasn't exactly new to the game.
He was pretty well-known around West Tokyo and stuck to his coaching style.
The team's record under him was a mixed bag—sometimes they did great, sometimes they were out early.
Koshien always seemed just out of reach.
That was just how West Tokyo was.
Even a team like Seidō had gone years without making it.
Seikō just couldn't seem to get past those top three teams to make it.
But this year, Coach Kumakiri and the players were fired up.
Koshien might still be a long shot, but they were feeling more confident than ever.
Even if they had to beat those top teams, they weren't backing down.
"Alright, let's go bow on the field!" He ordered, with a determined look.
Before the game kicked off, both teams lined up, facing each other.
"Let's have a great game!"
"Let's have a great game!!"
Takumi got a good look at the Seikō players, realizing they were even bigger than he'd thought.
He'd kind of sensed it from a distance, but seeing them up close was a whole different story.
"You still gotta hit the weights harder. Your body's nowhere near theirs!" Takigawa pointed out, matter-of-factly right after they'd bowed.
"Nah, I'm not trying to turn into a gorilla." Takumi shook his head, definitely not on board with that idea.
Takigawa smiled slightly, explaining, "A baseball player's body often reflects their style of play. It's not just about size."
Takumi had bent the truth a little with that reporter.
But he wasn't lying about his inexperience.
It was just that the other team hadn't caught on, or tried to use it against him.
They just wanted to go head-to-head, which is why he hadn't been found out!
On the bright side, all this training meant he wasn't a total rookie anymore. He was a quick learner and knew the basics.
Now it was just about fine-tuning everything, and Takigawa was just the guy for that.
Watching the pitcher and catcher, Miyuki Kazuya, had a hint of envy in his eyes.
He used to be Takumi's first partner, but now he was stuck on the bench.
"I'm not giving up; I'm totally taking your spot!" he declared, giving Takigawa a determined, ambitious look.
Takigawa caught his eye, glanced back, and just gestured, "Go for it."
"On the field!" Coach Kataoka's voice boomed.
With that, they all headed out.
Top of the first, Seikō's up to bat.
The announcer's voice boomed, "Alright folks, let's get ready to rumble! It's the West Tokyo Regional Tournament, Quarterfinals: Seidō versus Seikō!"
Yoshida, Seidō's starting pitcher, strolled onto the mound, ready to throw some heat.
And what does he do? Throws an inside pitch to Seikō's lead-off guy right off the bat!
"Whoa, check that out!" some fan yelled, surprised.
"Talk about gutsy!" another chimed in, clearly impressed.
Seikō's batters were all huge, their hitting power definitely something to watch out for.
Throwing inside right off the bat could be risky, but Yoshida wasn't fazed.
He trusts his pitching.
As the ball left his hand, Seikō's lead-off hitter's eyes went wide.
Boom!
He swung with everything he had.
Ping!
Didn't quite hit the sweet spot, but the force of the swing and the large metal bat sent it flying anyway.
The ball soared high into the sky.