Because of the ongoing tournament schedule, the special pitching simulation training was conducted only three times in total.
The compiled results were as follows:
Leadoff – Kuramochi Yoichi
30 pitches faced
14 swings and misses
8 foul balls
6 infield hits
2 outfield hits
Batting Average: .260
Second – Kominato Ryosuke
30 pitches faced
7 swings and misses
14 foul balls
8 infield hits
1 outfield hit
Batting Average: .300
Third – Isashiki Jun
30 pitches faced
10 swings and misses
10 foul balls
7 infield hits
3 outfield hits
Batting Average: .330
Fourth – Yuki Tetsuya
30 pitches faced
9 swings and misses
7 foul balls
8 infield hits
6 outfield hits
Batting Average: .460
Sixth – Miyuki Kazuya
30 pitches faced
7 swings and misses
5 foul balls
14 infield hits
4 outfield hits
Batting Average: .600
Seventh – Masuko Toru
30 pitches faced
14 swings and misses
7 foul balls
3 infield hits
4 outfield hits
Batting Average: .230
Eighth – Sakai Ichiro
30 pitches faced
13 swings and misses
11 foul balls
4 infield hits
2 outfield hits
Batting Average: .200
Ninth – Shirasu Kenjiro
30 pitches faced
14 swings and misses
9 foul balls
4 infield hits
3 outfield hits
Batting Average: .230
These numbers did not make Coach Kataoka happy.
Kanzaki Ryou's pitching was undoubtedly overwhelming—but from Kataoka's perspective, the problem lay elsewhere. Other schools' batters would never achieve these batting averages against Kanzaki.
Yet Seidou's own players—who had been facing his pitches daily for over a year—were still struggling.
Was it a lack of effort?
No.
Coach Kataoka knew better than anyone how brutally hard his players trained. No one slacked off. Not a single one.
And yet…
Even so, this was the result.
It wasn't that Seidou's batters were weak.
It was that Kanzaki Ryou was simply too strong.
Takashima Rei, after seeing the data, came to the same conclusion. And then another thought followed immediately.
If Seidou's own batters—who were most familiar with Kanzaki—could only manage this much…
Then opposing schools would fare even worse.
"Miyuki's batting average is actually .600?" Ota exclaimed in disbelief.
"Hmph," Coach Kataoka snorted.
"He's Kanzaki's catcher. He's probably seen over ten thousand of Kanzaki's pitches. If anything, this is still low."
Ota shrank back. In his eyes, batting .600 against Kanzaki was already terrifying.
Coach Kataoka, however, remained unsatisfied.
And when the Coach was unsatisfied—
Someone had to suffer.
He summoned the eight starting players and stood before them, his expression dark.
"Kuramochi!" Kataoka barked.
".260. You spent an entire year practicing switch-hitting just to give me this?"
Kuramochi lowered his head, silent.
"Kominato. .300." Kataoka glanced at him briefly.
He said nothing further—Kominato's batting style revolved around fouls and extended at-bats. This result was acceptable.
"Isashiki. .330."
Kataoka's gaze sharpened.
"Raise it to .400 before the Summer Tournament."
"Yes, Coach!" Isashiki roared.
"Yuki. .460."
Six extra-base hits. Excellent—but not enough.
"I want over .500."
One by one, the starters were reprimanded or assigned higher expectations.
By the end, not a single smile remained among them.
Time flew.
Soon, Seidou High School faced Kasuga High in the quarterfinals.
Kasuga was a perennial East Tokyo powerhouse—never among the Big Four, but always a top-eight regular. This year, they had reached the Spring Tournament's top eight and now stood in Seidou's path.
After seven innings, Seidou crushed Kasuga 14–2, advancing smoothly into the top four.
Their semifinal opponent—
Ichidai Third High School.
Game day arrived.
After breakfast, Kanzaki Ryou packed his bag and boarded the bus with the first team.
Coach Kataoka and Coach Ochiai stood before the twenty players.
"Get on the bus!"
"Yes!"
As Kanzaki walked in line, his eyes drifted toward the other group boarding separately—Sawamura Eijun, Furuya Satoru, and the rest.
He also heard some gossip.
Apparently, Sawamura had been "attacked" by a flying tire during his morning run—courtesy of the new manager, Haruno.
…Typical.
Meiji Jingu Second Stadium.
When Seidou and Ichidai Third crossed paths outside the locker rooms, Kanzaki scanned the opposing lineup.
As expected—
No sign of Amahisa Kousei.
So he really had quit baseball for love, just like in the original story.
After formal greetings, both teams prepared and entered their dugouts.
The game began shortly after.
Top of the First Inning – Seidou at Bat
Ichidai Third's ace, Manaka Kaname, opened shakily.
Kuramochi Yoichi reached base with an infield hit.
With Kominato Ryosuke at bat, Seidou executed a hit-and-run. Kuramochi advanced to second, but Kominato was thrown out.
Batting third, Isashiki Jun crushed a line drive that slammed into the right-field wall—just short of a home run.
Kuramochi, using his explosive speed, scored from second.
Isashiki himself was thrown out trying to stretch it.
Two outs.
Then—
Yuki Tetsuya (4th) hit an extra-base hit.
Kanzaki Ryou (5th) followed with another.
Runners on first and second.
Miyuki Kazuya stepped into the batter's box.
Manaka started with an outside fastball—strike.
Then an outside curveball—strike.
Next, he deliberately missed to bait Miyuki.
Miyuki didn't move.
Count: 2 balls, 1 strike.
Two consecutive outside pitches.
The catcher's thought flashed instantly—
He won't swing outside anymore. Finish him inside. Slider. Best pitch.
The sign was given.
Manaka nodded and delivered cleanly.
Bang!!
A black shadow streaked across the catcher's vision.
The ball was already gone.
The white sphere tore through the air and smashed into the fence beyond the stadium.
"OUT!!"
"HOME RUN!!!"
"Three-run homer in the first inning!"
"That's Miyuki Kazuya?!"
"To hit an inside slider that far—unbelievable!"
The stadium erupted.
A perfect opening—worthy of a clash between powerhouses.
"Lucky," Miyuki grinned as he rounded the bases, high-fiving Yuki and Kanzaki.
"Yeah, yeah—three-run homer, sure is 'lucky,'" Kanzaki said dryly.
"He threw exactly the pitch I like," Miyuki replied cheerfully.
"And his pitch selection was way too easy to read."
Back in the dugout, Kuramochi rushed over.
"Ya-ha-ha-ha! Did you see Manaka's face? It turned green like the Hulk!"
"Just a fluke," Miyuki said modestly, smiling.
But everyone knew—
This semifinal had only just begun.