In the blink of an eye, all the freshmen, including Hayashi Sora, finished their self-introductions.
Then, under the guidance of the assistant coaches, everyone entered the stadium for training.
Since Hayashi had mentioned he wanted to be a pitcher, the training was related to pitching.
But calling it training was generous—it was more of a rough introduction to familiarize the freshmen with the process.
Half an hour passed quickly.
Hayashi, along with many others, then entered the dining hall to enjoy a colorful and nutritious breakfast.
One must admit, baseball powerhouses are different from regular schools.
Not only did the school have a cafeteria dedicated to the baseball club, but the food was also delicious and full of nutrients.
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After breakfast, Hayashi and the freshmen returned to the field for light training.
The second- and third-year students, accustomed to the training volume, immediately dove into formal practice after eating.
About ten minutes later, the two assistant coaches in charge of the freshmen approached them.
"First-year students, from now on, you will be tested on your abilities in your desired positions. After putting on your spikes, gather at Field B!"
Hearing this, all the freshmen, including Hayashi, quickly changed into their spikes.
But one person was missing—Sawamura Eijun!
He had been late for morning exercise and hadn't apologized to head coach Kataoka, so he was punished with extra running.
However, as the protagonist of the original story, Sawamura was naturally unwilling to accept this quietly.
He passionately declared to head coach Kataoka:
"I came here to be an ace pitcher!"
Moved by his spirit, the coach gave him a condition:
"If you can throw the ball from home plate to the left field fence, 90 meters away, you may join practice."
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When Hayashi finished changing and walked out, he happened to see Sawamura standing at home plate, throwing the baseball toward the left field fence.
The ball soared high into the sky!
But just before reaching the fence, it suddenly dropped.
"This one's going to die again."
Having read the original story, Hayashi knew Sawamura's grip was unstable, causing his pitches to drift unpredictably.
This time, the ball drifted downward, so it landed just short of the fence.
"But he doesn't know this yet. I'll remind him when he rests tonight."
Hayashi planned to help Sawamura, having a good sense of his character from the anime.
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After a while, Hayashi and the other freshmen gathered at Field B.
Following the assistant coaches' instructions, they went to their respective test positions.
In baseball, there are nine defensive positions: pitcher, catcher, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, shortstop, left fielder, center fielder, and right fielder.
Pitchers are often considered the soul of the game.
In live broadcasts, pitchers usually get the most camera time.
Hayashi's Day 1 sign-in reward was a world-class four-seam fastball.
Naturally, he introduced himself as a pitcher.
So, he went to the bullpen with other freshmen who wanted to pitch.
The bullpen is located next to the baseball field and is where relief pitchers warm up.
Now, it was being used for testing pitchers.
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"I'll call your names," the assistant coach said while checking the list.
"Pitchers: Tojo Hideaki, Kaneda Tadashi."
"Catchers: Koishikawa Kai, Buchuan Reyo."
The four freshmen whose names were called walked seriously and nervously to the bullpen mound and catcher's position.
"The pitcher will show his best pitch, and the catcher will catch it," the assistant coach explained briefly, then announced the start.
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Soon, the four freshmen began their performances.
But to the assistant coach, everyone's pitches were mediocre.
"Are these really the best pitches you have?" he asked after a few minutes.
Tojo and Kaneda hesitated.
From the coach's indifferent reaction, they knew their best pitches hadn't impressed him.
"Come down when you're done."
After finishing, the assistant coach looked at the list again.
"Next: Komiya Takashi, Hayashi Sora."
At the mention of Komiya Takashi's name, Hayashi's eyebrows rose slightly.
"I didn't expect to face him so soon."
"How would Komiya feel if he knew I was pitching faster than him?"
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With some curiosity, Hayashi and the expressionless Komiya Takashi approached the mound.
"Show us your best pitches," the assistant coach said lightly.
Hayashi nodded.
He stepped onto the pitcher's plate, gripping a hard baseball in his right hand.
He swung his arm sharply and threw the ball almost simultaneously with Akatsuki Fukugu.
The ball shot quickly toward the catcher's mitt.
Bang! Bang!
Two sharp sounds of the ball hitting the catcher's glove rang out one after another.
But the ball flew so fast it exceeded the reaction speed of both catchers.
In other words, the ball hit the glove, but the catchers failed to secure it, and the ball rolled out.
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"So fast!!!"
The previously indifferent assistant coach's eyes widened sharply.
He had just seen two white flashes of lightning.
Before he could focus, the two baseballs had already reached the catcher's mitt.
"Found a treasure!!!"
The coach's expression was full of surprise.
Because the weakness of youth is lack of experience.
Only an ace pitcher can bring victory.
And now…
Two such pitchers appeared at once!
"This guy is actually faster than me?!"
On the mound, Komiya Takashi's icy expression broke as he stared at Hayashi in disbelief.
All this time, Komiya had thought he was the fastest.
He had even come to Seidō High School in Tokyo because no one in his hometown could match his speed.
But now, even before officially joining the team—
During the freshman test—
He had met a freshman who threw faster than him!
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"Really…"
Hayashi shook his head slightly.
His control was still poor.
He had only wanted to throw to the center of the catcher's glove.
But because his control wasn't strong enough, the ball ended up hitting the upper left corner of the glove.
A little sadness crossed his face.
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