Diamond No Ace: The Strongest Hitter

Chapter 166: Training with the First String

"Late and without the decency to apologize? I don't recognize such a person as a member of Seidou's baseball team!" Coach Kataoka completely ignored Sawamura's shriek of dismay.

Sawamura was crushed.

After Kataoka coldly remarked, "If you're unhappy, you don't have to be here," Sawamura, after struggling to find his words, rallied with a loud declaration of his determination to stay and prove himself.

Then, with a flashy attempt at throwing a curveball, Sawamura managed to lose his pitching privileges… and was demoted to trainee status.

"Ah," Sendo sighed softly.

"And you! Go to left field at Field A. We'll start outfield drills shortly. Since you didn't request a position, you'll start in the outfield!" Kataoka's sharp glance shifted to Sendo the moment Sawamura collapsed to his knees at home plate.

Kataoka's expression was intimidating, but Sendo remained unfazed.

"I have one condition—absolutely no pitching or catching!" Sendo emphasized, giving the coach a clear heads-up that those two positions were off-limits for him.

Miyuki, standing nearby, shot Sendo a curious glance, as if thinking, Is my favorite position really that unpopular?

If Sendo had noticed Miyuki's expression, he probably would have filled in the blanks with his own assumptions and metaphorically "pinned the blame" on Miyuki.

"Fine. No problem," Kataoka agreed, not knowing why Sendo disliked those positions but respecting his choice nonetheless.

"Thanks, Sunglasses Uncle!" Sendo suddenly called out, then bolted before Kataoka could react.

In Sendo's view, nicknames became acceptable once people got used to them.

Since Sawamura had already given the coach plenty of nicknames, it didn't seem wrong for Sendo to borrow one.

Besides, there were others like "Boss" and "General" that he could use once he was more familiar with the team.

For now, he needed to start small and let the coach adjust to this new title.

True to Sendo's expectations, a vein instantly popped on Kataoka's forehead when he heard the nickname.

But by the time he turned, Sendo was already gone.

Kataoka could only sigh and turn away, though his face betrayed no such resignation.

Meanwhile, those who had been watching Sawamura's "performance" earlier now thought Kataoka's expression had grown even more terrifying.

...

As Sendo had predicted, his assigned position was left field.

While right-handed batters typically hit stronger to left field, the focus on modern hitting theories often had them aim for right field.

Thus, left field tended to be the quietest position in high-level games.

Given that no one knew Sendo's capabilities, assigning him to left field made the most sense.

This year, senior player Endou was known for his kind demeanor but was considered the weakest among the outfielders, especially compared to the center and right fielders.

While Shirasu was a strategic batter placed in the lineup to maintain flow, Endou's skill level was simply subpar. As a result, practice sessions often left Sendo with little to do.

However, Kataoka soon signaled for the batters to focus on hitting toward left field. Sendo had anticipated this—after all, this was a practice to evaluate his abilities. It wouldn't do for him to simply stand around in left field.

Still, even when using a pitching machine to target long hits, consistently hitting strong balls to left field wasn't easy.

Most of the balls that reached Sendo were weak and lacked power.

Even so, Coach Kataoka quickly noticed something remarkable about Sendo's performance.

"Ping!"

"Left field!"

"Pop!"

"Ping!"

"Left field!"

"Pop!"

One fly ball after another was effortlessly caught by Sendo, who positioned himself perfectly under each one.

He only needed to glance up once to confirm the trajectory before raising his glove for the catch.

To the untrained eye, it might seem like every ball was conveniently hit straight toward Sendo, but in reality, he was the one positioning himself perfectly.

As soon as the ball was hit, Sendo would calculate its landing point using subtle cues, demonstrating extraordinary dynamic vision and spatial awareness.

Combined with his exceptional reflexes and athleticism, he moved so early and so efficiently that it looked like the ball was "coming to him."

"Unbelievable! Using talent to slack off—this kid is infuriating!" Kataoka muttered to himself, speechless at Sendo's behavior.

In Kataoka's eyes, Miyuki was already lazy and frustrating to deal with, but Sendo was like an enhanced version of Miyuki—both in talent and laziness.

Had the balls been faster and harder to catch, senior player Isashiki might have stormed the field to punch Sendo for his casual attitude.

...

At some point during the practice, a sharp, clean sound rang out.

"Ping!"

The ball was struck dead center and rocketed toward left field.

"Whoosh!" Almost simultaneously with the sound of the hit, Sendo moved.

"Swipe!" He dashed sideways and leapt into the air.

"Pop!" Using his momentum to roll onto his back, he lifted his glove, revealing the ball safely secured inside.

This one play showcased an incredible combination of reflexes, explosive power, speed, and flexibility—each of which was enough to make any coach drool.

The field fell completely silent.

"That… that was a hitless catch!"

"And it was Yuuki's powerful hit! Just… gone like that?"

Even the normally stoic Yuuki stared at Sendo in surprise.

"Beautiful work," Yuuki eventually muttered in admiration. Though his overwhelming presence made the compliment seem more intimidating than intended.

Sendo's flawless execution made everyone marvel. If only he hadn't let out a lazy yawn at the end, the moment would have been perfect.

After that catch, even Isashiki had nothing to complain about. He understood that, while Sendo might appear to be slacking off, he was always alert and ready.

Without that level of focus, even someone with Sendo's physical gifts couldn't have made such a play.

It was enough to silence any remaining doubts about Sendo's inclusion in the first string.

Talent ruled at Seidou, and Sendo's performance had proven his worth.

Even if Sendo's technical skills were average and that catch was a fluke, his physical abilities alone justified early cultivation as a first-string player.

...

After the outfielders rotated for half the day, it was finally Sendo's turn to step into the batter's box and face the pitching machine.

Seidou's regular training pitches maxed out at 140 km/h, fast enough to challenge players but not excessively difficult to hit.

However, 150 km/h pitches were rarely used, as even star hitters like Yuuki struggled with such speeds, often hitting pop flies to third base.

When pitches were consistently 150 km/h and aimed at the corners, even elite batters faced immense difficulty.

Sendo grabbed his beloved wooden bat, a gift from his teammates.

"So you're a wooden bat hitter, huh? Impressive!" Miyuki couldn't help but comment, curious about this junior who seemed to resemble him but acted far more brazenly.

"No, I only used a wooden bat for a short time before. This one was a gift from my middle school friends. They wanted me to become a batter who could naturally handle a wooden bat, so I've been training with it ever since!"

At first, Sendo wasn't planning to engage in conversation with Miyuki.

After all, this guy got clingy once he got familiar with someone!

However, when Miyuki asked about his bat, Sendo couldn't help but recall the farewell scene with his friends. With a serious expression, he answered honestly.

"I see! Well, if that's your goal, try not to miss the ball too much," Miyuki replied with a playful smirk.

"Thanks! I'll keep that in mind!" (Fake sincerity!)

Hearing this junior, who seemed so unique, speak so naturally, Miyuki decided he should spend more time with him in the future.

Thud!

Suddenly, a deep, muffled sound unique to a wooden bat echoed as the ball soared over the outfield fence.

Collective gasp from the team: Shocked faces all around!

Miyuki felt as though he'd been metaphorically slapped. Who was this "nice and approachable" guy? Lies, all lies!

"If this guy can be called cute, then I must be an angel! His words cannot be trusted!" Miyuki thought to himself.

The entire field fell silent. Since Azuma graduated, no one at Seidou had hit a ball over the outfield fence like this.

"Wow," Sendo exhaled softly, his breath audible in the quiet.

"Feels better than expected," he muttered, as though it were nothing.

Hearing that, many of the upperclassmen were on the verge of snapping. Better than expected? What does 'unexpected' even look like? You're asking for a beating!

"Nice swing!" Yuuki's voice cut through, his calm yet powerful aura causing others to look his way.

"Cool it, Yuuki!" muttered Jun, breaking the tension with his teasing.

The results spoke for themselves: out of twenty swings at pitches down the middle, Sendo hit six balls over the fence, eight of which were home runs.

If there had been doubts earlier about why Sendo was placed in the first string, they were gone now.

This wasn't about potential—his current strength had earned him the spot.

Though slender in build, the power behind Sendo's hits was shocking.

The balls he connected with truly flew.

Even Yuuki, who usually maintained composure, seemed visibly shaken.

Coach Kataoka's eyes betrayed his surprise, though it was quickly replaced with a faint smile.

The decision to place Sendo in the first string wasn't solely Kataoka's. Takashima had played a significant role, having brought up Sendo's name during conversations with the team manager, Ota, the previous year.

Takashima had also shared glowing feedback from Coach Nakani and provided recordings of Sendo's middle school games, along with data from his elementary school fitness tests.

When Kataoka first saw the fitness data, he noted that Sendo's numbers matched those of elite high school players despite being collected when he was just a child.

The game footage further proved that Sendo had the skill to immediately contribute on the field.

Nakani had even speculated that Sendo could bat in the heart of the lineup at a high school level, a claim Kataoka couldn't ignore.

After watching the recordings, Kataoka made the call: Sendo would join the first string.

Now, seeing it live, Kataoka was both thrilled and slightly intimidated.

Sendo's power was far beyond expectations.

His defensive skills alone could replace the starting left fielder, though Kataoka decided it was too early to make Sendo a starter.

Instead, he planned to ease him into games through occasional defensive opportunities to help him adapt.

Kataoka wanted to ensure that Sendo, despite his composed demeanor, wouldn't feel overwhelmed by pressure.

He preferred a gradual approach to help young players integrate seamlessly.

Unlike inexperienced coaches who immediately relied on star players, Kataoka believed in careful, deliberate development.

"Alright, next player! Sendo, go for a run!"

"???" Sendo felt an odd sense of being discarded after being used. Still, orders were orders.

Grabbing his bat, Sendo changed his shoes and went to join Sawamura, who was also running laps.

Sure enough, they were the only two on the field running at this time.

"Hahaha! I don't know why, but this is hilarious!" Miyuki doubled over laughing, watching the two first-years run side by side.

The thought of them being middle school teammates only added to the humor.

...

Over the next three days, the duo became a regular sight.

Meanwhile, Sendo made sure to always leave a seat between himself and Sawamura during meals, effectively letting Sawamura and Miyuki grow closer instead.

After all, having someone throw up on you on the first day was an experience Sendo didn't want to relive.

That evening, Sendo struggled to eat and went to bed hungry, his stomach grumbling loudly the next morning.

In response, he deployed his "secret weapon": bananas.

Running laps with several bananas in hand, he munched on them while casually tossing the peels aside.

He also used various clever excuses—so well-reasoned that no one could argue—to delay his laps.

As a result, Sendo ended up running less than half the distance Sawamura managed in the same time.

Miyuki, watching from the sidelines, was both shocked and impressed.

How does he pull this off? Reflecting on his own slacking tactics from the previous year, Miyuki realized he had a lot to learn.

Even Kataoka, aware of Sendo's slacking, couldn't do much about it.

The worst part?

Everything Sendo said to justify himself was technically true.

What could Kataoka do?

Absolutely nothing.

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