Diamond Ace's Passionate Swing

At this season's Kanto Tournament, he once again became the focus of attention. And all of this is largely thanks to the addition of a newcomer—Lin Xiao.

In the first round of the Kanto Tournament, Seido faced Yokohama Kohoku Gakuen. In that game, Lin Xiao's single inning was enough to shock the entire arena. He struck out six players in a row, and every pitch was perfectly accurate. His pitch speed was particularly astonishing.

Lin Xiao's addition undoubtedly raised the strength of Seido's batting lineup to a new level. His amazing high-speed fastball puts immense pressure on opposing pitchers, forcing them into a corner.

On the field, his astonishingly high-speed fastball was like a cannonball, whistling past with fierce momentum, putting immense pressure on opposing pitchers and forcing them to retreat step by step, almost with nowhere to go. Like a tyrant descending, he struck fear into the hearts of all.

After the first round of the Kanto Tournament match between Seido and Yokohama Kohoku Gakuen, Lin Xiao's amazing performance on the court was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples among the schools and sparking widespread attention and discussion.

After all, he was just a first-year student, and an exchange student from China. In the fiercely competitive arena of Japanese high school baseball, it was extremely rare for such a young player from a foreign country to achieve such outstanding performance.

Seido High School, once a national baseball powerhouse, receives the most attention at this Kanto Tournament, and there are many people coming to observe.

Seido High School, once a national baseball powerhouse, continues to attract the most attention at the Kanto Tournament, even after experiencing some ups and downs. Baseball figures from all over the world, coaches and scouts from other schools gather here to closely watch Seido High School's every move.

The West Tokyo area, where Seido High School is located, is known for its fierce baseball competition, boasting a wealth of skilled players. These observers from different regions, like astute hunters, meticulously scrutinize every detail of Seido High School. Their presence undoubtedly adds further uncertainty to Seido's future matches.

It's foreseeable that tomorrow's baseball monthly magazine will most likely feature a report on Lin Xiao. Once the report is published, Seido High School will become the focus of everyone's attention, and the pressure in subsequent games will increase dramatically.

Only Lin Xiao was actually on the court, while Furuya, whose speed was only slightly slower than his, hadn't even had a chance to play. Lin Xiao alone was able to suppress a national powerhouse like Yokohama Kohoku Academy, demonstrating not only his extraordinary strength but also the significant improvement in Seido's batting lineup since his addition. Furuya is also an outstanding player with considerable hitting ability, similar to Lin Xiao. It's easy to imagine that if Furuya could also fully utilize his skills on the court, Seido's strength would increase dramatically once again.

In addition, Seido also has Sawamura and Kominato, who have yet to reach the first team stage. This incomplete starting lineup for Seido has already demonstrated amazing strength.

With his lightning speed, Kuramochi can move like a ghost across the field, tearing apart the opponent's defense for his team. Kominato Ryosuke, with his superb skills, can play a key role in both offense and defense, making him a versatile player for the team.

Isashiki, as a power hitter, possesses incredible strength and can always deliver a heavy blow to the opponent at crucial moments, making him a powerful weapon in the team's offense. Yuki, with his keen intuition, seems to be able to see through the pitcher's every intention, delivering high-quality hits.

Masuko's powerful, cannon-like strikes, once unleashed, send the ball streaking across the sky like a meteor, instantly shattering the opponent's defense. Miyuki, this star player, is first-rate in both his composure at the bat and his command and control as a catcher; he is the core and soul of the team.

Now, with the addition of Lin Xiao and Furuya, this team's strength is already among the best in the country.

With its fully-formed lineup and formidable pitching roster, Seido High School would be one of the top teams in the nation. At that time, Seido High School would undoubtedly become a force to be reckoned with in high school baseball, a team that no opponent would dare underestimate. Imagine how powerful a team would be, possessing an ace pitcher and an incredibly strong batting lineup.

Of course, in this baseball journey full of challenges and opportunities, Seido's ultimate goal—Koshien—is still uncertain, and we must strive forward.

With the conclusion of Seido High School's match, the list of opponents for the next game has been released.

Tsukuba High School.

Tsukuba High School is a traditionally strong baseball team with a formidable overall squad. Their pitchers, catchers, and batters are all highly skilled. They boast an excellent coaching team that emphasizes fundamental skills training and teamwork. The team's overall strength is well-balanced, with no glaring weaknesses.

At this time, Seido High School's pitching lineup presented a three-way balance of power, with Lin Xiao, Furuya, and Tanba each having their own strengths, plus relief pitcher Kawakami, making the entire pitching group very strong.

This left Coach Kataoka both pleased and troubled, a happy dilemma weighing on his mind – who truly possessed the talent to shoulder the responsibility of being the ace in the summer tournament? Lin Xiao, this exceptionally gifted freshman, with his outstanding pitching and hitting abilities, was like a rising star, shining brightly. However, his lack of experience in major tournaments somewhat influenced the coach's assessment of him.

Furuya's strength is also not to be underestimated, but he is still slightly inferior to Lin Xiao. Tanba, as the former ace pitcher of Seido High School, has rich experience in games, but once the game enters a close stage, his mentality is like the turbulent sea, making it difficult to remain calm.

After careful consideration, Coach Kataoka decided to use this crucial Kanto Tournament to determine the final winner of the jersey number through actual combat. Seido has little time left to consider and must quickly decide on their main pitching lineup.

He also had a clear plan for the pitching assignments in the game against Tsukuba High School: Tanba would pitch three innings first, followed by Furuya, and finally Hayashi. The performance of the three would be used to judge who was the rightful number 1 jersey number.

The semi-finals of the Kanto Tournament have begun.

Seido High School vs. Tsukuba High School.

In the first half of the first game, Tsukuba High School launched the first attack.

Tanba, the starting pitcher for the first three innings, strode confidently onto the mound. Lin Xiao and Furuya, meanwhile, temporarily took on the roles of left and right outfielders, silently observing the game.

"I will not give up the mound." A resolute light shone in Tanbo's eyes, as if he were declaring his determination to the world.

"Hey, how come Seido's super rookie is in the outfield position?"

"I came here specifically to watch him pitch."

In the audience, voices of doubt rose and fell, everyone puzzled by Seido's move.

Tsukuba's starting batter stood firmly in the right batting box, his intention quite clear: to get to first base smoothly, a short bat would be his preferred tactic. This is almost a must-learn for the first batter.

Miyuki, the experienced catcher, instantly saw through his opponent's plan. He wouldn't let his opponent succeed so easily, so he gave Tanba a look, and Tanba understood, throwing a wide, vertical curveball.

The ball flew like a lightning bolt across the sky, precisely heading towards home plate.

"nice shot!"

"nice shot!"

"nice shot!"

"Strikeout!"

A series of good pitches, and the first batter struck out.

Tanbo cleanly and decisively finished the first batter with his excellent pitching.