Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

This is an era where everything is fully covered by the internet.

In such an age, if someone truly wants to find out about something, almost nothing can be kept secret.

For example, when the American Los Angeles team played an exchange game with Tokyo's team, this caused a huge stir in Tokyo and even in all of Japan.

This news spread through the internet, and if it weren't for this information age, such an event wouldn't have reached this level of widespread attention without television broadcasts.

Unlike the bustling scene in Japan, The United States didn't pay much attention to the game at first.

Only players within the baseball circle, particularly those of a similar age, were slightly interested in it.

One reason was that they were envious of the luck of the Los Angeles team, and another was that they were curious about the famous Koshien players.

So, in The United States, there were some players who were paying attention to the event.

Aside from the players, the next group interested in the event were sports journalists who covered Major League Baseball.

These journalists weren't so much interested in the players from Tokyo, but more in the long-haired Conrad and the super-powerful slugger Carlisle.

Even though the Los Angeles team wasn't highly ranked in The United States, the reputation and ability of these two players far exceeded the standard level in Los Angeles.

They were both top prospects in the minor leagues.

Even Major League Coaches and scouts were paying attention to them.

Their performances in a foreign land were noteworthy, and even if fans weren't particularly excited, they still garnered some media coverage.

Being a reporter isn't easy; it's not like there's big news to report every day.

But reporters have to eat too.

When there's no major news, what do they do?

Actually, it's very simple and easy to handle.

It all depends on how good they are at spinning things.

How to elevate something to make it seem relevant to everyone.

This is something they were particularly skilled at.

Originally, they wanted to write an article about the minor league prospects making their mark abroad.

Whether their boss accepted it or not didn't matter.

They could still meet their deadlines, and their paycheck for the next month would be secured.

Before the exchange game began, almost everyone thought the American Los Angeles team would easily win.

It wasn't that they were arrogant; it was just that the format of the game was so unfavorable for the Tokyo team.

The excellent players from Tokyo didn't come from the same team; in other words, they were a makeshift team.

How much fighting power could such a team have?

Even if one or two players were very strong, it would probably still be hard to carry the whole team.

The American reporters and players thought it over and didn't believe that the Tokyo team had any chance of winning.

The Los Angeles team should have a guaranteed victory.

But when the result of the game came in, everyone was stunned.

The tie in the second game didn't offer any real reference.

The real competition was in the first game.

In that game, the American Los Angeles Wind Youth Academy team was utterly crushed.

"How could this be?"

No matter how they thought about it, the Americans found it hard to believe.

Especially those teams who had already scheduled practice games with Seidou High School.

They were even more troubled.

~~~

"Who is our first opponent?"

In front of the wooden cabins, Lee-Hyun asked Sawamura.

"Texas Lone-Star Academy Team!" Sawamura replied

Texas is the second largest state in The United States. Although the strength of the Texas Lone-Star Academy Team might not be at the level of second place, they are certainly not weak.

If Eijun's memory serves him right, the Texas Lone-Star Academy Team is usually ranked among the top eight teams year after year.

Occasionally, they even make it to the top four.

Unlike the Los Angeles Wind Youth Academy team, the Texas Lone-Star Academy Team is a true powerhouse in The United States.

Their first practice match, before the Seidou players had even recovered, would be against them.

This was not good news for the Seidou High School Baseball Team.

During the week they had been in The United States, Coach Kataoka and the coaching staff had scheduled back-to-back games in order to make the most of their time here.

Except for today, which only had one game, and the last day, which also had one game, the other three days all had two games per day.

By this schedule, Seidou High School was set to play a total of eight practice games.

With the way things were unfolding, Coach Kataoka would never allow the main players to be on the field for every game.

Various combinations and lineups would need to be tested during the matches.

Thinking about this, Sawamura's gaze flickered, then he seriously looked at Lee-Hyun and said, "During the upcoming games, you might even get a chance to play. If you do, do your best, and don't worry about anything else!"

The battle for spots in the summer tournament.

'It seemed that boss was already planning ahead.'

Once the battle for spots ended, the hellish training would follow.

By the time all of this was done, it would be July.

After the semester exams, the summer tournament should begin.

Thinking about this, Sawamura shifted his gaze back to the players inside the wooden house.

He wondered how many of them could guess Coach Kataoka's plans.

Looking at their expressions, it seemed like many of them had something on their minds.

'It seemed like quite a few people could guess this.'

Whether old players or new recruits, the Seidou High School Baseball Team had never lacked smart players.

Meanwhile, the Texas Lone-Star Academy Team was also prepared for the challenge.

"Our opponent is the current Koshien Champion!"

Although Seidou was from Tokyo, the status of Seidou High School was not limited to just Tokyo.

Firstly, as the Koshien Champion, Seidou High School had gained some recognition in the American baseball community.

Of course, this level of recognition was enough to make opponents take them seriously.

But beyond that, it wasn't something recognition alone could solve.

The strongest part of the Seidou High School Baseball Team was that they had a particularly strong star player.

After studying the team, the Texas players realized that Seidou High School was unstoppable because their star Ace, Sawamura Eijun, was incredibly powerful.

It was at this moment that American players truly acknowledged the presence of the great "demon king" from Japan.

Just as they were brainstorming strategies, the Seidou High School team's bus arrived at the Lone-Star Academy's ground.

The first game for Seidou High School in The United States was about to begin.

"EH?!"

"Did we get the right address?"

"No way right?"

"Yeah, because what the heck is that?!?!"

"They're so tall!!!"

"Are these guys really just high school students?"

"They look way too old for that!"

When the Seidou team saw the Texas players, they were shocked.

The big, burly physiques and weathered faces of the Texas players made them wonder who they were really going to play against.

Could these be adult teams posing as high school teams?

…

T/N: And the boys set foot in the Land of Dreams!

It is just that it is not so dreamy. XD

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