Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

The starting pitcher is Hongou.

Although Italy is not a very strong opponent, Coach Takeda still sent a terrifying big weapon onto the field from the very beginning.

His explanation to everyone was that, in any case, the opponent is a world-class team.

They absolutely cannot afford to be careless; they must win the first game cleanly to lay a solid foundation for the upcoming matches.

Akashi and Hoshitaru are also prepared.

If needed, they may be called to the field at any time.

The arrangements for other positions are also filled with excellent star players.

Looking at the lineup alone, the team currently on the field is a perfect mess of talent.

Of course, there are definitely some flaws.

The biggest flaw with this team is that they have little coordination with each other.

Since everyone is an exceptionally talented player, even without much coordination, they've still displayed remarkable strength by doing their respective jobs.

But this hardly gives people peace of mind.

In fact, it can be said that it is precisely because of this that Coach Takeda and others are even more worried.

Based on their past experience, the more a team seems perfect and flawless, the more likely it is to collapse.

Once the opponent finds a weakness, they may never be able to recover.

This is not alarmist talk; it's a matter of reality.

In the past, the teams that seemed flawless rarely made it to the end.

They often get slapped in the face halfway through.

On the other hand, teams that were initially underestimated, full of problems, and constantly fixing them along the way, are more likely to make it to the end.

Is there any scientific basis for this?

Honestly, there isn't.

But the fact remains, not only in baseball but also in the World Cup, the teams most favored at the start rarely make it to the end.

Such situations aren't nonexistent, but they're certainly few.

That's just the way it is.

Those who make it to the end are all battle-tested.

That's what Coach Takeda is worried about right now.

The team looks perfect and strong, but he knows this team was just hastily assembled, and it should be filled with problems.

But now, he just can't pinpoint where the problems lie.

This leaves him helpless, with not a single solution.

In this situation, he can only hope that their strength truly surpasses everyone else's.

Only then can this risky team win the crown.

Otherwise, the consequences are something he doesn't even want to think about.

The national team has taken a huge risk this time by recruiting some outstanding players from all over high school, instead of the national Champion Team and some star players from Koshien.

This decision itself is very likely to raise doubts.

In the past, they would only recruit a few exceptionally talented players from Koshien.

The overall framework would still rely on the national Champion Team members.

Even though this approach wouldn't necessarily bring any major breakthroughs, it would at least ensure stability.

But now, with a complete overhaul of the national team, even though the players have done well in Koshien, no one can guarantee that combining them into a team will be stronger than the original national team.

If the team performs better than before, that's great.

But if they perform worse than before, the person who suggested this will be drowned in public criticism.

Japan is still very traditional and conservative.

Innovation is not prohibited, if you innovate and succeed, everyone will praise you to the sky.

But if you innovate and fail, then sorry, you're just a big fool ruining the tradition that is already working.

The audience is very realistic and will not give you many opportunities to prove yourself.

Coach Takeda is nervous, and any bad premonitions he has are amplified a thousandfold in his mind.

Originally, he made this decision due to pressure from public opinion.

During the process, he did regret it.

But the decision has already been made, and no amount of regret will change the outcome.

Now, he has no room for regret. No matter what the final result is, he can only force himself to lead the team forward.

Wherever they go, they go.

The game officially begins, and the fans from Japan are still very enthusiastic.

The seats around are nearly full.

The teammates are all excited.

If this were in Japan, it wouldn't be surprising to have this kind of popularity.

The players on the field are all-star players, each with a considerable fan base.

With so many players on the field, how could the fans not show their support?

In fact, there are quite a few fans who came all the way from Japan for this match.

Of course, only a small number of people traveled specifically to watch the game.

There are only about 2,000 people.

With only these 2,000 people, it would be impossible to fill all the seats around.

The reason there are so many people now is mainly because many local fans from Taiwan have also shown up.

This is also the reason why the teammates are so excited.

They didn't expect that not only would they have popularity in their own country, but they would also have a considerable number of fans abroad.

The reason they're here is largely because of a highly famous figure in Japan: Sawamura.

Originally, Sawamura was already well-known in the baseball world for his previous match against the "Son of Baseball" Allen.

Now, with the World Cup here, the curiosity of Taiwan's fans has been piqued, and they're very eager to see this player whom the media claims can rival the "Son of Baseball," Allen.

What kind of player could he be?

But when they arrived, they were sorely disappointed.

They didn't expect that the player Sawamura wasn't even on the field for Japan.

"Is Italy really that weak? They're supposed to be Europe's representative, and they couldn't even bring out Japan's ace."

Some fans in the stands are already getting impatient.

"You can't say that, the gap between the top three and the rest is always huge."

Meanwhile, the game starts.

"The World Youth Baseball Championship, first-round game 3, Japan vs. Italy, is now officially starting!"

After a quick coin toss, Japan takes the offense first.

This time, Japan is pulling out all the stops.

In addition to sending the extraordinary Hongou to pitch first, the other players are no slouches either.

Though the lineup is patched together, the strength is undeniable.

The combined strength of these players is enough to make any opponent feel hopeless.

Not just on defense, but their offense is also very eye-catching.

The first batter is Carlos, and the second batter is Mima Soichiro.

Both are known for their speed, and once they get on base, they are guaranteed to shine.

Even if you don't give them sunlight, they'll still shine brightly.

The third batter, usually a power hitter's spot, was given to Shirakawa by Coach Takeda.

It's not that there are no stronger players than Shirakawa on the other team.

In fact, there are few who are weaker.

The reason Shirakawa is put in this position is mainly because of his excellent hitting skills.

With the two speedy players, it should be very easy to score runs.

Although the lineup may seem strange, it is the most suitable tactic with the players on the field.

When Takeda Coach thought of this strategy, he felt quite pleased.

This is his unconventional move.

In Takeda's mind, if the strategy fully bursts, the results could be amazing.

Even if the batters can't directly score with their hitting, they can still defeat the opponent in a tactical game.

Not giving them any chance to retaliate.

It's a good idea, but unfortunately, it hasn't been tested in actual competition.

This is the biggest problem with Japan's current national team.

Aside from the first practice match, they haven't played a proper match.

Japan is eagerly waiting for the magnificent event that might happen.

Especially Coach Takeda, he's very curious about whether his strategy will succeed.

At this moment, Italy's Ace pitcher walks onto the field. He's not tall, but he's strikingly confident.

He waves to the surrounding audience.

This guy's appearance has nothing to do with Italy's romantic image.

He's absolutely plain-looking.

In the resting area, Sawamura frowns, staring at this unimpressive man.

A hooked nose, bloodshot eyes.

For some reason, he feels like he's seen this man before.

Leonardo Mario!

When he saw the opponent's name, Sawamura's eyes suddenly widened.

He remembered. This guy is Super Mario!!!

…