Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

Chapter 406: Decision on the Starting Lineup

This can no longer be simply described as having astonishing insight. It must have taken an immense amount of effort, dedication, and meticulous attention to detail to uncover something like this.

From this perspective alone, it's clear just how much Senior Watanabe loves baseball and how deeply he cares about the team.

This kind of behind-the-scenes work—his determination to contribute to the team in any way he can, no matter how small—shows his unwavering commitment.

Even if it's just a minor detail, his discovery is undoubtedly a significant contribution to the team. Watanabe's performance is nothing short of extraordinary.

Even Coach Kataoka and Coach Ochiai, standing at the front of the room, couldn't help but show a hint of surprise. As for Manager Ota, his expression was downright exaggerated, clearly impressed by Watanabe's analysis.

"Watanabe has completed his analysis of Ouya High's data. I expect all of you to memorize this information thoroughly. It's one of the keys to our victory. Use it wisely—attack with precision, make bold decisions. Hesitation is the deadliest mistake in a game. Understood?" Coach Kataoka stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the team as he spoke in a firm but not overly harsh tone.

"Yes!" the team responded in unison.

"Now, I'll announce the starting lineup," Coach Kataoka continued, his sharp eyes scanning the room. His words immediately put several players on edge. Among them, Kanemaru Shinji's eyes burned with intensity.

Although he's currently only a backup fielder, his recent performance in practice has been exceptional, and his performance as a starter in the previous game was solid.

He's confident in his ability to compete for a starting spot. On the other hand, second-year player Higasa Shoji could feel the pressure closing in from Kanemaru's rapid progress. He knows that if he doesn't deliver concrete results soon, losing his starting position is only a matter of time.

Then there's the current starting player, second-year student Asou Takeru, who wore a bitter expression.

Since the team's restructuring, Asou has arguably had the toughest time among the starting players. He's rarely been given a chance to start, and even when he does get to play, it's usually only as a reliever. It's gotten to the point where Asou wonders if his starting position is even real.

Every time the starting lineup is announced, Asou always ends up feeling the most miserable.

"Third batter, left fielder—Sawamura."

"Yes!" Eijun responded promptly.

See? It's Sawamura again, right? Asou's face twisted into a look of resigned frustration, as if he'd expected this outcome.

Nearby, Naomichi patted Asou on the shoulder in a gesture of sympathy, which only made Asou's expression grow even more pitiful.

'Why does a pitcher, the team's ace, have to compete for an outfielder's position? Just because he's good at batting, does that mean he can do whatever he wants?' Asou grumbled inwardly, his face a mix of envy and resentment. His expression was so comically tragic that everyone around him struggled to hold back their laughter, though it was clear they felt bad for him.

Even Eijun, who happened to catch a glimpse of Asou's expression, felt a twinge of guilt. Of course, if Eijun knew what Asou was thinking, he would have responded with utmost seriousness:

*Sorry, Senior Asou, but being good at batting really does mean I can do whatever I want.*

As mentioned earlier, Eijun has become a core part of the team's batting lineup. Replacing him is practically unthinkable at this point.

Whether he's on the mound or not, his position in the starting lineup is secure.

The only question is where he'll be positioned defensively. In the last game, he played center field, but that was more of an experiment by Coach Kataoka and Coach Ochiai.

Now, it seems more appropriate to place him back in left field.

After all, as the team's ace, Eijun might need to take the mound at any moment. The center field position demands too much physical and mental energy—it's the most expansive defensive area on the field. Taking all of this into consideration, the decision was made to move Eijun back to left field for this game.

Strictly speaking, Eijun's current role for Seido has two main aspects: first, as the team's ace pitcher, and second, as a key cleanup hitter. His outfield defense, while important, takes a backseat to these primary responsibilities.

After careful consideration by Coach Kataoka and Coach Ochiai, they concluded that Sawamura is already carrying a heavy load for the team.

Adding unnecessary duties would only overburden him, so this arrangement is the best choice.

However, placing Eijun in left field also means that the starting pitcher for this game will be either Furuya or Kawakami.

Naturally, when the coaches' gazes swept over the two pitchers, their attention eventually settled on Kawakami.

Setting aside Furuya's shaky performance in the previous game, the coaching staff also had to consider the psychological state of their players.

Furuya's mental adjustment was a key factor in their decision. As a result, the starting pitcher choice was almost a foregone conclusion.

Furuya, sitting quietly below, understood this perfectly. He knew that after his poor showing in the last game, he wouldn't be starting this one.

However, compared to before, Furuya seemed to have gained a sense of composure after the match against Ugumori High. In a way, this tournament has been a valuable learning experience for him.

"Eighth batter, pitcher—Kawakami."

"Yes!" Kawakami responded, a hint of excitement in his voice.

Another start. For Kawakami, this was a rare and precious opportunity. Even for someone as steady and team-oriented as Kawakami, who has always been content with a supporting role, there's still a deep-seated desire to take the mound more often and earn more starting opportunities.

It's the innate drive and longing of any pitcher.

"Ninth batter, third baseman—Kanemaru Shinji."

Finally, Coach Kataoka turned his gaze to Kanemaru Shinji, who was seated beside Tojou Hideaki. His eyes carried a look of approval and encouragement as he announced the last name.

"Yes!" Kanemaru responded immediately, his voice filled with determination the moment he heard his name.

Kanemaru Shinji's face lit up with excitement, his voice brimming with enthusiasm as he responded loudly.

Not far away, Shoji couldn't help but show a hint of disappointment. There's only one position, after all.

As Seido High continues to advance and the players improve their skills, the competition for starting spots will undoubtedly become even fiercer in the future.

This will be especially true next year, when the new first-years join the team.

As Eijun looked around at his teammates, his mind drifted to the original storyline, where the arrival of the new first-years brought about a golden era for Seido High. It was truly a remarkable time.

"Next year is going to be really interesting, really fun," Eijun murmured to himself, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips as images of those memorable new players flashed through his mind.

"These are the starters for this game. Dismissed!" Coach Kataoka announced.

"Yes!" the team responded in unison.

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