Chapter 708 - 708: Practice Opponents

"I apologize for telling you this news so late."

After Coach Kataoka announced the roster, several players who made it to the First string were very excited.

Although they knew in their hearts that this was just an announcement and did not mean they were guaranteed to stay on the First string team.

But this did not prevent their excitement.

However, Coach Kataoka's next words made everyone's hearts pound.

Their straightforward Coach actually apologized to them.

What kind of move was this?

Not to mention the four new additions to the First string, who were completely confused.

Even the main players who had been with Coach Kataoka for a year or two were equally bewildered.

Coach Kataoka's behavior was simply too abnormal.

"What do you think happened?"

Miyuki hid in the team and whispered to Zhang Han.

Zhang Han resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He didn't have the ability to foresee the future, nor could he read Coach Kataoka's mind. How could he possibly know?

But someone really did know. Chris, standing behind the two, whispered.

"It should be related to the practice game arrangements."

According to Seido High School Baseball Team's usual practice in previous years, they had practice games scheduled for this Saturday and Sunday.

Through practice games, they would test the players' strengths and weaknesses. This would also help them conduct targeted training during the upcoming joint training camp.

Now, the practice games were canceled, and these two days were added to the joint training camp.

This was very abnormal.

Especially for a team like Seido High School Baseball Team, which has its own traditions, it was even more abnormal.

As for the traditions of Seido High School Baseball Team, even the Coach of the team would generally not easily change them.

After Chris's reminder, Zhang Han also understood this point, and he looked back at the handsome guy in astonishment.

He wondered how his brain was structured.

It was too amazing.

"Don't look at me with such adoring eyes. This is just a reasonable inference. If you truly have ambitions and want to become a player who dominates games, this will be your mandatory coursework in the future."

Zhang Han looked deeply at Chris, not expecting that the usually serious Chris would say such words.

Zhang Han nodded gratefully.

Their guess was correct; there was indeed a problem with Seido High School Baseball Team's practice game arrangements.

And it wasn't just a small problem; it was a very serious, super big problem.

They couldn't find suitable opponents.

The incident probably happened about a week ago, when the Kanto Tournament finals had just ended.

Takashima Rei, as the team's vice president, began contacting strong schools across the country to help Seido find practice game opponents.

Before the Summer Tournament began, these practice games were very important.

As a powerhouse, Seido High School Baseball Team also had its own heritage and tradition in this regard.

In the years before they made it to Koshien, a very important reason why they were able to maintain their status as a top national powerhouse was that they could play against top national powerhouses in practice games.

Those with good relationships with them included the champions of Chiba Prefecture, such as Kujuu High School, and also Osaka Kiryuu...

These were all strong Koshien schools, especially Osaka Kiryuu.

Not only outside Tokyo, Seido also had quite good relationships with many schools within Tokyo.

For example, before, they had a very good cooperative relationship with Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team.

Before each tournament began, the two teams could play some practice games.

Others, like Ichidaisan Third High School, although rivals, weren't completely without cooperation.

To be frank, given Seido High School Baseball Team's heritage and their current strong momentum, Takashima Rei believed that finding some strong practice game opponents should be a very easy thing.

Not only her, but Coach Kataoka and the coaching staff also had similar ideas. So, before the Kanto Tournament ended, they never thought about arranging these matters in advance.

During and after the Kanto Tournament, Seido High School Baseball Team received countless practice game invitations.

This further confirmed their previous thoughts.

According to Coach Kataoka and Takashima Rei's ideas, they only needed to select opponents with excellent strength from these invitations.

Even Coach Ochiai had told them before that it might be difficult to find practice game opponents later.

Especially after Seido High School Baseball Team won the Kanto Tournament championship, it became even harder to find practice game opponents.

Facts proved that Ochiai was indeed a coach with decades of experience; his prediction was not wrong at all.

"Contact Osaka Kiryuu and Kujuu."

For practice game opponents, it wasn't necessary to find only equally matched ones. As long as there was one equally matched opponent in these two weeks, that would be enough.

The remaining practice game opponents could be entirely used as whetstones to hone the new lineup.

After receiving Coach Kataoka's order, Takashima Rei immediately contacted those two schools.

The tone of the Baseball Club Coach of Kujuu High School on the phone was very regretful.

"I'm really sorry, President Takashima. We're going to Kansai for a training camp, so we won't be around during this time..."

The other party spoke sincerely, but Takashima Rei didn't believe a word of it.

She immediately suggested that they play a practice game the week after next.

But the other party just laughed it off, saying they would see then.

The intention to refuse couldn't be more obvious.

Takashima Rei vaguely felt that Coach Ochiai's guess about this matter was very likely correct.

Next, Takashima Rei contacted Osaka Kiryuu, with whom they had an extraordinary friendship.

In the years when Seido High School Baseball Team didn't make it to Koshien, their relationship with Osaka Kiryuu was the closest.

This school was also regarded by Takashima Rei as a lifeline.

However, the Coach of the other team, upon receiving the call, had an unusually cold voice.

"I'm glad Ms. Takashima called me, but unfortunately, we don't plan to play a practice game with Seido."

"Why?"

Takashima Rei had thought about this outcome. But the other party's outright refusal caught Takashima Rei completely off guard, and she couldn't help but ask directly.

"After defeating Inashiro Industrial, what is your goal?"

Hearing the other party's question, Takashima Rei instantly understood.

Seido High School Baseball Team's goal was, of course, to dominate the nation.

For Osaka Kiryuu, who won the Summer Koshien championship last year, Seido High School Baseball Team was basically their direct competitor.

"I have confidence in you, and I also highly regard Coach Kataoka. But precisely because of this, it's better to cancel the practice games before this year's Summer Tournament. I don't want to expose our strength too early."

The other party spoke bluntly, stating his concerns, leaving Takashima Rei speechless.

She couldn't just talk nonsense and say that Seido High School Baseball Team wasn't aiming for the championship, could she?

Even Osaka Kiryuu, whom they might only encounter at Koshien, was unwilling to play a practice game with Seido in advance.

Not to mention Inashiro Industrial and Ichidaisan Third High School.

When they reassembled for a meeting, Takashima Rei directly brought up the dilemma they were facing.

"There are a total of 47 practice game invitations. Excluding opponents we might encounter in West Tokyo, there are still 43. How should I put it, their strength makes it difficult for them to even reach the top 8 in West Tokyo."

Although these schools might have decent records in their respective regions, in West Tokyo, at most, they only had the strength to reach the top 8.

When they met Seido High School Baseball Team's second team, they would most likely lose.

Such practice games, while not entirely meaningless, definitely had very little significance.

Especially if all of them were such practice games, it would be very difficult for Seido High School Baseball Team to adjust their team before the Summer Tournament officially began.

"No matter what, we must find an opponent that can pose a threat to us."

This was the biggest problem Seido High School Baseball Team was currently facing.

"If it really doesn't work, we can only choose him."

Realizing that those opponents with hopes of entering Koshien were unwilling to play practice games with them, Coach Kataoka was also helpless.

Ultimately, he could only turn his gaze to an opponent he had initially ruled out.

Seeing the application in Coach Kataoka's hand, the remaining team leaders almost simultaneously stood up.

"How can this be?"

"The opponent is from West Tokyo."

"When was this applied for? Why didn't I see it?"

The three spoke simultaneously and in unison. Although their words were different, the meaning was similar.

"I didn't notice it before either; I just happened to see it while flipping through."

It was no wonder everyone overlooked it.

As a potential opponent in the Summer Tournament, Seido High School Baseball Team generally would not accept challenges from teams in the same West Tokyo region.

Although they weren't afraid, they also didn't want to create unnecessary complications.

If it weren't for the fact that there was truly no other option now, Coach Kataoka wouldn't have brought up this team.

On the field of Seido High School Baseball Team.

"Yakushi High School?"

The Seido High School Baseball Team's teammates, after receiving the news from their own Coach, looked at each other in dismay.

Even though they knew Coach Kataoka would never lie about this, their hearts were still filled with disbelief.

How could it be?

The opponent was not only a team from West Tokyo, but also a super dark horse capable of posing a strong challenge to all the powerhouses in West Tokyo.

It was Yakushi High School, the super dark horse that ended Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team's run in this year's Tokyo Spring Tournament.

During the Spring Tournament, Seido High School Baseball Team had also played against this team.

They were quite clear about the opponent's strength, even if they didn't know every single detail.

To be frank, if Seido High School Baseball Team wanted to make it to Koshien this year, besides their two original rivals, their biggest enemy was Yakushi.

Inashiro and Ichidaisan were unwilling to compete with Seido High School Baseball Team before the Summer Tournament.

Seido was actually also unwilling to play against these two teams.

Everyone was too familiar with each other. If the tactics they had painstakingly researched were exposed in a practice game, with such a short time remaining, how could they research new ones?

Yakushi, in some sense, was similar to Seido High School Baseball Team's two rivals.

How could the Coach agree?

But Coach Kataoka did agree, and directly announced the news.

The teammates' emotions were all very complex.

On the other side, Yakushi High School Baseball Team.

The principal, who had just received the news, could no longer maintain his calm demeanor and directly sought out Todoroki Raizo.

"Even if our chances of advancing to Koshien in the Summer Tournament are slim, you can't just give up entirely, can you?"

Playing a practice game with Seido High School Baseball Team in advance, as a dark horse, they would essentially reveal all their secrets.

If they really met Seido in the Summer Tournament, how would they play?

"Don't blame me. I'm regretting it so much now."

Todoroki Raizo looked full of remorse, as if tears could spray from his eyes at any moment.

Seeing him so sad, the principal also felt awkward continuing to speak.

In the end, he could only leave nonchalantly.

After seeing the principal leave, Todoroki Raizo let out a huge sigh of relief.

The other party was even his fan, but he didn't expect that when it came to matters of principle, he would be so uncompromising.

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