After we got off the bus, back at school, there was an announcement that first year pitchers and catchers were to go to the bullpen for some pitches.
I instantly celebrated and sped off to the bullpen, leaving Haruichi behind, chuckling at my antics.
When I arrived at the pen, there was already a person there.
'Furuya Satoru, I forgot he missed the bus for the game back in the manga.'
"Hey, Furuya, right? They just announced that the first-year pitchers and catchers are to gather here for a session." I called out.
He looked at me for a second and then nodded with a slight 'mm' in reply.
'At least say something! Why're you making this awkward.' I thought.
It was then, that a couple of people started showing up at the bullpen, including the coach and Rei.
'They going to watch over the session? Alright, fine by me.' I thought to myself, wanting to get started immediately.
I then recognised Kariba Wataru, a first-year catcher who was probably the best in the year, walk in, already kitted out in his catching gear.
"Hey, you Kariba, right? Want to pair up in this session?" I asked him whilst walking up to him with a smile.
He turned in my direction and saw me.
"Sure!" he replied enthusiastically.
"Okay cool." I spoke.
"What pitches do you have?" he asked me.
"Four-seam fastball, two-seam fastball, change up and cutter." I replied.
"Okay, nice! You want me to call the pitches or you?" He asked.
"It might be better for me to call the pitches at first to help you get used to them and then you can start picking it up after. That cool with you?" I asked.
"Yeah, that's all good." He said as he walked over to them home plate.
"How many warmup pitches do you need?" He called out from across the pen.
"10 should be enough." I said to him as I got into position.
I then went through my warmup routine, focusing on warming up my shoulder and making sure my form was on point.
When I finished with the 10 pitches, I called out my first pitch.
"Four-seam high and inside to the right-handed batter I called."
Kariba then put his glove in exactly the right spot.
'Nice! Let's do-'
WHOOOOSH
BOOM
Suddenly a loud booming noise echoed across the bullpen.
Everyone snapped their gazes to the catcher that was now on his back with his glove and the ball by the fence behind him.
I glanced at the perpetrator of the pitch and saw Furuya standing in his finished position.
'The bastard is so quite when he talks but is so loud when he pitches.' I thought turning back to Kariba, who was still stunned.
I let out a little sigh.
***
WHOOOOSH
BOOM
The Coach, Rei and Ota both looked at Furuya after his pitch.
"Furuya Satoru from Hokkaido Tomakomai Junior High School. He went as far as to test into our school in order to play here. He's the only first-year who has thrown 120 metres in the long throw test." Rei said.
"O-One hundred and twenty metres?" Ota questioned. "He's really not on scholarship? This is why baseball is so fun!" He exclaimed.
There was a silent atmosphere in the bullpen until a voice perked it up.
"Ooiii! Kariba! Either ask Furuya out on a date or stop gawking at him and start catching my pitches!" Sawamura said with a cheeky mocking voice. "Four-seam fastball, high and inside to righthanded batter."
Rei smirked slightly at his antics. "Trust Sawamura to not be fazed at Furuya's pitch, I haven't seen him flustered once."
Both Coach and Ota turned to him in response to her words.
Kariba snapped out of his gaze and put his mitt in place.
Sawamura then started his perfectly executed his solid looking form and threw.
WHOOOSH
PAAH
The ball was caught inside Kariba's with a crisp sound.
Kariba didn't need to move his glove at all.
Sawamura waited for Kariba to throw back the ball, but Kariba seemed stunned again.
"What's going on with him?" Ota asked, looking at Kariba.
"Oh, he's probably just stunned after seeing Sawamura's form." Rei said, still smirking.
"His form? It looked pretty normal to me though." Ota replied.
"I suggest you watch his pitching from behind the catcher, only then will you understand how deadly Sawamura's pitching really is." She said whilst walking over to stand next to fence behind Kariba.
Both Coach and Ota followed her.
Kariba then spoke to Sawamura as he threw the ball back. "N-Nice ball Sawamura! The ball just appeared out of nowhere, how'd you do that?"
"That's just my throwing form, pay attention to the next one." Sawamura said back.
"Four-seam fastball, low and inside for right-handed batters."
It was then that he noticed the three people standing behind Kariba.
Then he suddenly drew out a breath and then his eyes started burning a blazing fire as a slightly red aura surrounded him.
"Looks like we've fired him up with our presence. We will get a good show now." Rei chuckled as she saw this change.
Both Coach and Ota looked deeply at Sawamura, also noticing this change.
Coach watched as Sawamura started his windup and looked at every detail.
'Right leg swung up high towards his chest, good hold, good momentum coming back down.'
THUD
'Nice impact on the mound, his right arm is a solid frame for balance. Good flexibility in his hips when he twists forward. Now, his throwi- Huh? '
WHOOOSH
PAAH
The ball suddenly landed perfectly in Kariba's mitt.
"Wh-What was that?" Ota stuttered with his eyes wide.
The coaches' eyes were also widened slightly behind his dark glazed glasses.
"I guess another introduction is in order. Sawamura Eijun from Akagi Junior High School. He was first in almost every test we gave the first years yesterday. The only one he didn't win was the long throw, however he still came second in that as well." Rei said with a little boast because he was her best scout this year.
"E-Every single test?!?" Ots replied with stunned expression.
"Nice pitching Sawamura, I don't have to move at all." Kariba said.
Sawamura nodded with glowing golden eyes and then said something strange.
"The difficulty is going to go way up now, Kariba. All I'll say is, don't move your mitt, trust that it'll land there, no matter how the starting path looks." He said.
"What does that mean?" Ota said with some confusion.
"You'll see." Rei replied.
"Next pitch will be a cutter, high and inside to the right-handed batter. Remember, don't move your mitt, Kariba." Sawamura repeated.
"Okay, I got it!" Kariba replied, putting his mitt in place.
Sawamura then started his form and executed it perfectly.
The Coach again looked for Sawamura's throwing arm but again failed to find it before the ball appeared.
Only it looked like a meat ball, a slightly slower fastball, right down the middle, actually a little to the other side.
WHOOSH
It took everything Kariba had to fight his instincts and move to catch the seeming meatball that was coming towards him.
'Don't move, don't move, don't move!' He screamed at himself in his thoughts whilst cringing.
Then suddenly…
SHWIIP
PAH
The ball broke at a blitzing speed to the right and landed in Kariba's mitt perfectly.
"Holy shit!" Kariba shouted slightly.
"Ahem!" he suddenly heard from behind him.
He turned and saw the three figures standing there, hearing what he just said.
Rei was standing there looking smug, Ota was wide eyed and motuh open even wider and Coach was standing there silently, looking deep in thought with he's eyes widened slightly.
"Ah!! I'm sorry for my language! I was just so surprised by Sawmura's pitch just now." He said immediately.
"That's understandable but just watch your language, Okay?" Rei replied.
"Yes!" Kariba instantly replied with a loud voice.
'My god, this bullpen session is not good for my heart.' He thought to himself.
"Okay, Kariba, lets pick up the pace a little, I want to go though my arsenal at least once for making variations." Sawamura said. "Next one, two-seam fastball, high and inside for left handed batters."
WHOOOSHH
The ball swerved like a snake in the air and landed perfectly again.
"Next one, Change up, low and away for right handed batters."
Whoosh
Pah
"Okay, next one."
WHOOOSH
PAAH
WHOOSH
PAH
Whoosh Pah
WHOOSH
SHWIIP
PAH
Every single pitch Sawamura threw landed perfectly in their target. Even with the different variations, he never made and error.
Rei looked at the Coach throughout all this.
He was looking intently at Sawamura on every pitch, seemingly forgetting the other pitchers in the pen.
"So, what do you think of him?" Rei asked him.
"His throws are strong and extremely precise, every one a solid strike whilst painting the corners. He has a good fastball, which is simingly the pillar of his arsenal, all his pitches are based around it, his two-seamer could use some work, his change up is good but could be better, as for his cutter… A deadly weapon for sure, his strikeout pitch that has hidden dangers and that baits the batter into swinging even if they didn't want to. And then there's his form. I haven't seen his throwing arm once. That is his true weapon and any batter coming against it first time would be flustered." The Coach replied with a calm expression, but they both felt the aura that was forming around him as he spoke in great detail.
'He's excited. He always does when his inner-pitcher side comes out.' Rei thought.
"However,…" The Coach continued. "We need to see him in a game to know for sure if he's ready for the first-string, the same with Furuya. I'll give them a chance to show their skills against batters."
"What are you thinking?" Rei asked.
"Form a team with just the first years." The Coach replied
"Then are we playing a game?" She asked.
"I'd like to see how many first-years are ready to play in the tournaments. They will have a match against the second string and other senior players that want to play. We will have it tomorrow. Get everyone ready." He finally turned and started walking away.
"I wonder how this'll go." Rei said to herself with a smirk.
She then turned to Sawamura, who was still pitching.
'You've got your chance Sawamura, don't waste it.'