The tryout match was a sudden idea proposed by the city's Third High School supervisor, Tian Yuan. It ended in a complete disaster.
How could these junior high players, who hadn't even graduated yet, possibly compete with the first-team players from the city's top high school?
Ohmae and Manaka were already core rotation members during the summer tournaments. Several other players had also joined the first team since then. Although they were only first-year high school students, their skills were already comparable to the starters of nationally competitive high school teams.
Against such an elite squad, how could a bunch of junior high kids hope to compete?
After five innings, the score stood at 13–0.
This was even after the high school players held back a bit. If they had gone all-out, the score would've been far more crushing.
Why did they show mercy?
Simple. Many of the players trying out were from the same junior high systems — basically their juniors. With the score already so one-sided, continuing to crush them felt like bullying.
Even the assistant coach of the Third High School couldn't take it anymore. He approached Head Coach Tian Yuan with a worried tone.
"Coach Tian, if this keeps up, we might not pick a single player."
Though the school had already recruited many excellent first-years, tradition still called for an open tryout. They couldn't afford to break ties with their feeder schools.
Having no one qualify from the tryouts would be hard to explain.
Tian Yuan didn't seem worried at all.
"Relax, Chunyi. The real talents are saved for last. What we've seen so far are just fillers."
"But even if the best are saved for last, can they really stand up to players like Manaka and Ohmae?"
Tian Yuan gave his assistant a meaningful glance.
The assistant immediately felt uneasy under his gaze.
"Our team's already complete. Bringing in too many talented newcomers might actually cause problems. Honestly, I never expected to recruit any new top-tier players from this match."
"What do you mean?"
"I arranged this game not to scout new players — but for Manaka."
Tian Yuan's tone was calm. "Even though he's grown a lot and gained experience from the summer tournament, if we immediately give him the ace position, he might feel lost. This match is to help him see how far he's come."
Let him face his old peers — either teammates or rivals — and discover how much he's improved.
That was Tian Yuan's true intention.
"You've really thought this through, Coach."
The assistant let out an awkward laugh.
If he'd known this from the start, he wouldn't have accepted the gift box someone tried to bribe him with earlier. Normally, he was the one in charge of selecting new players.
Who would've thought Coach Tian Yuan would intervene personally this year?
Of course, the players participating in the tryout had no idea they were never meant to be recruited in the first place.
The kids eliminated in the first two rounds were already feeling discouraged.
The massive skill gap had made it clear: dominating middle school doesn't mean you're ready for high-level high school baseball.
Even the high school players couldn't help but feel a little guilty. It was like being forced to strike down their own juniors.
"Are we being too harsh?"
"I don't know if it's too harsh," someone replied, "but giving it your all is the greatest respect you can show your opponent."
During his fourth at-bat, one of the power hitters had already notched a home run, two hits, and four RBIs. His performance showed signs of being a true cleanup hitter.
Pitcher Shinaka smiled and said, "Though I doubt the juniors see it that way."
The third wave of substitutions was completed, and the game resumed.
This batch was different.
They included Zhang Han, Gao Jian, Sasaki, and Tianjiu — all players who had made names for themselves in middle school.
Each of them came from teams that had reached at least the regional top four, and they were either core starters or in the main rotation.
To be considered a "middle school star," you had to meet both those standards.
Of course, these were only regional stars — a far cry from the national-level phenoms who got magazine features.
Now, the real show was about to begin!
Zhang Han was assigned to first base.
When filling out his registration, Zhang Han listed three positions: pitcher, first baseman, and outfielder. This wasn't just to show versatility — he had actually played all three in middle school.
From the dugout, Coach Tian Yuan silently observed the new batch, wondering to himself:
Could any of these kids actually turn the tide?
Though he'd told his assistant otherwise, deep down, he wouldn't reject a truly outstanding player.
Only someone who could shine in these conditions deserved special recruitment.
After all, a new talent joining the team meant disrupting the current structure.
Unless they had the strength or potential to elevate the entire team, Tian Yuan would never allow it.
Top of the sixth inning — the middle school team was pitching.
And the one on the mound was Tianjiu.
Seeing him, both Coach Tian Yuan and his assistant frowned.
They had actually considered recruiting Tianjiu long ago.
But the guy's reputation was just too problematic.
Even a seasoned coach like Tian Yuan didn't feel confident managing someone so unpredictable.
What kind of ace walks away before a critical match, claiming "his shoulder made a noise"?
How could they trust such a player?
They had given up on him — or so they thought.
Unexpectedly, Tianjiu showed up on his own for the tryouts.
As the inning began, the ninth batter from the senior high stepped up to the plate.
Just as he settled into his stance — whoosh!
A white blur zipped past.
The ball's trajectory was clear, and the batter didn't hesitate. He swung decisively.
But just as he thought he'd connect — the ball suddenly curved and dropped sharply into the catcher's glove.
The bat hit nothing but air.
"Bang!"
"Nice pitch!!"
The crowd went silent.
Until now, the high school players had completely dominated the tryouts.
But the moment Tianjiu took the mound… the entire atmosphere changed.