Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

Chapter 342: A Starting Lineup with Special Significance

Unlike the other two pitchers on the team, Furuya and Kawakami, Eijun carried a distinct aura of leadership. His relationships with his teammates were not just good—they were exceptional.

As the team's ace and one of its offensive core players, his influence was undeniable.

Looking ahead to the next year, once the team transitioned to a new generation, there was little doubt—Eijun would be the ace, the cleanup hitter, and the team captain leading Seidou High School.

That was still a year away, yet for many of the players sitting here, the thought had already taken root in their minds.

Eijun's presence was simply too overwhelming.

Wherever he stood, he naturally became the center of attention—this was the presence of Seidou High School's ace.

Coach Kataoka paid no mind to the mixed emotions running through the players as he steadily continued announcing the starting lineup for the Teito match.

Most of the selections were as expected, but two names in particular took the team by surprise.

"Batting fourth, catcher—Miyuki."

"Yes."

No surprises there. Miyuki, as the team's captain and offensive leader, was the natural choice for cleanup hitter.

"Batting fifth, first baseman—Maezono Kenta."

The moment Kataoka announced this name, the entire room tensed. Even Maezono himself was caught off guard.

His recent performances had been inconsistent—not terrible, but far from outstanding.

He had been worrying about whether he could even hold onto a starting position, yet now, in the first official match of the tournament, against Teito High School, he had not only made the starting lineup but was placed in the fifth spot—the crucial power-hitting position?

It felt like a dream.

For a brief moment, Maezono was dazed, but Kawakami, sitting beside him, gently tugged on his sleeve, snapping him back to reality.

"Yes!!!"

He responded loudly, though his voice carried an undercurrent of disbelief.

From his spot beside Coach Kataoka, Ochiai cast an unreadable glance toward Maezono before narrowing his eyes slightly.

If Maezono knew that it was Ochiai who had recommended him for the starting lineup and the fifth spot, he would probably be shocked beyond belief.

After all, when the new team was formed, Ochiai had openly criticized several players' performances during the preliminaries—Maezono included. He had never hesitated to express his opinions when discussing the starting roster with Kataoka.

Strictly speaking, even Kataoka himself had been taken aback when Ochiai suggested this change. The sudden shift in stance was unexpected, and even Kataoka found it difficult to comprehend.

However, Ochiai's reasoning was purely tactical.

His decision stemmed from the progress Maezono had shown during recent training sessions. After personally coaching him, Ochiai had noticed a change—one that intrigued him enough to reconsider his previous assessment.

He wanted to see how far Maezono could go.

More importantly, against Teito High School—specifically their ace, Mukai Taiyou—a power hitter like Maezono was an ideal matchup.

Ochiai was a pragmatist. If they were facing a different opponent, he might not have made this decision.

However, against Teito, where Mukai's precise control and strong defense made it difficult to manufacture runs, Maezono's raw power might just be the key to breaking through.

In essence, this was a calculated move—a choice made not out of sentimentality, but from a realistic tactical standpoint.

This was Ochiai's coaching philosophy at work.

If Maezono's placement in the lineup had already surprised most of the team, then the next announcement was nothing short of shocking.

"Batting sixth, left fielder—Furuya Satoru."

"Huh?"

"What?"

"No way…"

A moment of stunned silence followed as Furuya himself froze, his usual aloof expression giving way to visible surprise. Even Eijun couldn't help but glance at Furuya.

Though he had expected this day to come sooner or later—after all, Furuya's batting ability was undeniably strong—it was still a momentous decision.

In the original Teito match, Furuya had even been positioned as the No. 5 hitter.

He had power, slugging ability, and a solid track record in clutch situations, including key hits during the Summer Tournament and consistent performances in the preliminary games.

His outfield defense had also stabilized, making him a viable option in left field.

With Coach Kataoka's clear strategy for this game—seizing the early lead through aggressive offense and power-hitting—it made perfect sense to start both Maezono and Furuya.

Still, Furuya took a few seconds to process the decision before responding in his usual calm, indifferent tone.

"Yes."

However, his lack of enthusiasm was apparent. The only thing on Furuya's mind was pitching—he wanted to prove himself on the mound.

Playing in left field?

That was far from what he truly desired.

Seeing Furuya's reaction, Coach Kataoka frowned slightly before speaking again.

"You can't achieve your ideals by limiting yourself to just one path. If your goal is to reach the top, then you need to prove your worth in every way possible."

As a former power pitcher himself, Kataoka highly valued Furuya's potential.

Had Eijun not been so exceptional, the new ace of Seidou would have undoubtedly been Furuya—a fact made clear in the original series as well.

In Japan, true power pitchers are rare, and Furuya was an extraordinary specimen—a fireballer with natural slugging ability. If he could improve his control, he would easily become an elite pitcher.

Both Kataoka and Ochiai saw his potential and continued to invest in him.

However, the situation was different from the original story—here, Eijun had already surpassed Furuya.

Both in reality and in the team's long-term vision, Eijun was the best—and only—choice for Seidou's ace.

But that didn't mean Kataoka would ignore Furuya's growth. In the original series, Kataoka had always balanced his attention between both pitchers—it was just that Furuya was the priority before, while Eijun was secondary.

Now, their roles had reversed.

Still, in Kataoka's heart, he believed in the potential of a dual-ace system.

He knew how much pitchers valued their jersey numbers and how strong their desire was to be No. 1, but as a coach, he had to make practical decisions.

Reality is sometimes unforgiving, isn't it?

"Yes!"

This time, Furuya's response was stronger, and a faint blue fire flickered in his eyes as he fully grasped the deeper meaning behind Kataoka's words.

The rest of the team had also picked up on the underlying message.

Meanwhile, Miyuki cast a meaningful glance at Eijun, smirking mischievously.

Eijun rolled his eyes.

He silently mouthed a few words.

Miyuki blinked in surprise for a moment, then his lips curled into an amused smirk.

"As expected of our ever-gracious ace."

Miyuki chuckled inwardly.

Among all the reactions in the room, one stood out from the rest—Asou, who had been assigned jersey number 7.

His face had turned completely stiff.

At that moment, a terrifying possibility flashed through his mind—

"Wait… Could this so-called 'dual-ace system' mean that one of them will always pitch while the other plays left field!?"

The more he thought about it, the more his stomach twisted in anxiety.

Cold sweat trickled down his back.

"Why am I so unlucky!?!?"

Asou internally screamed in despair.

-----------------

If you want to read 10 advance chapters ahead.

Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Leonzky