Diamond No Ace: The Strongest Hitter

Chapter 148: The Final Change

"Although we've been winning recent practice matches, our batting still needs improvement. Our scoring remains inconsistent—what are you going to do if I'm not here? Count on luck to get on base and score?"

"Yes, our team's small-ball tactics have a high scoring rate, but getting on base is still essential! Are you relying solely on luck to get on base? Or is your plan to bully weaker teams to inflate your stats?"

"What a joke! You guys!"

"If this continues, we'll barely win any games in the nationals. If we're unlucky enough to face a strong team, are you planning to lose in the first round?"

"Starting now, double your training intensity! Triple your swing practice!"

Shortly after the term began, Sendo noticed that the team's batting skills still showed little improvement.

Apart from Wakana and Sawamura, everyone else lowered their heads in shame under his criticism.

Although their physical fitness had improved with growth, so had their opponents'. As their bodies matured, it was even more crucial to focus on refining technique.

They needed to re-familiarize themselves with details like swing speed, and the only way to do that was through increased training intensity.

Sendo himself went out of his way to research methods, even consulting Coach Nakani, who could only suggest shortening their grip on the bat for better control.

After two weeks of intensified training, the team finally started adapting to the benefits of their enhanced physical fitness.

However, there was no shortcut to developing a "feel" for the ball.

Most players could barely keep up with middle school-level pitches.

Even Kondou, the best at timing, saw his on-base percentage drop significantly against strong pitchers.

Adjustments like shifting the batting point forward and avoiding leg lifts helped somewhat, but when it came to directing the ball to specific areas for strategic base running, their skills fell short.

Simply put, their improved ability to make contact was countered by a lack of precise ball placement.

"Pull hitting and push hitting, huh? What if we abandon those techniques entirely?" Sendo pondered, suddenly feeling a surge of excitement.

"No leg lifts, shift the batting point forward, grip the bat short… What happens if we just focus on hitting the ball in the strongest direction for each player?"

"Sounds heretical for baseball, doesn't it? But hey, our team isn't short on unconventional tactics—we've even done a nine-infielder formation before."

"I feel like I've seen this strategy somewhere… Maybe in an anime from my past life?"

"Anyway, let's try it tomorrow. Time for bed!"

...

The next day, Sendo acted as the batting pitcher for the entire practice, throwing identical pitches for everyone to hit.

After each player took ten swings, Sendo asked, "How did it feel? For left field, center field, and right field, which direction felt the strongest and most natural for you?"

"For me, it's definitely full-power pull hitting to deep left field!" Kondou answered first.

The results were unanimous: everyone felt strongest hitting in the pull direction—right-handed hitters to left field, and left-handed hitters to right field, matching the natural swing motion of the bat.

"Exactly," Sendo thought. "Push hitting increases the chance for singles, but it rarely leads to power hits."

"However, push hitting doesn't actually improve contact precision; it just lets poorly hit balls roll into play. It's not suitable for our team."

"We've already used all the methods to improve timing. Now, the focus should be on hitting the ball harder and farther."

Sendo explained his reasoning: "Push hitting is like deflecting the ball, while pull hitting is more like reflecting it with full force. Naturally, pull hitting is stronger.

So, how about we hit every pitch in the direction where our swing feels the strongest?"

"But…" someone hesitated.

"You want to bring up traditional baseball theory, right? But theory is just theory—what works best for you in practice is what truly matters."

"Sure, hitting against the runner's direction helps with base running. But that's for elite hitters with the skill to control their ball placement against top-tier pitchers."

"Even the MLB has embraced the fly-ball theory, haven't they?"

"Neither their pitchers nor our hitters are elite. The result is the same: pitchers won't let you hit in your preferred direction easily."

"Since you don't have the technical skill to do otherwise, focusing on your strongest hits is your best option. Hit the ball far and hard, and force it through the defense."

"If it lands for a base hit, it still helps your teammates advance, right?"

Everyone was stunned by this unconventional approach.

"Even if you don't hit it perfectly and it results in a fly ball, it's still better for advancing runners than a grounder. Grounders risk double plays, but fly balls, with proper tagging, almost never result in one."

"Just like waiting until the last moment to swing at breaking balls, this MLB-inspired theory is based on what's ideal for elite players. But for amateur school teams like ours, it's not always applicable."

"We need to adapt to our team's strengths and make sacrifices where necessary."

"If you want it all, then first become the kind of batter who can go head-to-head with any pitcher!"

Sendo's argument was compelling, flipping their conventional thinking with a logical and practical perspective.

"To overcome the limitations of your stamina, skill, and physical abilities, focus on swing power and speed. Isn't that what you, as weaker players, need the most?"

Sendo's philosophy was strikingly similar to Coach Araki's—prioritize what's most suitable, not what's theoretically perfect.

The difference lay in their team needs. While Ouya Metropolitan High School relied on consistent singles to build rallies, Akagi prioritized steady base hits but relied heavily on small-ball tactics.

For Akagi, getting on base almost always meant scoring, so they didn't need perfect rallies. They just needed one timely hit to avoid choking at critical moments.

Thus, while Ouya's approach focused on reliable singles, Akagi needed hits with distance to exploit their aggressive baserunning in softball. The farther the ball traveled, the higher the chance of a hit—and ultimately, a win.

Sendo's idea was quickly accepted by the team.

Once they abandoned the overly complex techniques of directional hitting and focused purely on powerful swings, the quality of their hits noticeably improved.

However, this revealed another issue: the ball wasn't traveling as far as expected.

What to do? Add weight training.

But weight training for middle schoolers and even high schoolers is no joke—it requires professional oversight to control the speed and amount of weight gain, ensuring it doesn't negatively impact speed.

So, Sendo called Coach Nakani late at night, and within a few days, they had a comprehensive plan to implement.

The goal? Achieve the final transformation before summer, balancing batting feel, baserunning, and safe, effective weight gain.

The training intensity increased again, and the team was pushed to their limits.

For the first few days, everyone was so exhausted they had to lie on the field for half an hour to recover enough energy to even go home.

...

Half a Month Later

"Ping!"

"Thwack!"

"It's in! Left field home run!"

"See? Hard work pays off, Kondou!" Sendo cheered.

"I'm up next! Prepare yourself, Sendo!" Sawamura, witnessing Kondou hit a home run during practice, was unusually fired up.

He thought he could do it too.

"Hey! You haven't participated in any weight training or batting practice these past two weeks. Where did you get the confidence to think you can hit a home run?" Sendo silently grumbled, watching Sawamura's determined expression.

"Get lost and go run laps!" Sendo ordered, unceremoniously chasing Sawamura off.

Sawamura, who had been running laps, dashed over as soon as he saw Kondou's ball fly out.

Grabbing a helmet and bat from who knows where, he tried to join in.

Sendo, however, had no intention of indulging him and kicked him out immediately.

"Hahaha!" The team burst out laughing at the scene.

"You guys too," Sendo turned to the others. "This is just practice pitching! You know the pitch path in advance, and the balls are easy to hit. You'd better hit them farther, or else…"

His devilish grin sent shivers down their spines.

"Y-Yes, we got it!" Everyone immediately straightened up.

"Ping!"

"Did you not eat? Swing harder—it needs to go farther!"

"Ping!"

"And you, aim more accurately!"

Under this two-pronged approach, the team's on-base rate finally stabilized. As long as they stayed focused and paired with Sendo's presence, Akagi's batting lineup became a fearsome force.

...

Golden Week Training Camp

Golden Week, around early May, is a series of consecutive holidays in Japan, typically lasting about a week.

Although Sendo didn't push the team as hard as high school baseball teams, the middle schoolers were still pushed to their limits.

Even Sendo wasn't spared, as Fumino once again moved into his house for the duration of the camp.

The scariest part? She shared his room.

Don't ask why—this had been an annual occurrence for years.

Sendo's room had a view of the stars, but instead of stargazing, he had to keep an eye on Fumino to prevent her from rummaging through his belongings.

Since they'd grown up as childhood friends, sharing a room wasn't entirely unusual.

As for Fumino's stated reason of "stargazing"? Only partially true.

Sendo's room was both large and cluttered, so they folded up the bed and slept on tatami mats. Thus began a Golden Week filled with intense days.

Surprisingly, Fumino's presence boosted everyone's morale, especially Sawamura.

Fumino, being a genius in academics and persuasion, could easily make anyone laugh, cry, or cheer with just a few words.

...

"Training seems to have changed a lot since last summer," Fumino observed on the first day of the camp.

"We've been experimenting and making adjustments for over half a month now," Sendo replied.

"Change is good; stagnation is regression. So, any progress?"

"Decent, I guess." Sendo deliberately downplayed their achievements, knowing over-praising would inflate their egos.

"I see," Fumino said, catching onto his hint.

...

The camp culminated with a practice match against Sakura Girls's University on the final day of Golden Week.

Once the match ended, the summer tournament was just around the corner.

As Sendo thought about it, he felt bittersweet—like the days before a major exam, torn between wanting it to end quickly and wishing it would be delayed.

Adding to his frustrations, Fumino had been raiding his snack stash.

Her reasoning? "Studying is exhausting; I need extra energy," she said, as she helped herself to his desserts, snacks, and ice cream.

Sendo wanted nothing more than to grab her and give her a good scolding.

Reluctantly, he restocked the snacks, grumbling about the added workload. He even found himself praying for Golden Week to end quickly so he could regain some peace.

In the meantime, Fumino's boldness kept him constantly on edge.

And so, their classic exchange repeated itself:

"What do you mean by that?" Fumino asked

innocently.

"Exactly what I said!" Sendo retorted.

Fumino reluctantly left the room, though not without pouting.

Talking back was just her way of putting on a strong front in front of Sendo, but deep down, she was well aware of her limits.

However, this only strengthened her resolve to master cooking.

"Just wait and see!" Fumino thought, clenching her tiny fists.

Thanks to Fumino's antics, Sendo always felt like Golden Week dragged on forever.

Before middle school, he didn't mind longer holidays, as he had nothing else to do.

But now? He could only sigh.

Still, whether it brought laughter or frustration, Golden Week eventually came to an end.

...

As a side note, the practice match against Sakura Girls's University ended with a score of 8–3.

Akagi's new strategy of focusing on consistent base hits showed remarkable progress.

After weight training, the physical differences between the boys and the women became evident.

Balls that weren't hit well were forcibly pulled with raw power.

Balls that seemed unreachable were somehow still hit into play.

Even if the placement and angle weren't ideal, the sheer speed and force of the hits often turned them into base hits.

Now imagine Sendo setting up runners on base for you to deal with—wouldn't you be terrified?

Despite all this, Akagi still lost, but they gave Sakura Girls's team a real scare.

This new style suited Akagi perfectly.

Without Sendo, the team could grind out runs steadily, inning by inning. With Sendo, they could pile on runners and force the opponent into a showdown.

Sakura Girls eventually resorted to extreme measures, walking Sendo even with the bases loaded. In hindsight, had they not taken such drastic actions, the outcome of the match might have been very different.

This was the new and improved Akagi, post-Golden Week—stronger, more versatile, and ready for the summer tournament.

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