Coach Kataoka's office.
Several bigwigs of the Seido High School Baseball Team were all gathered here, studying the roster in front of them again and again.
The results of the freshman game might have been cruel to the team's veterans, but for the entire Seido High School Baseball Team, it was indeed very good news.
The Ace they had been searching for so hard had not yet been finalized.
But they had found more than one promising pitcher.
Moreover, these guys had already been polished a bit; although they hadn't fully revealed their brilliant true colors, one could already vaguely see glimpses of light and sparkle.
Furuya Satoru, Sawamura Eijun.
Both newcomers displayed astonishing pitches on the pitcher's mound.
Although they still had their naive aspects, with a little refinement, they would essentially be able to pitch for the team.
Kawakami also regained his past form and confidence in this game.
The only regret was that his sinker had not yet been unlocked.
If the sinker could be unlocked, Kawakami might even reach a higher level. Although becoming the team's Ace would be difficult, he still had a lot of hope of becoming an important rotation pitcher for the team.
The most surprising thing, of course, was Zhang Han's right hand.
Others at most saw potential and felt hope. Zhang Han was different; although his right-handed pitching hadn't been practiced for a long time, looking back at it now...
Plus his breaking ball...
Even if Zhang Han couldn't pitch many left-handed pitches now, combining his pitches from both hands, he was still the most reliable choice for the team on the pitcher's mound.
However, this advantage probably wouldn't last for long.
"My suggestion is to have Zhang Han serve as the Ace. For other positions, we can see what can be supplemented, and then promote from the new players."
Coach Ochiai stroked the little beard on his chin and offered his suggestion.
Strictly speaking, Coach Ochiai was not yet part of the Seido High School Baseball Team.
But he clearly already considered himself a part of the Seido High School Baseball Team, and no one else raised any objections to this.
"I also believe Zhang Han is the most suitable and reliable option right now. There's no problem with him serving as the Ace for the Kanto Tournament."
Manager Ota's most admired pitcher was Kawakami. He had more than once privately suggested to Coach Kataoka to give Kawakami more opportunities.
But even though he thought highly of Kawakami, Ota knew in his heart that Kawakami was not qualified to be the team's Ace right now.
The choice for Ace could only be Tanba or Zhang Han.
Without considering Zhang Han's left-handed pitching, his strength was actually on par with Tanba's, and Tanba's pitching quality might even be higher.
That killer curveball falling from a high angle was a nightmare for any powerhouse batter.
Zhang Han's biggest advantage was his sufficient stability.
Zhang Han had already won the national runner-up with his team in middle school, and last year, as a freshman, he also made it to the top eight of Koshien with the team.
Zhang Han was an unquestionable star player.
This aura was very important for baseball players, especially for a team's Ace.
With such a pitcher present, everyone would definitely be infected during the game.
Manager Ota believed that if Zhang Han served as the Ace, the team's combat power should be the strongest.
Two people not close to Zhang Han unanimously suggested that Zhang Han serve as the team's Ace.
However, the two people who were close to Zhang Han, namely Coach Kataoka of the team and Vice Manager Takashima Rei of the team, were very hesitant about this proposal.
"Zhang Han's performance on the pitcher's mound is indeed reliable enough. But my judgment of him hasn't changed; his right-handed pitching should have no development potential."
Takashima Rei analyzed with a serious expression.
A pitch speed approaching 150 kilometers, two breaking balls, and control that could basically hit the corners of the strike zone.
No matter how you looked at it, such statistics could not have been thrown by a pitcher with no potential.
But Takashima Rei still said so.
Ota listened from the side, clicking his tongue.
This woman was as strict as ever when it came to baseball matters.
Even when evaluating Zhang Han, with whom she had a very good relationship, she showed no intention of holding back her words.
She spoke her mind bluntly.
The three stood at 2:1, all turning their gaze to the team's decision-maker, Kataoka.
The final decision-making power for this matter still rested with Kataoka.
Kataoka sat in his chair, facing the piercing gazes, but gave no response.
He had been contemplating how to arrange things.
"Why do you still think Zhang Han's pitching is the same as our previous analysis?"
After thinking for about half a minute, Kataoka clearly had an answer. But before he stated his answer, he still sought Takashima Rei's advice.
Takashima Rei's tone was even stricter this time than before.
"Jinguuji and Kominato Haruichi completely got used to Zhang Han's pitching in the later stages. Although they ultimately couldn't score, their performance showed it. If they were given another chance, it's very likely they would score. The results speak for themselves. How many powerhouses are there among the opponents in Tokyo and Koshien? How many strong batters are there among them? Can Zhang Han's pitching keep fooling them indefinitely?"
"We never said Zhang Han's pitching was perfect. The current problem is that our team simply doesn't have that kind of flawless, reliable Ace. In comparison, Zhang Han's pitching should be the most reliable among the several pitchers."
Not the best, but indeed the most reliable and stable.
Coach Ochiai believed that suitability was the most important thing.
Coach Kataoka had a noncommittal expression. He first nodded, affirming Ochiai's statement, then shook his head, stating his own thoughts.
"For the current stage, Zhang Han is indeed the most reliable, and his right-handed pitching is also good, stronger than the other players except Tanba. At least, stronger at this stage. But the question is, how long can this strength last? And how long can his reliability last?"
Kataoka threw the question back to Ota and Ochiai.
Ota looked bewildered, clearly not understanding what Kataoka meant at all.
Ochiai, on the other hand, had a thoughtful expression.
He gave Kataoka a deep look.
It was true that Kataoka valued results, but he was not a coach who judged solely by results.
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