Chapter 29: Ball Control Special Training

Afternoon, training field.

After finishing basic training with the other First Years, Huangqian Yangyi and Miyuki were about to join the First String defensive practice when they were called over by Manager Kataoka.

"Manager!" The two stood obediently before Manager Kataoka with their hands behind their backs.

"Hmm." Kataoka nodded and said, "In the upcoming practice simulation, Miyuki, you will be paired with Huangqian!"

"Now, go to the Bullpen and get ready!"

Miyuki froze, then shouted, "Yes!"

A practice simulation, where he and Huangqian Yangyi would be paired up to face the First String upperclassmen.

Doesn't this mean that for tomorrow's Semi-finals, there is a high probability that Manager Kataoka will send him and Huangqian Yangyi onto the field together?

Miyuki nudged Huangqian Yangyi with his elbow, and both saw the burning fighting spirit in each other's eyes—for the upperclassmen, and for tomorrow's game.

Watching the two whispering to each other as they walked toward the Bullpen, Manager Kataoka followed after arranging the First String's training.

Miyuki's guess was correct; Manager Kataoka did indeed intend to have him and Huangqian play together. Ever since Chris was injured, the Catcher position had been in urgent need of someone who could hold the field together.

Considering the future of Seido, Miyuki, this genius Catcher, was undoubtedly given the highest hopes.

During the Spring Metropolitan Tournament and the Kanto Tournament, the two not only had to hone their respective skills but also improve their chemistry.

By then, this battery, having finished their integration, would shine with their true brilliance in the Summer Tournament.

Bullpen.

After Miyuki Kazuya put on his gear and was about to squat down, he saw Huangqian Yangyi standing opposite him with his head lowered.

"What are you thinking about?" Miyuki shouted.

Huangqian Yangyi pursed his lips and made an "mm-hmm" sound, then said after a long while, "Kazuya, I want to test my control."

"Control?" Miyuki asked with a frown, "What do you want to do?"

"Nine-Grid, the kind where the strike zone is divided into 9 parts," Huangqian Yangyi said.

His current control allowed him to throw into the outer or inner corners whenever the Catcher asked; as a First Year, this was already excellent.

But if the opposing Batter adapted to his pitch speed or guessed the pitch type, it was possible to get caught and hit for a big play.

Especially against powerful Batters, like Dong Qingguo.

To avoid such situations, he had to be more precise, throwing the ball steadily into the corners of the strike zone, or even into the blurred zone between a Strike and a Ball.

To achieve this, Huangqian Yangyi thought of one person: the Pitcher from Mingchuan High School, known as the Precision Machine, Yang Shunchen!

However, he should have just joined Mingchuan recently and shouldn't be that monstrous yet.

Facing Huangqian Yangyi's drive to improve, Miyuki didn't seem as excited, instead asking with some concern, "Right now? If this affects your condition..."

"Who do you think I am?"

Huangqian Yangyi tilted his head and slightly raised his chin, his eyes revealing unquestionable determination; Miyuki even felt a hint of pressure from his gaze.

The two stared at each other, and a smile gradually appeared on Miyuki's face.

"Come on, my Ace!"

"Hmph, first pitch, position 7."

"Hey, hey, I'm the Catcher here."

Miyuki complained, but his body honestly squatted down, and he set his glove.

"Since we're practicing, then throw it in!" Miyuki's tone was slightly frantic.

Huangqian Yangyi smiled at this. The position Miyuki wanted was very tricky—the number 7 area of the Nine-Grid, further divided into a Nine-Grid; Huangqian Yangyi was aiming for the number 7 position of this smaller Nine-Grid.

Whoosh—

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Huangqian Yangyi relaxed his body, visualizing the position of Miyuki's glove in his mind, going through his pitching form step by step.

It can work!

Huangqian Yangyi opened his eyes, his movements matching his imagination—fluid and elegant. He stepped forward, his arm whipped down, and the small white ball shot toward Miyuki's glove as straight as a laser.

Bang!

"Nice Ball!"

Catching this pitch and feeling the force coming from the glove, Miyuki's eyes lit up.

Next, Miyuki changed to different positions, calling for pitches only on the edges and corners of the strike zone; even a slight deviation would be a Ball.

After 10 pitches, 7 were Strikes and 3 were Balls; of the 7 Strikes, only 4 hit the extreme positions Miyuki requested.

"Less than a 50% success rate, but if you can throw these in key moments during a game, it's enough to deal with any Batter."

Miyuki threw the ball back to Huangqian Yangyi and made his judgment.

From the first time he caught Huangqian Yangyi's pitch, Miyuki knew his control was excellent, but to be able to do this—honestly, he had never seen such a Pitcher.

"Hmm, but the pitch speed slowed down." Huangqian Yangyi was still not satisfied.

To refine his control to this degree, his pitch speed had dropped significantly.

Miyuki gave a dry chuckle, "Don't underestimate baseball."

"You should be happy you can do this as a First Year."

Huangqian Yangyi spun the small ball in his hand, "Let's practice slowly later. Come on, let's try the Two-seam Fastball."

"Again? It's not easy to throw a Two-seam Fastball that accurately."

"Just try it." Huangqian-style pleading.

"Fine."

Miyuki squatted down again and asked for an inner-low position.

Bang!

The Two-seam Fastball flew out.

"A bit off."

Bang!

"Missed by two centimeters, ball."

"Hey, hey, two centimeters?" Huangqian Yangyi doubted Miyuki's judgment.

"Whatever I say goes; my eyes are the ruler."

Miyuki smirked and threw the ball back; as expected, it was still too difficult to pitch a Two-seam Fastball that moved at the end with such precision.

Especially since Huangqian Yangyi's Two-seam Fastball also incorporated the characteristics of a Sinker; being able to control the ball within the standard Nine-Grid was already enough to be proud of, and wanting to further improve control would require long-term training and accumulation, not just a flash of inspiration that could be executed on command.

Not long after, a figure stood at the entrance of the Bullpen, and after watching just a few pitches, Director Kataoka furrowed his brows.

"Huangqian!"

Director Kataoka suddenly spoke up, causing Huangqian Yangyi, who was preparing to pitch, to stumble, and the baseball slipped from his hand.

"Director."

"Are you feeling unwell?" Director Kataoka's expression was grave; of the few Two-seam Fastballs he had just seen, two of them hadn't reached the location Miyuki requested—was he physically unwell? Was he in poor form?

The day before the Semi-finals, if something were to happen to Huangqian Yangyi, tomorrow's game against Ichidai Sanko would be hard to call.

Hearing this, Huangqian Yangyi smiled awkwardly; Director Kataoka didn't know that he and Miyuki were practicing the precision of his control, so it wasn't strange for him to be worried upon seeing that level of control.

"Director..." Miyuki took the initiative to explain to Director Kataoka.

After listening, Kataoka turned to look at Huangqian Yangyi, and the latter immediately stood at attention.

"Your body is still growing, and your pitch speed is also gradually increasing; at this stage, overly pursuing precise and tricky control will instead cause your pitching to lose its own unique characteristics—do not put the cart before the horse."

Boom~~

Huangqian Yangyi and Miyuki both suddenly realized the truth.