The day before their departure to Hyogo Prefecture, Coach Kataoka specifically gathered all the members of the Seidou High School baseball team.
"Last year, we won the Summer Koshien! This spring, we also took the Spring Koshien title! Everyone generally believes we'll continue our winning streak this year. If we manage to win again, it will be the first time in Koshien's history. In the past, there were teams that won both the Summer and Spring tournaments or one of the two. But we've only tied the record. This time, if we win again, we'll be the only team to win three consecutive Koshien titles."
Coach Kataoka's words ignited a spark in the players.
They knew exactly what this meant.
This meant that Seidou High School's baseball team was just 6 games away from becoming a legend.
If they win the 6 games in the Koshien tournament, Seidou High School's baseball team wouldn't just be champions anymore.
They would become legends!
Therefore, this year's Koshien tournament was undoubtedly the most important one for the Seidou High School baseball team.
Winning this championship would make every subsequent victory part of their new history.
If they didn't win this time...
It would be hard to say if they would ever have a chance to dominate again.
After all, for Sawamura and the others, apart from this year's tournament, they only had two more chances to participate in Koshien.
This meant they would find it difficult to win three consecutive titles.
They had to win!
They must win!!
"This is an era of great change. Although West Tokyo is known as the first 'death group,' there are several other super teams emerging nationwide. At least five or six teams can pose a serious threat to us. Not to mention those dark horses that could spring up at any time."
At this point, Coach Kataoka's tone became stern.
The Seidou High School baseball team wasn't the first to reach Koshien. They knew their old rivals well.
From Hokkaido's Komadai Fujimaki, Seihou High School, Osaka Kiryu, Hoshiryu, to Sawamura's hometown, the rising stars of Nagano Prefecture.
And there's also Osaka Seiseisha and many others!
The number of such schools is countless.
Although the Seidou High School baseball team has a certain advantage compared to them, it's unrealistic to think that they can crush all these teams with their strength.
These opponents are extremely formidable.
When playing against Seidou, these teams don't automatically lose.
So...
Even though Seidou High School's baseball team is so close to becoming a legendary team, a small mistake could still lead to their downfall.
To avoid this, the Seidou High School baseball team had to approach every match with caution.
Coach Kataoka's goal had been achieved.
On the one hand, he had stated their goal, and on the other, he had warned the players.
"Give them a stick, then a sweet carrot."
This approach was perfect for dealing with these rebellious kids.
After the meeting, the teammates gathered in small groups, passionately discussing the possibility of becoming legends.
Initially, this was just a joke from Sawamura.
Although Sawamura himself didn't think so, everyone still held that view.
Just a joke.
But a year and a half later, this joke was about to become reality.
Dreams had turned into reality.
As witnesses and participants in this process, how could these Seidou High School baseball teammates not be excited?
Next day...
The teammates boarded the bus and headed for Hyogo Prefecture.
They had embarked on the journey to become legends.
Players of the Seidou High School baseball team were all excited as they boarded the bus heading to Hyogo Prefecture.
Perhaps for players from other teams, reaching Koshien would also make them happy, but deep down, they would undoubtedly feel nervous.
After all, at Koshien, they would soon be facing powerful teams from all over the country.
The big question was, could they defeat these powerhouses? That, in itself, was a huge challenge.
Moreover, they weren't just representing their team anymore; they were also representing their hometowns.
This sense of honor motivated them, but it also brought a great deal of pressure.
What if they lost badly in the first game of Koshien?
If that really happened, how could they face their friends and hometowns again?
Such worries might seem like overthinking, but they weren't unfounded.
The cruelty of Koshien was even more intense than the regional competitions.
Regional tournaments may not be that well-known, so even if a team loses, not many people would notice.
Not to mention, if it's in their own hometown, even if something embarrassing happens, they could always seek comfort from their families.
Koshien, however, was different!
During the two weeks of the summer Koshien, the whole country focuses on the tournament.
It has become a national event.
Any performance at Koshien spreads across the nation like wildfire.
If there's anything sensational happening, the news would reach even places where baseball isn't as popular.
Such coverage is something even top celebrities can hardly achieve.
It's clear how big Koshien is.
The Major League scouts have even stationed themselves there for years, just to scout young talent emerging from Koshien.
Winning in such an event is, of course, a great honor for the family.
But a crushing defeat? That's the kind of humiliation that could follow them home.
For some weaker teams or those who've just made it to Koshien, it's understandable if they feel uneasy.
As for the members of Seidou High School's baseball team, they didn't have such worries.
This was already their third time at Koshien.
Most of the players had a great mindset, and they were there to make history.
As for embarrassing themselves?
Sorry, that wasn't going to happen.
With their strength, there didn't seem to be any team in the country that could match their terrifying power.
The members of the Seidou High School baseball team had this confidence.
No matter who the opponent was, they were sure they could overpower them.
In such a situation, how could they feel anxious?
What's more, the teams that just made it to Koshien were unfamiliar with the format and the strong teams.
That's why they would feel nervous.
But Seidou High School was different.
They had already faced almost every top team across the country.
In fact, the only teams that could challenge them for the championship were their old rivals. With that in mind, what could they possibly fear?
Is it true that teams from non-competitive regions are weaker than those from competitive regions?
This is partially true, but also not true.
It's true that teams from competitive regions are stronger, but this is all relative.
For instance, let's take the competitive region of West Tokyo, which is currently the top in the country.
In this region, teams strong enough to reach the top eight are not inferior to some of the championship teams from non-competitive regions.
Their strength comes from overall power.
But when it comes to the very top teams, competitive region teams may not necessarily be much stronger than non-competitive region teams.
For example, the mighty Komadai Fujimaki from Hokkaido.
Hokkaido, being a non-competitive region covered in snow most of the year, is certainly one such place.
Let's face it: the environment there is not suitable for baseball.
They spend more time clearing snow than actually playing baseball.
In a place like that, how could there be many strong teams competing?
It's impossible!
Teams from competitive regions generally have higher overall strength due to fierce local competition.
Therefore, there tend to be more powerful teams.
Non-competitive region teams, due to less intense internal competition, often lack the number of talented players.
So, generally speaking, these teams don't have as many strong competitors as those from competitive regions.
However, this doesn't mean their champion teams aren't powerful.
Even though these teams may not face many challenges in their own region, don't forget, they also have the national stage.
At Koshien, they are competing with teams from across the country, and the top teams from these non-competitive regions are also extremely strong.
Even in regions with weaker teams, strong opponents can still emerge.
And this is exactly what Seidou High School's baseball team feared the most.
While they knew their old rivals were powerful and could pose enough of a threat, the familiarity between them meant that the stronger team would usually win.
The predictability of the matchups in such cases was low, and it was the unexpected dark horse teams that posed more of a threat.
As the Seidou High School baseball team members were heading to Hyogo Prefecture, the match schedule had already been released.
Unfortunately, their luck wasn't too great, and they didn't get the "bye" for the first round.
Less than fifty teams would fight to select the top 32.
In fact, many teams didn't have to play in the first round.
According to the usual rules, teams from West Tokyo would typically be given special treatment.
Except for teams selected for specific matches, they rarely had to play six games.
And Seidou High School, as last year's Summer Koshien Champion and Spring Champion, should have been excused from the first round.
But the committee didn't do that. Instead, they deliberately arranged for Seidou High School to play an extra game.
One reason for this was the large number of spectators who would watch their games.
Having Seidou play the opening game would stimulate the market greatly.
Another reason was to create obstacles for them.
Not everyone wanted Seidou High School to become the only legendary team!
This wasn't something everyone wanted, especially other regions.
Within the scope of the rules, it was possible for the committee to add a little challenge for Seidou High School.
"Who are we facing in the first game? Which group are we in?"
The match schedule arrived on their phones, and the members eagerly discussed it.
Group A? Not there. Group B? Not there. Group C? Not there...
This was strange. With Seidou High School's reputation, they should have been in Group A.
The team members would never believe that the committee wasn't secretly messing with them.
"The road has never been smooth. What you need to do next is to flatten this uneven road," Coach Kataoka said solemnly.
His words were exactly what the Seidou High School baseball team members needed to hear.
Indeed, the road was never smooth.
And if they wanted to become legends, it was even less likely to be smooth.
Seidou High School was in Group G and would be playing the opening game.
Their opponent was Nanakyo High School!
...