Three outs—side retired.
Yoshida, who had replaced Zhou Hao on the mound, cleanly retired the side without giving Ikeda a chance.
The Seidou High School supporters erupted in cheers.
They loved this feeling—
the feeling of their team's unshakable dominance.
Did anyone really think Seidou would falter just because Zhou Hao left the mound?
"Don't even dream of it! You're still far from our level!"
"We are Seidou!"
"Yoshida's in great form today!"
As Yoshida walked off the mound, a confident smile lit up his face.
"I can't let the team down either."
For someone whose Ace position had been taken, such composure was rare.
He had clearly accepted his new role and found pride in it.
Most people in his place would have been bitter—resentful even.
But Yoshida stood tall.
If he couldn't be the Ace, then he'd be the best supporting pillar Seidou could ask for.
As long as he could hold the line while Zhou Hao rested, their team would be fine.
Victory would still be theirs.
In the stands, President Ota rubbed the fuzz on the back of his hand, smiling with approval.
"As expected of Yoshida. He really has such a good personality."
For most players, being replaced by a freshman in the middle of a tournament would be a heavy blow—enough to cause a slump.
No one expected Yoshida to adapt this quickly.
"In fact," Ota added, "some professional teams have already taken an interest in him. His pitching still has flaws and isn't perfectly stable, but with that attitude? He's the kind of player who can unite a team."
Professional scouts had their own standards.
Unlike in high school, a pro team didn't rely on a single Ace.
They valued team chemistry, adaptability, and consistency—qualities Yoshida had in abundance.
And when he was in peak condition, his performance was easily of national level.
That was why so many professional scouts had started inquiring about him.
"Excellent," one of them had said. "Our team needs players like him."
Seidou was, after all, not just a powerhouse—they were a factory for professional talent.
Many of Japan's current pros were Seidou alumni.
The game now entered the bottom of the fifth inning, with Seidou on offense.
Leading off was the sixth batter—Yoshida himself.
Fresh off his strong performance on the mound, Yoshida stepped into the batter's box with fierce determination.
"Ping!"
The bat connected, sending the ball bouncing sharply along the ground.
"Pop!"
"Out!"
One out, nobody on base.
"Ahh, just a little more and I would've sent that one flying! What a pity!" Yoshida groaned dramatically, shaking his head.
The dugout collectively sighed.
When their No. 1 pitcher started showing his true personality again, the team didn't quite know how to react.
"Why are you all looking at me like that? You doubting my batting now?"
"N-No, not at all!" several teammates said quickly, waving their hands.
At that moment, Miyuki—Seidou's next batter—stepped up to the plate.
"Focus," Coach Kataoka said calmly, watching the scene. "There are a lot of eyes on you today… Azuma's too."
Azuma Kiyokuni didn't look surprised. He already knew what Kataoka meant; the coach had warned them before they even arrived at Koshien.
But Yoshida froze.
Even back when he was Seidou's Ace, he'd never been given a reminder like that.
"Coach?" he asked, uncertain.
Whether or not he was planning to go pro, being noticed by professional scouts was still a huge honor.
"How many…?" he asked cautiously.
"Two teams," Kataoka replied simply.
That was all it took to make Yoshida's heart pound.
"You should've told me earlier! Wait, do you think they came to watch today?"
"Calm down," President Ota interjected, chuckling. "This isn't anything new for Seidou. And relax—only a few teams are interested in you. At least three other players on this team are more sought after."
Yoshida pouted. "Couldn't you let me enjoy it for a bit before crushing my mood? And who are they, anyway?"
Everyone already knew one of the names—
Azuma Kiyokuni, Seidou's offensive cornerstone. His reputation was well deserved.
But what caught Yoshida off guard was that there were two others ahead of him.
"Among the third-years? Who could they be… Shimoji? Matsumoto?"
He frowned, genuinely puzzled. "No way. Their stats aren't stronger than mine."
He wasn't being arrogant—just honest. As both pitcher and main batter, he had every reason to believe he was a top prospect.
Ota smiled knowingly.
"Chris—three teams have already shown interest in him. Even Azuma didn't have that many last year."
"What?! Even the second-years are getting scouted now? These professional teams must be too free! Wait… the last one can't be Zhou Hao, can it?"
Ota's grin widened.
"You guessed it. Zhou Hao's been inquired about by eight professional teams already. Even Ms. Takashima got a call from the Major Leagues."
The dugout went silent.
A call from the Majors?
Even Ota found it unbelievable.
Zhou Hao was still a first-year rookie.
From his debut in the West Tokyo Tournament until now—his third Koshien game—it had been less than two months.
And yet, professional scouts were flocking to him like sharks to blood.
Of course, Seidou's long-standing ties with pro organizations played a role.
Even in years when they didn't make it to Koshien, scouts trusted Seidou to produce talent worth watching.
But this was on another level.
After all, who could resist a pitcher like Zhou Hao?
Even if he had nothing else, his terrifying Spiral Ball alone would guarantee him a place on any professional team.
And he was only fifteen.
What about when he turned seventeen? Or twenty-five?
Coach Kataoka's expression softened as he watched the boy in the dugout.
There was no doubt in his mind.
"He'll become a monster in the world of baseball."
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