For the first-years, the early training at Seidou High School was incredibly dull and tedious.
Unlike the second and third years, who could take their gloves and bats to pitch, swing, and train, the first-years had only one task during early training: running!
Endless running.
And this would continue for quite some time.
Those who made it here were the backbone of the team and were all well-known prodigies in their local areas.
Having been pampered in their previous teams, they arrived here without any sense of restraint.
Some players cursed as they ran, showing no respect for Seidou High School at all.
They were still too naive.
Each of them thought that just because they had achieved some success in junior high, they could take on ten opponents.
If they were to compete seriously, they wouldn't even measure up to the substitutes on Seidou High School's second team.
It was entirely possible for them to lose by a double-digit score.
Junior high and high school were on completely different levels.
Not only was the intensity of the games different, but the education and training they received were also on different scales.
The substitutes on Seidou High School's second team were the substitutes of substitutes, but even so, they were not someone the first-years could look down upon.
Yet, they wore sour expressions, as if someone owed them a fortune.
This was something Coach Kataoka would need to address in the future.
The best way to do that was to crush their confidence.
A crushing defeat would be enough to achieve that.
"It feels like we're playing baseball."
"Exactly! Why do we have to run? I didn't come to Seidou just to run!"
"Yeah! Their training model is why they haven't made it to Koshien in five years!"
Of course, they were just venting their frustrations.
Now that they were at Seidou High School, they naturally hoped for its success.
However, if these words reached the higher-ups at Seidou High School, it would indeed come off as a bit presumptuous.
Many of the people here didn't choose Seidou High School; rather, Seidou High School had taken them in.
Seidou High School had previously been known as one of the "Three Great Powers of West Tokyo," alongside Ichidaisan High School and Inashiro Industrial High School.
However, in recent years, Inashiro Industrial and Ichidaisan High School had proven themselves as strong schools, consistently claiming the Koshien spots in West Tokyo.
In contrast, Seidou High School had not set foot in Koshien for five consecutive years since Coach Kataoka took over.
Many outsiders had already removed Seidou High School from the list of the "Three Great Powers of West Tokyo."
So, their presence here was truly a reflection of their worthiness to be at Seidou High School.
If they had tried out for Ichidaisan High School or Inashiro Industrial, they might not have even been considered.
Now, saying such things made them seem like "clowns."
"First-years over there, quiet down, or you'll have to run five more laps!" Coach Katsuoka shouted.
As a young coach, his voice was loud enough that even from the other side of the field, the first-years could hear him clearly.
"Isn't it about time?" Ohta, the club president, asked Coach Kataoka while checking his watch.
This early training had already lasted two hours, and it was time to wrap it up.
Ohta was not only club president of the baseball team but also an assistant coach at Seidou High School, and part of his daily tasks involved coordinating training with Coach Kataoka.
"That's enough. Let them go eat breakfast, and then we'll arrange the first-year tests."
"Understood!"
With that, Ohta blew the whistle hanging around his neck.
After explaining the next arrangements, the first-years happily headed to the cafeteria for breakfast.
Next up was the part they were most concerned about: the newcomer testing.
This was their best opportunity to catch the coach's attention.
However, many found the cafeteria experience to be torturous.
The "three big bowls of rice" had always been a nightmare for first-years!
"Heh heh, this will be entertaining," some upperclassmen said, looking at the first-years with mischievous grins.
Seeing them suffer brought a certain satisfaction.
But Zhou Hui was not as dramatic as the other first-years.
Three big bowls of rice? That was nothing to him.
Despite his tall and slender appearance, Zhou Hui had a hearty appetite.
At home, he often ate from a large bowl.
Having followed his father around since he was young, his appetite had naturally grown.
Moreover, the temptation of the upcoming newcomer tests made him eat even faster than usual.
Although three big bowls of rice were challenging, they were nothing compared to the desire to impress.
After finishing their meals, the first-year tests began on the testing field!
Here, Zhou Hui recognized several familiar faces.
These were the stars of the youth baseball scene, each with considerable fame, many of whom were Zhou Hui's old rivals.
Among the first-years, Kanemaru Shinji and Toujou Hideaki from Matsukata Youth Baseball, who were the top four in the Tokyo region, were naturally second only to Zhou Hui in terms of notoriety.
There was also the catcher Narika Kō, who was among the top eight in the region, and the ace pitcher Kaneda Tadao, who was among the top four in the region, all present.
Additionally, there were several substitutes with experience in national tournaments.
Although this year's first-year class at Seidou High School wasn't filled with stars, the depth of the roster was still commendable.
At least they had managed to recruit a few nationally recognized players.
Especially Zhou Hui!
He was the fourth batter from the team that reached the top four in the national tournament and had even been featured in a special interview by the media.
He was undoubtedly the biggest surprise for Seidou High School.
Compared to Zhou Hui, even the most talented players seemed to pale in comparison.
However, it was undeniable that they had all experienced their moments of glory in junior high.
Without exception, they all had.
This competition seemed to be set up for Zhou Hui to shine, but the reality was that the competition was fierce.
At least Zhou Hui didn't look down on anyone.
"Have all the first-years gathered? Next, we'll start the newcomer tests. I'm the recorder for this session, Tanamoto from the third year. Nice to meet you all."
"Nice to meet you, senpai."
"The tests at Seidou High School have always been the same three events, and they haven't changed in a long time: pitching, hitting, and base running. Even if you're not a pitcher, you have to participate in the pitching test; there's no negotiation, and I don't want to explain it."
"Understood!"
"Alright, tidy yourselves up, make sure your shoelaces are tight, and once you're all ready, we'll proceed with the tests in order."
"Yes!"
Zhou Hui squatted down to tie his shoelaces and adjust his gear.
This might be their only chance in the coming days to showcase themselves in front of Coach Kataoka.
Zhou Hui looked at Coach Kataoka standing on the sidelines, clenched his fist, and silently vowed to impress him!