July 26, 2010, the 90th National High School Baseball Championship West Tokyo Tournament, finals day.
Standing on the pitcher's mound at the center of Shengong Stadium, moments from the past few months flashed through Lin Guanglai's mind:
The sweat shed during daily training, the excitement of victory in practice matches, the sadness of defeat, all combined to form Lin Guanglai's deep feelings for the Waseda Jitsugyo Baseball Club and his senior teammates——
Despite being a first-year, the time he spent with these seniors was only a few months since enrollment, but the emotional bonds formed through working together day and night towards a common goal and his sense of belonging to the Waseda Industrial Baseball Club are definitely genuine.
Therefore, when Lin Guanglai learned he would start in the finals, he secretly made a decision in his heart: No matter what, he must win this game, he must go to Koshien with these lovable seniors and step onto the stage of everyone's dreams.
He tried throwing a few balls——his touch was excellent today, one might even say exceptionally good: the long break had indeed brought Lin Guanglai to peak physical and mental condition.
The weather today wasn't as hot as before; instead, warm and gentle summer breezes blew through from time to time, with the sky above Shengong Stadium being cloudless——yes, it was perfect baseball weather.
In the cheering stands, the atmosphere was even more lively today:
Aside from the traditional brass band, Waseda Jitsugyo brought an enormous taiko drum. The "dong dong dong dong" of the drum intertwined with the sound of brass instruments, resonating throughout the entire Shengong Stadium.
At the front of the stands were the baseball club members who didn't make it onto the roster, most of whom were first-year students. Even if they weren't selected, this did not diminish their sense of belonging to the team and their enthusiasm for cheering:
Led by Uesugi Yasuyuki, the first-years all wore the team's off-white uniforms, with headbands bearing slogans like "Must Win" and "One Pitch, One Soul"; they also formed the backbone of the cheering squad, leading other fans in supporting the team during the match.
Additionally, a cheerleading team composed of vibrant young girls sat around the cheering stands, twirling their pom-poms in anticipation of the start of the game.
Beyond the support from both schools, many local residents and neutral fans had also come to watch in person, filling the nearly 40,000-seat Shengong Stadium——this was a grand festival for everyone who loved baseball.
Inside the stadium, the players who had arrived were warming up; meanwhile, the two live commentators for the match, Ikezaki Fusho and Keichi Shibasaki, began their pre-match commentary:
"Ladies and gentlemen tuning in live, the West Tokyo Tournament finals are about to begin! Today's finals, whether it's Waseda Industries or Nihon University Tsurugaoka High School, both teams have defeated many strong opponents to reach this point."
"Indeed, I think today's match will be very exciting——Ikezaki-san, what do you think about the strength comparison between the two teams in today's match? Which team has a better chance of winning and representing the West Tokyo region at August's Koshien?"
Ikezaki Fusho pretended to flip through some materials, thought for a moment, and then started to speak:
"Ah~ Shibasaki-san has really posed me a tough question. Speaking of chances, baseball outcomes are inherently unpredictable. I believe that both teams have a chance of winning; however, I'd like to focus on Waseda's starting pitcher today."
"In today's decisive match, Waseda's manager, Mr. Izumi Minoru, has boldly started a first-year rookie, Lin Guanglai, as the team's pitcher."
"In previous games, he started twice, pitching 11 innings and allowing 1 run; in batting, he even hit a home run;"
"Moreover, from our commentary booth's view, Mr. Lin's warm-up state is quite good today——so I feel that in today's finals, this first-year player might surprise us."
Upon hearing this, Keichi Shibasaki, next to Ikezaki Fusho, laughed and said: "Well, it seems Ikezaki-san really favors this young talent."
"I just think that Mr. Izumi's move to send a first-year rookie as the finals starter might be a bit of a gamble?"
"Of course, I don't underestimate first-year players; I just feel that on the decisive stage for a ticket to Koshien, facing immense pressure, might the mindset of young players waver? It's well known that high school players are susceptible to psychological influences..."
Agreeing with Ikezaki Fusho, Keichi Shibasaki nodded: "Ikezaki-san, you're right. The mindset of high school pitchers is indeed easily influenced. Even on this finals stage, even we commentators sometimes feel breathless... However, I think since Mr. Izumi chose to do so, he must have his reasons——we'll have to see the actual performance during the match."
"Indeed..."
As the two commentators conducted their pre-game analysis, staff inside Shengong Stadium were also preparing for the game: Groundskeepers moistened the infield dirt before the game, then drove the chalking machine onto the field to mark lines;
Additionally, due to the award ceremony following the game, there were designated personnel to guard the championship flag and host the guests.
The time for the official start of the game was drawing closer, and both teams' players were utilizing the remaining time for final preparations—due to having drawn for the later attacking order, Waseda's warm-ups focused on passing and catching.
Having once again pitched and caught four or five balls with Tsuchiya Ryota, Lin Guanglai stopped——his body was fully warmed up, ready to start the game.
As the time seemed almost right, under the guidance of the umpire team, the players from both sides of the finals lined up on either side of the home plate area, conducting the pre-game bow according to tradition.
"Please take care of us!"
"Please take care of us!"
Simultaneously, the live commentators began their work:
"Good afternoon, live broadcast viewers! You are now watching the 90th National High School Baseball Championship West Tokyo Tournament Finals, Waseda Industrial School versus Nihon University Tsurugaoka High School, I'm commentator Ikezaki Fusho, and with me is guest commentator Mr. Keichi Shibasaki."
"Out of 119 high schools in the entire West Tokyo region, after half a month of fierce battles, only two of the strongest teams could make it here——the 90th West Tokyo Tournament, will it be the revival of the prestigious or the reenactment of history? Which team will reach the top and represent the West Tokyo region at this summer's Koshien?"
"Ladies and gentlemen, the game, now, begins!!!"