"I know that players of your caliber are used to playing a certain role on a team, particularly with your clubs. However, I need you to reign in your ego and get on board. This is the Japanese National Team, all of you were chosen because we believe you have the skills and flexibility to help us succeed.
What I'm trying to say is that you may not get the same level of playing time that you are usually used to."
Coach Takashi gazed at the players in front of him with a serious demeanor. Ken nodded with satisfaction, complimenting the coach in his heart.
With a stacked roster of the best players under 18 on one roster, it was guaranteed that not everyone would get a lot of playing time. If things were not laid out in the beginning, it was possible for it to fester and effect the teams morale.
"So, I'll be detailing the starting line up for the World Cup first before we continue."
The coach nodded in the direction of a staff member who was standing by the side.
The guy walked over to the computer and pressed a few buttons before a projection suddenly appeared on the white screen in the middle of the class. In the next moment the lights turned off, making it much easier to see.
What appeared was an aerial view of a baseball field.
"In the infield we have Kuro, Akimitsu, Ichiro, Hiroki."
As the coach spoke, those four players mugshots appeared upon the screen. While some of them looked rather normal, Hiroki's photo looked like it was from middle school, making him stand out.
Ken felt a laugh surge from his chest, wanting to break out into the serious atmosphere. As he was fighting for his life, he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder, followed by a tense and icy feeling.
He slowly turned his head to see a seething Hiroki, silently threatening him to keep his mouth shut.
Thankfully this managed to calm him down enough to hold back the impending laughter.
"Hahaha, who is that elementary schooler on first base!?"
There was a brief silence before the room broke out into small chuckles, echoing within the half-empty classroom.
Hiroki's gaze snapped to the culprit as he looked at him intensly. It was as if he was burning every detail of Aki's shaved head, looking for the best spot to attack.
Surprisingly, Coach Takashi laughed a little in response.
"Haha. Apologies, we were unable to get up to date photos for some of you to put in our slide show. Don't worry though, there will be a media day when we get to America."
Hearing this, Hiroki let out a small sigh of relief. However, he still hadn't forgiven Aki for making fun of his photo.
"Moving on. Our starting pitcher will be… Satoshi."
Ken felt his heart sink a little at these words, but he quickly remembered that there would be plenty of games. If he was named a relief pitcher then he'd likely get to start alternate games anyway.
"Starting catcher is Daichi."
Daichi froze in shock, yet he was quickly overcome by happiness, a genuine smile appearing on his face. Ken sent him a nudge, celebrating his brother's achievements.
It was quite an accomplishment to be named as a starting player for the Under 18's as a freshman. Those who had done this generally went on to be great professional players.
Coach Takashi continued, "Outfield we have Riku, Masayuki and Ken."
"Eh?"
Ken couldn't help but respond after hearing his name called in the outfield. It wasn't just him that was confused, both Hiroki and Daichi felt as if their brain was about to implode.
A lot of the team were also stunned by the news. Who in their right mind would put the Ace pitcher who won Koshien in the outfield?
He couldn't help but look at his father in question, however he only received a smile in response, making Ken even more confused.
Thankfully, the Head Coach was an astute old man and could see the confusion within the team. Though he didn't have to, he still spoke up to explain the decision.
"Ken is a real asset to our team as a batter. We believe it's too much of a waste to have him sit on the bench as a relief pitcher."
Hearing this, the team couldn't really refute the coach's words. After all, they were all present when the batting drills were underway against the pitching team.
Even as an Ace pitcher, Ken still managed to hit the second most home runs, falling just short of Daichi in that regard.
However, Ken who was a staunch believer in his pitching abilities couldn't help but feel a little deflated. While he was happy that he'd get to play, he loved to pitch more than anything.
Seeing that Ken was still unconvinced, Coach Takashi grinned in response.
"We'll also be using Ken as a closing pitcher when needed." He stated.
"Ah."
Only after getting confirmation that he would get a chance to pitch did Ken relax a little. In fact, he was more than happy. Not only would he get to play the whole match, he could even pitch to clinch the game.
"Moving on. Kei will be our relief pitcher and Keiichi is our backup catcher."
Their mugshots appeared on the projection moments later, with Keiichi's bowl cut looking as impactful as ever.
No one seemed to want to pick on Keiichi though, as he was rather intimidating with his wide shoulders and serious attitude.
After saying this, the coach grabbed an armband from his jacket pocket and held it up for the team to see. It was white and had the letter C in bold black stitching.
"The captain for the U18 National Team is a prestigious position, given to those who will carry the burden of all his teammates. It's their job to ensure everyone on the field is working together and upholding both our values and our standard of play."