It was the top of the 5th inning and Hawaii were fielding. Their pitcher was rather thick, but his wind up was full of power. Just from a glance, Ken could tell that the guy was pitching in the 90's.
He glanced at the batter whose face seemed as if he was wearing a cold mask. In a way, the expression reminded him of Leo, but there was some differences.
While Leo was almost too handsome, this guy had thick eyebrows and a square jaw. His body was also top-heavy, lacking the symmetry that the model-like Leo Cameron possessed.
However, this was not a competition of looks.
WHOOOOSH
THWACK!
The sound of the wooden bat was like a thunderclap, causing Ken's ears to perk up. He was used to hearing the resounding gong of a metal bat, so he took a moment to register what had happened.
His eyes followed the ball which soared into the air, hearing the cheers of the small crowd follow shortly after. The batter was stationary for a moment before casually tossing the bat aside and beginning his run around the bases.
"Damn, he hit that slider like it was nothing." Steve commented, letting out a whistle of appreciation.
"Mmm, it was a good hit." Ken commented, watching the ball sail over the back fence.
"Hey, what's up with the wooden bat?" He asked casually.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Ken turned to Steve as if he was dumb, "I'm asking why he's using a wooden bat." He reiterated.
Steve gave Ken a weird look, which only annoyed the latter more.
"What? It's a simple question." He snapped.
"Bro, we're in the WWBA tournament. What did you think we were going to hit with?"
"WWBA?" Ken felt like the guy was making fun of him or something. There was obviously something that he was missing.
Steve let out a sigh, shaking his head out of pity. He leaned closer and whispered, wanting to spare his friend from embarrassment.
"The WWBA stands for World Wood Bat Association. It would be quite unusual if we were allowed to hit with a metal bat in this tournament."
Ken's eyes lit up in understanding, though he felt a little embarrassed. Oftentimes, students would hit with metal bats in school. Not only were they cheaper, they were also much safer.
With metal bats, there was no risk of the bat cracking and sending someone to the hospital.
Ken had looked at wooden bats before, but after seeing the price tag, he quickly disregarded the idea. While he had some money from his Grandfather, he didn't want to waste it.
He could see why the WWBA tournament would restrict players to only using wooden bats, particularly when these were used in the MLB and College. Unfortunately, Ken had never used one before.
"Are they much different from metal bats?" Ken asked curiously.
This time, Steve's expression warped. "Wait… Don't tell me you've never hit with a wooden bat before?"
Ken frowned. 'It shouldn't be a big deal right?' He thought.
Eventually, he confirmed his friends suspicions, causing the guy to pale almost instantly.
"Damn it. You're gonna have a tough time then." He said, wearing a sour expression.
"Can you just tell me the differences? Maybe I can make some adjustments in game." Since there was nothing he could do now, Ken wanted to get as much information as possible to help his chances.
Steve sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Look, there are a few differences between the two, but the biggest one is that wooden bats are far less forgiving. The sweet spot is considerably smaller, meaning if you're even a little inaccurate, you'll end up mis-hitting."
"They're also heavier, which means it might take a while to adjust your swing to compensate."
Hearing this, Ken felt a little out of his depth. He had swung tens of thousands of times with a metal bat, possibly even more. To make the switch so suddenly before a massive tournament, was less than ideal.
However, he shrugged in the next moment. There was no use in getting worked up about it now, not when the tournament he'd been looking forward to was about to commence.
"Hurry up you two." Coach Wyatt called out to the duo who had fallen behind the pack.
They quickly caught up to the team, though Steve looked as if he'd just swallowed a lemon. But soon enough he went back to normal, his gaze falling upon Ken.
'It's fine, as long as he pitches like usual, we should be able to get some runs and win.' He thought, comforting himself.
"Are the baseball's the same?" Ken asked, his face showing genuine curiosity.
"…Are you being serious?"
SLAP
"Stop judging me and just tell me." Ken growled, slapping his friend in the middle of the back.
After letting out a groan, Steve shook his head. "The balls are the same as we use in High School." He muttered, dealing with the stinging sensation on his back.
He didn't complain, he knew that he deserved it. If anything, he was surprised that Ken had enough restraint not to use his full strength.
"You should probably start practicing your swing with the wooden bats now." Steve suggested when they arrived at a spot near the fence.
Ken nodded, the sooner he got used to the weight distribution of the bat, the more confident he would be when they entered the game. Without a word, he approached the coach.
"Hey coach, can I start practicing my swings?" He asked.
"Oho, a bit eager are we?" But he shook his head, "It'd be a bit rude to do so while the match is going on. Let's wait till they finish." He stated.
"Ah sure I guess. I've just never hit with a wooden bat before, so I wanted a bit of practice."
"EH!?" Coach Wyatt squealed, almost jumping in fright from the statement. He suddenly felt a glare from the field where the 1st base umpire was standing.
"Ah, sorry." He called out, wearing an apologetic smile. However, his expression changed when he turned back to Ken, letting out a sigh.