"Nice man!" Max practically bear hugged him after Ken had made the winning play. His large shoulders and arms fully encompassed Ken, squeezing the life out of him like a boa constrictor.
"E—Ease up man." Ken spat out with the little air he had left in his lungs.
Max let him go with a big grin on his face. "Sorry man, I got a little too excited." He admitted, patting him on the back.
Just when Ken thought he was out of hot water, the team arrived shortly after, dousing him with their celebrations. He was poked, prodded, cuddled and even slapped on the behind, making him feel violated.
His face stiffened and he dropped his shoulder, bulldozing his way out of the group. Yet once he got past the initial crowd, Steve was waiting for him with a smile on his face.
Steve's expression morphed into one of horror as he saw Ken steamrolling forward like a running back towards him.
Upon seeing his friend, Ken tried to slow down, but the momentum he'd built up was too much. In the next moment, his shoulder barged into the center of Steve's chest, knocking him flat onto his back on the field.
Steve let out a pained groan after being trucked by Ken, his lungs now empty after the impact.
Before he could complain anymore, Ken held out a hand. "My bad, I didn't see you there."
He accepted the help, getting to his feet groggily. "Are you sure you're in the right sport…?" Steve asked, massaging his solar plexus.
"Hmm? Of course, I love baseball." Ken replied, thinking it was a stupid question.
Seeing the innocent expression on Ken's face, Steve shook his head. It was clear that Ken hadn't understood his meaning.
"Nice work team." Coach Wyatt called out, his mustache pulled up into a wide smile.
"We have to leave the field pretty quick for the next game, so grab your things and we'll meet in the parking lot." He said, gathering up the players.
He watched as they walked off the field, his eyes lingering on Ken's tall frame. He shook his head with exasperation, wondering how he had gotten such a player.
Coach Wyatt almost felt bad for the competition, since Ken was such a monster. He had a feeling that some people might even request his birth certificate, suspecting him of lying about his age.
"Hehe, our club should get even more prestige after this tournament." He muttered, happy as punch.
"Coach, do you have a moment?" A deep voice called behind him, causing him to turn around.
The man looked to be in his early 50's, but it was clear at a glance that he was in shape. His slicked back salt and pepper hair and polo shirt gave him a handsome and distinguished look, but his eyes were sharp.
"Can I help you?" Coach Wyatt replied, not recognizing the man.
"Mmm. That player of yours, did you fill out his details on our website?" He asked, straight-faced.
"Website?"
"Sorry, I probably should have introduced myself first. I'm Rob Fisher, the Chairman of the WWBA." He said, holding his hand out for a handshake.
Coach Wyatt quickly became flustered, "O—Ohhh, Sorry about that Mr. Fisher. I'm Jaye Wyatt, it's nice to meet you." He said, grasping the outstretched hand with both of his own and shaking it.
To have the Chairman of the WWBA approach him so casually, the coach was stumped. It was rare to see people of such status attend the group stages, so he couldn't be blamed for being shocked.
"Mmm, good to meet you. As I asked before, did you create a profile for your player on the Perfect Game website?" he asked once again.
"No I haven't sorry… I was going to get around to it." He said, stretching the truth.
Rob's face froze, but he nodded a moment later. "If you wouldn't mind doing it as soon as possible, I would greatly appreciate it."
"Ah, sure thing. I've got my laptop with me, I'll do it as soon as I can."
"Good good. I've got too many people contacting me trying to get his details, it will be easier if they're available online." Rob said, letting out a sigh of relief.
Coach Wyatt couldn't help but laugh. It seemed like he wasn't the only one being pestered by college scouts and coaches alike.
"Well, I'll go do that now then." He said, "It was nice to meet you Mr. Fisher."
"Mmm, likewise. I'm sure I'll see you guys in the single-elimination tournament." Rob replied, leaving shortly after.
Coach Wyatt watched him leave before grabbing his bags and heading back towards the bus. He would need to make sure that all of the player's profiles were up to date on the Perfect Game website while he was at it.
After all, their results and stats would be uploaded for anyone who wanted to see them.
Many coaches and scouts from colleges and even the MLB would use the site to check out past performances of players. While the kids might not put a lot of stock in their stats, it was often used as part of their assessments on who would receive a scholarship.
Upon returning to the parking lot, he saw the team awaiting him.
"Alright, let's go get some lunch. We've got another game in a few hours." The coach called out, gesturing for everyone to get on the bus.
Since they'd started early and finished in the 6th inning, they had some extra time to kill.
Ken got onto the bus and took a seat, stretching his muscles. He was in a pretty good mood since he was able to secure the winning run and put an end to the game.
If he had to sit through another 3 innings in the outfield, he might have just asked to be benched. After all, if he couldn't pitch and was walked every at-bat, the game would just drag on.
His eyes moved to Coach Wyatt who had just got onto the bus after everyone.
'He better let me pitch in the next game…' Ken mused.