An hour or so later, the team gathered in the lobby of the hotel. Since there weren't enough chairs, many of the players had to sit on the ground. Unlike when Ken had gone to LA for the U18 World Cup, there wasn't a fancy meeting room prepared for them.
"Just bear with the space for now guys, we won't be too long." Coach Wyatt said, addressing the players.
Most of those in attendance had just shared a hearty meal, so despite being present, many looked rather drowsy. However, there was a hint of excitement since they knew what the topic would be.
Now that he had the attention of the players, coach Wyatt handed out a few sheets of paper. Since they didn't have a projector, he was smart enough to make copies so everyone could get a look.
"This is the single elimination bracket which will begin tomorrow. As I said before, out of 13 pools, the top of each group are guaranteed a spot in this round."
"Since we finished on top, we automatically advance. We've even been given the number 2 seed." He added, flashing a grin.
"Number 2 seed?" Ken was a little surprised since they had only given up a single run in their first 4 games of the tournament. What team could have surpassed them?
Coach Wyatt heard Ken's query and let out a pained smile. "We certainly had the best defense in the first 4 games, but we still came up short in the Points Differential."
"You mean someone scored a lot more runs than us?" Nico asked.
"Mmm. Dulins Dodger Performance team managed to beat us by 2 runs only, despite giving up 8 runs total. Like the Elite Squad, those guys have a plethora of D1 commits." The coach added.
Those words seemed to cause a gloom to come over the players, causing the coach to raise his hands, "H—Hey, don't be too alarmed just yet. Since the bracket is seeded, we won't face them until the finals if we both make it."
This was the advantage of a seeded bracket. It was used in order to ensure the best teams made it to the end of the tournament. Of course, it didn't always end up that way, many upsets could occur, especially in a single-elimination format.
Ken wasn't bothered by the thought of facing some strong batters, quite the opposite in fact. The better players he played against, the more he would be able to test himself.
"Anyway, we'll be playing a maximum of 3 games tomorrow. If we can secure those wins, then the final day will be the semi-finals and finals."
Coach Wyatt looked around suspiciously before moving closer to the players, as if he was about to reveal a secret of some sorts. "Keep this to yourselves, but I've heard that there will be some Major League scouts present on the final day."
"W—What!?"
The words quickly caused the players to enter a frenzy. They whispered amongst each other, their excitement palpable. Even Ken felt some excitement bubble up beneath the surface.
He still hadn't settled on whether or not to go to College. If he could just directly join the Majors, it meant that he wouldn't have to spend 3 years playing against the NCAA competition, nor would he have to worry about classes and studying.
But the real question was… Was he ready to step into the Major League? The highest level of competition for his most beloved sport.
Ken shook his head. At this stage he could say without a shadow of a doubt that the answer was no. Despite being able to easily deal with High School kids, there was a good chance he would only make a fool of himself if he joined now, or even next year.
Of course if he was drafted into the league, he would probably be placed into the minor leagues to begin with, where they could develop his skills while keeping a close eye on him.
However, just what kind of team would draft him coming right out of High School? What would his contract terms be like? Would he be forced to play on a sub par team with a horrible contract, earning pennies on the dime?
"Ken? You all good man?"
Ken felt the nudge of Steve, bringing him back to the present. Everyone was still whispering among each other, celebrating the opportunity to be seen by Major League scouts in this tournament.
"Mmm, I'm just a little tired." He lied, turning his attention back to the coach.
"I wouldn't get too far ahead of yourselves guys. We still need to win our next 3 matches before we can make it through to the final day of the tournament. I'll need you all in good shape for tomorrow, so I want everyone to get some early rest tonight." The coach said, twisting his mustache between his fingers.
The guy looked like one of those 3rd rate villains one would see in cartoons.
No one complained, sufficiently fired up after the bomb he'd dropped earlier. Ken turned his gaze to see a serious expression on Max's face, remembering what he'd said earlier in the elevator.
For players like Max, this tournament was their final chance. There was no way that they'd let an opportunity like this slip through their fingers.
Ken too didn't want to mess this up. Apart from doing some showcases later in the year, this was his best opportunity to make a name for himself on American soil.
Of course there might be an opportunity for him to join the Japan U18 National Team once again later this year, but he wasn't exactly sure what would happen now that he was overseas.
'I'll just have to do my best.' He vowed, clenching his fist.
"Alright, hurry up and go to bed. We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow." Coach Wyatt said, shooing everyone out of the lobby and towards the elevators.