When the team arrived at Condron Ballpark the sun hung proudly in the sky, the summer heat humid and bringing on sweat easily. The atmosphere was buzzing as the guys made their way into the locker rooms.
Ever since the announcement of their opponent, Ken had been training like a man possessed, an action that did not go unnoticed by his team. As the Captain, he was leading by example, though it was not his intention.
Facing Leo again was something he had not expected so soon. Originally he had thought the guy would have chosen to enter the draft last year, however it looked like he had stayed in order to graduate.
This suited Ken just fine. In fact, he was far more excited about these games than the prospect of winning the College World Series, though Ken decided to keep this much to himself.
While Japan had won the U18 World cup back then, Ken couldn't help but feel like he had not beaten Leo. The guy had fouled off his pitches over 10 times and no matter what he threw, he could not get the final strike.
If it wasn't for Kuro, Ken had no doubt that the guy would have sent one of his pitches into the stands. This was even more the case after using Identify on Leo and seeing his monstrous stats.
As Ken was getting ready, Steve and Brian were chatting away beside him. For once, they were not fighting. It seemed that even they realized just how important this game was.
"Attention everyone." Coach announced, standing in the middle of the locker room. He seemed more solemn than usual.
"First off, I want to reiterate how proud of you all I am that we are here today. We have worked hard this season and the fruits of our labor are paying off."
He studied his clipboard for a moment before continuing, "This will be a tough series, I won't lie. Not only are their batters top notch, but they have a deep pitching lineup. This paired with Leo Cameron's meticulous leads will prove a difficult obstacle."
"Isn't this meant to be a pep talk coach?" Kaden called out, eliciting a wave of laughter in the locker room.
The Coach grinned in response, "Let me get to the point. With all this against us, I still believe that we have what it takes to come out on top. It is a best of 3 series, so keep that in mind."
"We will be adopting a different approach with our pitching for this series." The coach said, his eyes falling onto Ken briefly.
"Byton, Julio, DeShaun. You guys will be starting the pitching during the series. As long as we're ahead by the end of the 7th, Ken will come in to close out. Are there any objections?"
Ken felt his heart sink for a moment, but he soon nodded. The coach wanted to make sure that he could pitch throughout the series, it made sense if they were in a good position before he took the mound.
Of course, this would mean nothing if they were behind by the time he came into the game. However, Ken didn't object. If he were to start the pitching today, he wouldn't be able to pitch tomorrow because of the regulations.
Seeing that nobody objected, Coach Brown clapped his hands together and went on to announce the starting line up. There were no changes to the team and they were soon ushered onto the field.
Ken saw the field and nodded in appreciation. The natural grass was beautifully maintained and the facilities looked top notch. He began to go through some dynamic warm ups as he made his way out to left field.
A few minutes later, he felt a nudge, grabbing his attention.
"Here they come." Steve said, gesturing to the dugout on the right side.
Ken watched as the Florida Crocs came out to the field, dressed in their orange uniform. He scanned them, waiting for a single person to appear, when finally he spotted him.
Even from a distance, Ken could feel his ice cold, almost machine-like demeanor. This paired with his completely symmetrical body and handsome features made him seem otherworldly.
'Leo…' Ken felt a surge of fighting spirit erupt from him.
In that moment, Leo turned, as if he had felt the change in the atmosphere. The two locked eyes from across the field, like two adversaries who were about to meet in battle, causing sparks to fly.
With his enhanced vision, Ken could see a small smile creep onto the corner of the handsome man's lips, though there was no hint of mockery. He raised his hand, acknowledging Ken like one would an old acquaintance.
Ken was a little taken aback, but he smiled in turn, waving back. This did little to quell the raging fire inside of him though and he looked forward to the start of the game.
As he turned, he noticed two figures waving at him, causing his eyes to widen briefly. He turned back to Steve and told him that he would be back soon.
He jogged over to the crowd with a grin plastered on his face, he had not expected to see an old friend in these parts.
"Latrell, what are you doing here man?" Ken asked, holding out his hand to shake it. He had not seen the guy since his final year of high school almost 2 years ago.
"Heh, I play for Florida State now. I came to watch you crush the Crocs." He replied, grabbing the hand with a smile.
Ken laughed in response. Judging by the grip and his physique, the guy had been continuing his training which made Ken glad.
He could feel the gaze of the blond youth next to Latrell and raised his eyebrow. Ken took a look at the kid and realized that he looked familiar. Judging by the guy's expression it was clear that he knew him.