Tojo Hideaki was a gentle-looking teenager, not particularly eye-catching at first glance.
However, among this year's freshmen, his baseball ability was undeniably outstanding.
In this world, there were people who were naturally likable.
And Tojo was exactly that kind of person.
Whether it was upperclassmen, underclassmen, or teammates, it was difficult not to feel goodwill toward him.
Zhou Hao felt the same.
He had a very good impression of this first-year junior.
While most of the newcomers were still digesting the shock of the numbers they had just seen, only Tojo had immediately grasped the true meaning behind Zhou Hao's words.
And this was precisely the key point the first-year players should be paying attention to.
Who, exactly, would make it into the starting nine?
Zhou Hao didn't answer right away.
Before anyone could ask further, he calmly collected the papers in his hands.
As his arm moved, the dozen sheets rustled softly.
In an instant, every freshman's gaze locked onto him.
"Do you want to create a miracle?"
The moment those words left his mouth, the atmosphere changed.
After seeing the scores from previous Freshman Welcome Games, the first-year players finally understood what kind of battlefield they were about to step onto.
For freshmen, this welcoming match was an insurmountable mountain.
If not for Senior Zhou Hao revealing this information in advance—
If they had entered the game blindly, without preparation—
They could already imagine how tragic the outcome would be.
Just thinking about it sent a chill down their spines.
Now, Zhou Hao was talking about a miracle.
What kind of miracle?
They didn't know.
But since those words came from Zhou Hao, no one doubted him.
They were willing to believe.
And more importantly, they were willing to fight.
This was the influence of a star player.
When someone like Zhou Hao spoke, his words naturally carried weight far beyond ordinary encouragement.
"Whether it's scoring runs or delivering an eye-catching performance," Zhou Hao said calmly, "as long as you can make people feel that you've broken the norm in this welcoming match, then you've already won."
"The more shocked the people watching are, the greater the miracle you create."
"If you don't have this mindset, I suggest you step back now."
"The opportunity to bring honor to this generation of freshmen should be left to those who dare to fight."
His gaze sharpened.
"Now—those who want to apply to play in the first three innings, step forward."
As soon as Zhou Hao finished speaking, movement erupted.
Dozens of first-year players stepped forward almost instantly.
More than half of the newcomers stood ahead of the line.
Zhou Hao swept his eyes across them.
What he saw were young faces burning with ambition and fighting spirit.
Based on his understanding of this year's freshmen, aside from Sawamura Eijun, nearly all those who stepped forward were players who had achieved notable results in junior high.
They had once been the center of attention on their middle school teams.
Even after arriving at Seido and suffering setbacks, their talent and strength were still undeniable.
In previous years, Seido High School Baseball Team could recruit freshmen of this caliber—
But never in such numbers.
This year, they could practically form two full teams.
This was the invisible benefit of being a national powerhouse.
Last summer's dominance had made Seido the dream destination for countless talented players.
Combined with Seido's reputation for producing professional-level athletes, even more elite freshmen had chosen this path.
Selecting nine starters from this group was no easy task.
Even the coaching staff would struggle.
Fortunately, Zhou Hao had spent considerable time observing these first-year players.
Only because of that could he confidently make choices now.
"Any selection will inevitably involve bias," Zhou Hao continued calmly. "If any of the nine starters in the first inning makes a serious mistake, they may be replaced immediately."
"Those who can accept this condition—take another step forward."
No matter how fair the intention, any selection overseen by a person would carry preferences.
Zhou Hao was not a saint.
He knew very well that when it came to players he believed had greater potential—or those he had interacted with more—his tolerance would naturally be higher.
But overall, he believed he could still remain fair.
After a brief hesitation, fifteen first-year players stepped forward.
Hearing that a single mistake could lead to immediate removal, some newcomers chose to stay back.
Compared to this high-risk selection, they felt that participating in the standard welcoming match offered a better chance to shine individually.
They were all core players from their respective junior high teams.
Even though they understood the gap between junior high and high school baseball, their confidence had not faded.
This was the pride that came from strength.
They wanted this opportunity.
From these fifteen players, only nine would be chosen.
And those nine would determine the tone of the first three innings.
Zhou Hao narrowed his eyes slightly.
The battle of these three innings was not only about the future of this batch of freshmen—
It was also directly tied to his own mission.
The Jonin mission required him to evaluate and guide the growth of his subordinates.
Simply put—
The better these freshmen performed, the greater their chances of standing out.
And the more people who stood out, the more generous the rewards Zhou Hao would receive.
Under such circumstances, his selection had to be cautious.
Extremely cautious.
"Sawamura."
The first name he called was Sawamura Eijun.
Despite having the weakest junior high record among the freshmen—
A team that didn't even participate in official tournaments—
No one was surprised.
Sawamura was one of the three most talked-about freshmen in this intake.
The other two had already been promoted directly to the First String.
They had even appeared in official games.
Only Sawamura remained among the first-years.
Now that there was a chance to move forward, there was no reason to exclude him.
After all, this was the guy who had dared to challenge the Coach on the spot—and won.
What kind of impression did the Seido coaches truly have of Sawamura?
No one knew.
But one thing was certain—
If Sawamura wasn't chosen here, no one else would feel qualified to stand in his place.
As far as the players were concerned, among the first-year newcomers of the Seido High School Baseball Team, there was no one who didn't admire Sawamura Eijun.
Among the three most outstanding freshmen, the other two had already been promoted directly to the First String.
Only Sawamura had been left behind.
Privately, many people discussed this matter.
Most of them believed that the Coach was probably being petty.
Otherwise, how could it be explained?
Why were only those two promoted, while Sawamura alone was excluded?
There were still eight spots remaining.
"Kominato Haruichi."
Zhou Hao announced his second selection.
The boy he called was short and slender, looking far from physically imposing.
His bangs covered his eyes, and his overall demeanor seemed timid and introverted.
Up until now, he hadn't displayed any particularly eye-catching performance.
Yet Zhou Hao chose him without hesitation.
"Why him?"
"I think I could do it too."
If Zhou Hao had picked someone else, it might have been acceptable.
But choosing such an inconspicuous player immediately stirred dissatisfaction.
The selected freshmen couldn't help but voice their doubts.
Unlike ordinary newcomers, the fifteen who had stepped forward were all once geniuses in junior high baseball.
They were confident—some might even say proud.
Naturally, they didn't want to give up a precious opportunity to someone they perceived as weaker.
"First," Zhou Hao said coldly, "learn to obey orders."
"As for the reason behind my choice, I'll explain it after the game."
He had no intention of wasting time.
Among this year's newcomers, there were indeed many promising talents.
But Zhou Hao had long been optimistic about Kominato Haruichi.
Whether it was his defensive awareness or batting potential, Zhou Hao firmly believed this boy already possessed the strength of a starting player.
Even if he were thrown directly into the First String, he would still be able to hold his ground.
Given that, how could Zhou Hao not choose him?
"Kanemaru, Tojo, Takatsu—"
Three more names were called in succession.
These choices drew no objections.
All three came from prestigious junior high baseball programs—either national top-four teams or Tokyo powerhouses.
Their resumes spoke for themselves.
Compared to Kominato, their strength was obvious.
Even the dissatisfied freshmen had to admit it.
Next came the catcher.
Compared to other positions, this player was the least famous.
There was no helping it—those more well-known catchers hadn't stepped forward at all.
He was the only one willing to take the risk.
Though he wasn't Zhou Hao's ideal choice, Zhou Hao still decided to give him an opportunity.
Those who dared to step forward deserved a chance.
Courage, after all, should be rewarded.
In total, nine first-year players were selected.
Aside from the pitcher, arranging the other positions wasn't difficult.
As elite players from junior high, nearly everyone could handle multiple roles.
Zhou Hao made minor adjustments based on their own applications, and the lineup quickly took shape.
But the pitcher's position was different.
This rookie all-star lineup had two pitchers.
And both were fast-ball pitchers.
One was Sawamura Eijun—the controversial star freshman who had dared to challenge the Coach the moment he joined the team.
The other was Tojo Hideaki, former ace of Matsukata, a national top-four junior high team.
Naturally, the presence of these two attracted enormous attention.
Who would be the starting pitcher?
The freshmen didn't have a unified opinion.
But Zhou Hao did.
"Sawamura will start as the pitcher," he said decisively. "Tojo will play in the outfield."
Tojo frowned slightly, clearly unconvinced.
He acknowledged Sawamura's potential—but he didn't believe he was inferior.
If they were to be compared…
That should be decided on the field.
"Besides pitching," Zhou Hao added calmly, "Sawamura can't play any other position for now."
Tojo's dissatisfaction vanished instantly.
There was no helping it.
The more capable one was, the more responsibilities they carried.
After confirming the lineup, Zhou Hao moved on to batting order and tactics.
"I know this isn't fair," he said. "You don't have detailed information on your opponents, and you're going straight into the game."
"Compared to those playing later, you lack time to observe."
"But look at it another way—this is also your advantage."
"You've secretly watched the Second Team's practices. If you paid attention to how their key players bat, you should already understand most of it."
"They, on the other hand, know nothing about you."
Moreover, due to Seido's struggles in previous years, the overall quality of recruited players had declined for a time.
To be blunt, in terms of pure potential, the current Second Team players couldn't compare to this batch of freshmen led by Sawamura.
Their only advantage was experience—one or two extra years of training within Seido's system.
The game officially began.
Hundreds of Seido High School Baseball Team members gathered to watch.
Even the First String players came.
Outside the stadium, fans who had heard the news also showed up.
"How lucky!"
"We actually caught the welcoming match."
"Wasn't this supposed to be after the Spring Tournament?"
"This year we'll make Kanto anyway—after that would've worked too."
"Doesn't matter. The freshmen are on the field!"
"I'm really looking forward to seeing their expressions later."
At this moment, the first-year players still appeared calm.
They had seen the data Zhou Hao showed them.
They knew how brutal the welcoming matches of past years had been.
But knowing and experiencing were two different things.
Right now, what radiated from them was fighting spirit.
Especially those about to step onto the field.
As for the second- and third-year players, they were already itching with anticipation.
Seido was advancing steadily.
Compared to previous years, this year's Seido High School Baseball Team was filled with confidence.
As long as they could enter the First String—
Their chances of dominating the nation would skyrocket.
National champions.
Even being a substitute on such a team was an incredible honor.
That honor alone might not guarantee a professional career—
But it would be more than enough to strengthen a college application.
And beyond all of that—
Koshien itself was the dream of countless high school baseball players.
The Koshien championship…
Was the dream among dreams.