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Diamond no Ace: Coach, I Want to Be a Batter, Not a Pitcher!

Chapter 73 73: Who Said These Are All My Trump Cards? · Nov 12, 2026

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Chapter List (248)

Page number / 5

51 Chapter 51 51: Seido’s Tradition 2026-11-12
52 Chapter 52 52: Intensive Training — Begins!!! 2026-11-12
53 Chapter 53 53: The Sweat of Youth and Passion 2026-11-12
54 Chapter 54 54: The Determination of the Starting Lineup 2026-11-12
55 Chapter 55 55: That’s It? Getting Old? 2026-11-12
56 Chapter 56 56: Silver Sinker 2026-11-12
57 Chapter 57 57: Seido vs Kiryu 2026-11-12
58 Chapter 58 58: Miyuki’s Sin 2026-11-12
59 Chapter 59 59: Osaka Kiryu’s Shock ( 100 Power Stone) 2026-11-12
60 Chapter 60 60: Who Doesn’t Have a Hidden Skill? 2026-11-12
61 Chapter 61 61: Seido’s Fourth Batter 2026-11-12
62 Chapter 62 62: Seido’s Ace and Fifth Batter 2026-11-12
63 Chapter 63 63: The Cunning Miyuki 2026-11-12
64 Chapter 64 64: An Unfathomable Pitch! A Powerful and Fearless Throw 2026-11-12
65 Chapter 65 65: The Cutter’s Surprise for Kiryu 2026-11-12
66 Chapter 66 66: A Surprisingly Low Pitch Count 2026-11-12
67 Chapter 67 67: The Sinker’s Despair for Kiryu 2026-11-12
68 Chapter 68 68: The Power of the Sinker 2026-11-12
69 Chapter 69 69: Inashiro Ace, King Narumiya Mei 2026-11-12
70 Chapter 70 70: Narumiya Mei’s Tricks 2026-11-12
71 Chapter 71 71: Narumiya Mei’s Provocation 2026-11-12
72 Chapter 72 72: A Head-on Clash! A Strong Response to the Provocation 2026-11-12
73 Chapter 73 73: Who Said These Are All My Trump Cards? 2026-11-12
74 Chapter 74 74: Shootball 2026-11-12
75 Chapter 75 75: The Summer Preliminaries Begin 2026-11-12
76 Chapter 76 76: Blind Cannon — Masashi 2026-11-12
77 Chapter 77 77: Masashi — Dangerous and Addictive 2026-11-12
78 Chapter 78 78: Preliminary Round 1 — Chris Starts 2026-11-12
79 Chapter 79 79: Good Swing. Don’t Swing Like That Next Time. 2026-11-12
80 Chapter 80 80: Chris Is Excited 2026-11-12
81 Chapter 81 81: The Trust of the Senior Students 2026-11-12
82 Chapter 82 82: The Arrogant Outfield Trio (100 Power Stones) 2026-11-12
83 Chapter 83 83: Addicted, Chris 2026-11-12
84 Chapter 84 84: An Inside-the-Park Home Run 2026-11-12
85 Chapter 85 85: The Speechless Trio 2026-11-12
86 Chapter 86 86: A Howl! The Outfield Interception! 2026-11-12
87 Chapter 87 87: The Shootball That Excited Chris 2026-11-12
88 Chapter 88 88: Your Goals as First Years 2026-11-12
89 Chapter 89 89: Untitled 2026-11-12
90 Chapter 90 90: The Evolutionary Direction of the Shootball 2026-11-12
91 Chapter 91 91: Two People Came to Ask for Advice 2026-11-12
92 Chapter 92 92: Silver Home Run 2026-11-12
93 Chapter 93 93: Signing In for 100 Days 2026-11-12
94 Chapter 94 94: Chris’s Rice Crackers Are Mine ( Bonus Chapter) 2026-11-12
95 Chapter 95 95: Pitch Pairing Strategy 2026-11-12
96 Chapter 96 96: A Powerful Offense 2026-11-12
97 Chapter 97 97: Playing with the Opponent 2026-11-12
98 Chapter 98 98: The Precise Machine — You Shunshin 2026-11-12
99 Chapter 99 99: If You’re So Good, Then You Do It! 2026-11-12
100 Chapter 100 100: A Powerful Response! 2026-11-12

”Ushijima, are you really laying all your cards on the table?”

”In response to their provocation?”

In the rest area, Coach Kataoka stood with his arms crossed, staring at Ushijima Wakatoshi as he stepped down from the mound.

Ushijima removed his cap before answering.

”All my cards on the table?” he repeated, looking genuinely puzzled.

”When did I ever say this was everything I have?”

”!!!!!”

”What?!” Tanba and the others stared at him in shock.

The atmosphere froze.

Ushijima knew that if he didn’t give a convincing explanation, Coach Kataoka wouldn’t let him off easily. Fortunately, he had already prepared his answer.

”My brother once said that Narumiya is the textbook example of a pitcher.”

”To be honest, he deserves that praise.”

There was a pause.

”But I’m annoyed.”

He lowered his gaze slightly.

”I’m annoyed because he’s too arrogant. Too overbearing.”

”Last year, during the Summer Preliminaries semifinals, when Seido lost to him…”

”I really didn’t like that smug smile on his face.”

Silence.

”So he strutted around all last year. This year… he’d better lie down properly.”

The words were calm — but full of edge.

”Pitcher textbook?” Ushijima looked back at the coach.

Coach Kataoka met his eyes, waiting.

The entire team was waiting.

”There are some pitches,” Ushijima continued slowly, ”that I can throw.”

”I just don’t like throwing them.”

Miyuki, Chris, and Miyauchi’s eyes lit up instantly.

As catchers, nothing excited them more than hearing something like that.

It’s not that I can’t throw them. I just don’t want to.

That meant options. Hidden weapons. Untapped variations.

Just like the sinker — Ushijima had mastered it after focused training.

Coach Kataoka narrowed his eyes.

”I hope you’re not bluffing. And I hope, when the time comes, you’re willing to use even the pitches you dislike.”

Ushijima’s expression shifted slightly.

”To be honest… I don’t like slow pitches.”

”They’re boring.”

”A man should be fast.”

”Hahaha! What are you, a sports car?” Kuramochi burst out laughing.

But Miyuki and the other catchers were already thinking.

Slow pitches…

Curveball? Slider? Forkball? Changeup? Knuckleball?

Sure, there were high-speed versions of those pitches — but compared to a blazing four-seam fastball, they were still slower.

Miyuki stepped closer.

”So… want to try using one sometime?”

”No.”

Ushijima answered instantly.

”Instead of wasting time on something slow, I’d rather perfect my sinker.”

”I won’t even consider mastering those pitches until my sinker consistently breaks 140 km/h.”

”And my four-seam fastball hasn’t even unlocked its full 155 km/h yet.”

”That’s my priority. Everything else can wait.”

His direction was crystal clear.

Once his control improved and his four-seam surpassed 155 km/h…

That alone would be enough to overwhelm Narumiya Mei and the powerhouse of Inashiro Industrial High School.

”Enough talk. It’s our turn to bat,” Chris reminded them.

Now it was Seido High School’s turn at the plate.

And their lineup exploded.

First batter: Kuramochi.

A perfectly placed infield hit — safe at first.

Second batter: Kominato.

Another sharp infield hit. Runners on first and second.

Third batter: Isashiki.

A deep shot to right field! Kominato advanced to third, Kuramochi raced home.

One run scored.

Fourth batter: Yuki.

CRACK!

A three-run home run that cleared the bases.

4–0.

The momentum didn’t stop.

When Ushijima stepped into the batter’s box as the fifth hitter, he ripped a long drive to left field for a stand-up double.

By the end of the inning, all nine Seido batters had come to the plate.

Seven runs.

A devastating offensive display.

”Seido’s lineup is terrifying this year…”

”That first-year ace is batting fifth?!”

”To make the first string as a freshman… that’s insane.”

The pressure on Inashiro mounted.

”Hmph.”

Narumiya Mei folded his arms, clearly dissatisfied.

”I bat fifth too.”

”With pitching like that, he can’t even hit a home run?”

”If it were me, I’d send it flying.”

On the field, the sides switched.

But Ushijima didn’t return to the mound.

Instead, he jogged toward center field.

”What?! He stepped off the mound?”

”As the ace? How could he give it up so easily?”

Narumiya frowned deeply.

In his world, the mound belonged to him alone. No matter how tired or battered he became, he would never give it up.

So why would Ushijima?

”Maybe he only pitched that inning to answer your provocation,” someone said calmly.

”Now that he’s responded, there’s no need to continue.”

”And this is Seido’s training week. He’s probably conserving stamina.”

Narumiya scoffed.

”That just means his stamina isn’t good enough.”

Coach Kunimoto immediately refuted that.

”We’ve trained for six straight days. Yesterday, they faced Kiryu — last year’s national runner-up.”

”He shut them out completely.”

”And you’re saying his stamina is lacking?”

Narumiya clenched his fists.

”He’s taller than me. Younger than me. Stronger than me. And throws faster than me…”

”Damn it!”

”Those first-years are the worst!”

He turned seriously to Masatoshi Harada.

”Senpai. If we face Seido in the qualifiers… I’m going to crush that brat.”

Shirakawa’s calm voice cut in.

”You think you can blow away a 150 km/h fastball?”

”….”

Narumiya folded his arms, cheeks puffed, sulking like a child.

The team, long accustomed to this sight, simply sighed.

Nothing unusual.

But deep down, everyone understood something clearly.

This year’s Seido…

Was terrifying.

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