Home / Diamond no Ace: Coach, I Want to Be a Batter, Not a Pitcher! / Chapter 96 96: A Powerful Offense

Read free on Ficlyn

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

Chapter 96 96: A Powerful Offense · Nov 12, 2026

Prev Chapter Novel Info Next Chapter

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

”What? Only Fastball?”

Akikawa’s coaches were stunned.

They had studied Seido’s previous games carefully, yet the pitching pattern they expected never appeared.

As Akikawa’s ace pitcher, You Shunshin understood this situation clearly.

Ushijima Wakatoshi was no longer the same player from two years ago.

Now, he was a true two-way player.

His pitching mechanics were textbook-perfect, and he possessed five different pitch types.

In high school baseball, that level of versatility was almost divine.

And that wasn’t all.

Ushijima’s batting ability was also extremely dangerous.

His batting average was frighteningly high, placing immense pressure on opposing pitchers.

A player who could dominate both on the mound and at the plate—

That kind of two-way player was terrifying.

You Shunshin himself was also a two-way player, serving as both the ace pitcher and the fifth batter for Akikawa.

This was common in high school baseball.

Unlike professional leagues, high school baseball does not use the designated hitter (DH) rule.

The DH position in professional baseball exists to reduce the burden on pitchers by allowing another player to bat in their place.

But since high school baseball doesn’t use that rule, pitchers must still step up to the plate.

As a result, many high school aces are also strong hitters.

Second Batter: Hashimoto

”Second batter, second baseman—Hashimoto.”

The stadium announcer’s voice echoed across the field.

Hashimoto stepped into the right-handed batter’s box.

”Alright… watch me,” he muttered to himself.

On the mound, Ushijima remained silent.

He simply bent slightly forward, holding the baseball behind his back.

His fingers casually rotated the ball.

However, when he did this, he unconsciously shifted through different grips.

Behind him stood second baseman Kominato Ryosuke and shortstop Kuramochi Yoichi.

The two had long noticed this habit.

Whenever there was no runner on second base, Ushijima would briefly hide the ball behind his back before Miyuki set the target.

During that moment, his fingers would naturally form different grips.

They recognized the standard ones immediately:

Four-seam fastball

Two-seam fastball

Cutter

Sinker

Shooto

Even though they weren’t pitchers, most baseball players were familiar with these grips.

Batters studied them constantly in order to understand how different pitches moved.

But recently—

They noticed something strange.

Ushijima sometimes used two additional grips they had never seen before.

In other words—

Instead of five grips…

He now had seven.

Kuramochi’s eyes narrowed.

”Could it be…”

A flash of realization crossed his mind.

Kominato had clearly noticed it too.

Since second base and shortstop were positioned diagonally behind the mound, they had the perfect view of Ushijima’s hidden hand movements.

The first and third basemen couldn’t see it.

The outfielders had no chance of noticing either.

Only a runner standing on second base might spot it—

But Ushijima rarely allowed runners to reach second in the early innings.

In the previous two games, the few runners who reached second base had only done so because Ushijima was deliberately experimenting with different pitches.

Although Kuramochi and Kominato had their suspicions, neither of them said anything.

They both understood Ushijima’s personality well.

Even if he hadn’t mastered the pitches yet—

He was definitely learning them.

Developing them.

That thought alone made them feel strangely reassured.

Kuramochi grinned.

”Seriously… this guy.”

Back to the Game

Behind home plate, Miyuki Kazuya set the target.

Ushijima raised his arms.

His left leg lifted high.

Then—

His body rotated.

His right arm snapped forward.

The baseball shot toward home plate.

”So fast!”

Hashimoto wasn’t surprised.

”But… not as fast as the previous one.”

He tracked the ball carefully and swung.

”Bang!”

”Smack!”

The bat connected, but the ball shot into foul territory.

”Foul ball!” the umpire announced, quickly stepping aside.

Hashimoto clenched his teeth.

”Why isn’t it inside?”

He quickly recalled the previous at-bat.

”Ninomiya’s first pitch was low and outside.”

”And now mine was outside too.”

”Our scouting reports said Seido’s pitcher-catcher duo likes to attack aggressively with inside pitches.”

”Sinkers, shootballs, two-seams…”

”All of them start outside and cut sharply inside.”

”And the cutter breaks toward the inside as well.”

”So why…”

”Are they starting everything on the outside corner today?”

Hashimoto felt uneasy.

On the mound, Ushijima had already thrown the second pitch.

”Whoosh!”

”SMACK!”

Hashimoto didn’t swing.

Instead, he instinctively leaned backward.

The ball slammed straight into Miyuki’s glove.

”Strike!”

The umpire called it immediately.

Hashimoto gritted his teeth.

”Damn it!”

”After an outside pitch…”

”They immediately threw a chest-high inside fastball!”

”That was a four-seam.”

He replayed the pitch sequence in his head.

In the 3×3 strike zone grid:

First pitch: Position 3 (outside high)

Second pitch: Position 1 (inside high)

The sudden shift in trajectory completely disrupted his timing.

”There’s no turning back now…”

”I’m betting everything on the next pitch.”

Hashimoto stared intensely at Ushijima.

Behind the plate, Miyuki gave a secret sign.

Then he set his glove.

On the mound, Ushijima began his motion again.

Step.

Turn.

Throw.

The ball exploded from his hand.

”WHOOSH!”

The third pitch screamed toward the plate—

Faster than before.

Prev Chapter Novel Info Next Chapter

Recommended Novels

The Number One Star in the Interstellar Era Tyramisu

Rebirth: The Courtyard Bride Is Cool and Radiant Spring Splendor in the Garden

Supreme Warrior in the City River Handsome

The Devil Does Not Need to Be Defeated Ruqing Rusu

My Silly, Sweet Wife Bu Fei

Library of Heaven’s Path Heng Sao Tian Ya

The Divine Urban Physician The Wind Laughs

King of Gods Fast Food Resturant

Hogwarts: Even Voldemort Can't Stop Me From Studying Yamaha

Prodigal System in the Flourishing City Wind and Thunder Brewing Wine

The Lovely Heiress Is Actually A God Beast Have a Bowl of Noodles

Sect Recruitment: I Can See Attribute Entries joyce_4070

Master Of None 1King_Rep1

The King's Avatar Butterfly Blue

D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad Vongrak