First Swing (Open)

[Angelica]

Angelica could be considered one of the first students to have actually arrived before school started. Her train of thought lead her directly to the P.E. fields, seeing as she didn't have the interest in checking out her dorm, or setting her belongings down. Truth be told, she didn't have anything of value that needed to be put away immediately. Everything she had now was all she needed. That's why she stood out there alone on that field, the morning sun beaming a warming air to signify a peaceful day. Angie had been on the fields practicing her swings. A steel baseball bat in hand, she swung it over and over, counting under her breath. Every flawed swing was discounted and every perfect one added another under her belt. Over and over she swung, using her left hand as the dominant one, while the right remained bandaged. Others who passed by thought she had damaged it and merely swung it for the sake of reclaiming lost glory, but that wasn't the case. Not by a long shot. This was proven especially true when she set up the practice pitch both.

Standing on the left-handed side of the plate, she focused on the bot's method of giving away any tells, but everyone knew a robot was as stoic and inorganic as they came. Newbies thought that, of course. Angelica knew differently, because depending on the wind-up of one's arm, their body language and how they pitched once they reached that perfect blend of arch and momentum, they had already telegraphed what sort of play they were going for. Only variable that differed when it came to pitchers, was their age, gender and body build. That hunk of metal was designed to be the "perfect" practicing partner, but nothing could ever replace the chaotic randomness a more sentient being possessed. That's why when that bot threw the ball, all Angelica had to do was position herself in the right manner, to swing and connect steel with ball, sending that sphere down the middle, high into the air and into the stands. A homerun through and through. That's when she sprinted.

Not a single ounce of sweat was broken but her sprint was amazing. She knew how to take off and how to keep a certain posture about herself when running. Her legs were strong as shown how those shorts revealed the muscular training she put those limbs through and those things carried her across all three bases, before she hit the home plate. Those who doubted her ability were left awestruck by how well she managed to play with her "injury" while others believed it to just be some show of luck. Doubt.

Angelica enjoyed it when the crowd doubted her more than they believed in her. It gave her the concentration to factor in potential errors when batting. Regardless, she had the confidence to say she was leagues better than a good majority of the students there. Not due to her strength but because of how well she understands the game...