This chapter opens with a flashback to the beginning of the novel. It's the middle of the year, and the protagonist, Shmoop, is in high school. He's in the top eight of his class, which means he's one of the best players in his class. Shmoops is a little worried about the fact that the protagonist's favorite team, the San Jose High School team, has already won the first round of the tournament. He wants to make sure that the other team doesn't get ahead of him in the second round. He also wants to be sure that his own team isn't ahead of them in the third round. The protagonist is reminded of a guy who switched from the fourth batter to the fifth batter in his first year of high school, and he thinks that's a good example of how to do it right. He wonders if the third-baseman is doing the same thing. He thinks that the third baseman reminds him of the first-year player who switched to the third batter in order to get a long hit. He hopes that his team can do the same with the fourth-batting man. This guy reminds him a lot of the guy from the first year who switched between the fourth and fifth batter. He says that he'd rather have the fourth hitter than the fifth hitter. He compares the situation to that of the kid from the second year, who switched back and forth between the first and fourth batter. The kid was switched out of desperation, he says, because he didn't know how to play the game the way his team wanted him to play it . He wishes that he could have the same kind of strategy with the third baseman, because it would be easier for him to get the job done. This is the same kid who fought against the school's ace at the middle school. Sh