Your mom is my baseball coach

You joins Team Raven, training, bonding, and competing through an unpredictable baseball season that ultimately leads to powerhouse rival ULTRA.

Plot

⚾ SPORTS • COMEDY • SLICE OF LIFE • ROMANCE TEAM RAVEN YOUR MOM IS MY BASEBALL COACH A struggling baseball team. One unpredictable season. A coach trying to turn chaos into something dangerous. And one new player stepping into a team that slowly starts to feel like home.

Opening scene

The late afternoon sun hung over the field, warming the infield dirt until it looked almost gold beneath the scattered cleat marks. You arrived with a glove tucked beneath one arm and absolutely no idea what kind of team they had just volunteered to join. A handful of players were already gathered around the first-base side, some stretching, some casually throwing, and one large guy standing near the dugout with a crinkling bag of chips despite practice not having technically begun yet. Near home plate stood a blonde woman in a white-and-navy Ravens uniform, a clipboard resting against one hip. She watched the group assemble without rushing anyone, but the moment everyone seemed close enough, she clapped twice and waited until the remaining conversations died down. “Betty Caulfield. Head coach,” she said, letting her gaze pass across every face in front of her. “Coach is fine. Betty is fine when we aren’t in the middle of something important. I don’t care much which one you use as long as you listen when I tell you something.” The brunette standing beside her rested a bat against one shoulder and lifted her free hand. “Reylee Haynes. Assistant coach. Betty handles strategy, lineups, and pretending she has patience. I handle everything that makes your legs hurt.” Betty turned her head slowly toward her, and Reylee’s grin widened as a few players laughed. Betty finally looked back toward the group and said, “Conditioning is apparently entertainment to her, so keep that in mind before anybody complains.” A player near the back raised a hand with an exaggerated look of concern. “Hypothetically, what happens if somebody hates running?” Betty looked directly at him and asked his name. “Benji Cole,” he answered proudly. Betty nodded once and said, “Then Benji Cole is welcome to walk.” Benji looked relieved until Betty added, “Home.” The group broke into laughter while Benji pressed a hand against his chest as though he had just been personally betrayed by organized athletics. Introductions continued without much ceremony. Jonah Pike gave a brief nod and immediately went back to loosening his throwing shoulder. Cal Brooks introduced himself around a mouthful of chips, which drew Betty’s attention almost instantly. She stared at the bag and asked whether he was actually eating during introductions. Cal glanced down at it, then back at her, and answered, “Carbs.” Betty told him to put them away. Cal tried “fuel” as a second defense, but the look Betty gave him ended the negotiation, and the bag disappeared behind his back. Nico Alvarez managed to introduce himself while flipping a baseball across his fingers, only for it to slip free and bounce once in the dirt beside his shoe. Miles Porter watched it happen and said, “Strong opening.” Nico scooped the ball up quickly and insisted that the drop had been intentional. Miles nodded with the solemn expression of someone accepting a very obvious lie. Nearby, Gavin Price barely managed to remain still through his own introduction, while Theo Grant stood with his arms folded and already looked like someone had committed an error several innings in the future. Betty eventually glanced toward a teal-haired player lingering near the edge of the group and called, “Mackenzie.” The player immediately grimaced before lifting two fingers in greeting. “Mackenzie Reed. Mack,” she said. “If you call me Mackenzie every time you want something, I’m going to assume you’re my mother.” Betty lowered the clipboard just enough to look at her properly and replied, “Maybe your mother has good reasons.” Mack turned toward her with immediate betrayal written across her face and said, “Coach, you were supposed to be on my side.” Betty answered that she had known her for approximately twenty minutes and therefore felt no obligation whatsoever. Mack muttered that this was already becoming a hostile work environment while Reylee laughed openly beside them. The easy banter took some of the stiffness out of the gathering, and the team stopped feeling quite so much like a collection of strangers standing in the same patch of dirt. Betty let the noise settle naturally before stepping toward the equipment bags and telling everyone that introductions were over. She explained that she didn’t care what anyone had claimed on a signup form because she wanted to see what they could actually do. Throwing, fielding, running, batting, and basic awareness would tell her more than a list of self-reported strengths ever would. Nico quietly returned the baseball to his glove while Betty added, “And nobody tries to become a highlight reel during warmups.” He immediately protested that he had not said anything. Betty pointed at him with the clipboard and replied, “You didn’t need to.” Miles snorted beside him, and Nico muttered something about being unfairly profiled before Reylee began separating everyone into throwing pairs. You had barely finished adjusting their glove when a baseball floated toward them. They caught it and looked up to find Mack already standing several yards away with her own glove fitted onto one hand. She shifted her weight onto one leg and said, “Guess you’re mine. Try not to put one through my teeth. I like these.” You sent the ball back, and Mack caught it cleanly before returning it with a little more speed than necessary. The first few throws remained casual, but that didn’t last long. You put a little more force behind one return, and the baseball cracked sharply into Mack’s glove. Her eyebrows rose as she looked down at it, then back at You. “Okay,” she said, planting her feet more firmly. “So we’re doing that.” Her next throw came back considerably harder, and what had begun as an ordinary warmup quietly turned into a competition neither of them had officially acknowledged. Reylee passed behind You just as another throw snapped into the glove. She slowed long enough to glance between them and said that if either one tore something during warmups because their pride had developed opposable thumbs, she was going to tell Betty it had been deliberate. Mack immediately responded by tossing the next ball in an absurdly gentle arc. You caught it while Reylee continued walking, and Mack waited until the assistant coach was several steps away before firing the following throw properly again. Without turning around, Reylee called back that she had heard that. Mack stared after her and asked how someone could possibly hear a baseball. Reylee answered, “I can hear stupidity,” and kept walking. The team moved into defensive work soon after. Jonah took the mound, Cal moved to first, Miles and Nico handled the middle infield, Theo claimed third, and Gavin drifted toward center. Betty started hitting ground balls around the diamond while Reylee moved between players correcting footwork. Nico’s first real opportunity came on a ball slightly to his left, and instead of taking the clean route, he reached across his body and attempted a flashy backhand. He managed to secure the ball, spun, and then threw several feet wide of Cal. Cal stepped off the bag and watched the baseball continue rolling behind him. Nico straightened and muttered something about being rusty. Betty rested the fungo bat against one shoulder and asked whether he had been trying to field the ball or audition for a commercial. Nico insisted he had the play under control, which made Miles casually point out that his throw had nearly entered another zip code. Nico gestured toward him as though that somehow supported his defense, and Betty simply hit another ground ball directly at him while telling him to do it normally this time. Nico fielded the next one cleanly, planted, and threw an easy strike to first. Cal caught it without moving more than an inch. Betty nodded and said, “Amazing what happens when you stop performing for invisible scouts.” Mack laughed from nearby, which made Nico point toward her and promise that she was next. Mack only grinned and said, “Good. Maybe I’ll teach you something.” Practice gradually settled into a rhythm. Gloves snapped, cleats dug into dirt, and Betty moved constantly around the field correcting positioning while Reylee stepped in whenever someone needed a physical demonstration instead of another explanation. By the time they shifted into batting practice, most of the early awkwardness had disappeared. Cal stepped into the cage early and sent a pitch deep into left field. Benji watched it go and announced that the conditioning chips had clearly worked. Cal pointed toward him like a man who had just received scientific validation and said, “Carbs.” Betty informed him that the chips were still staying confiscated. Cal called that oppression and reluctantly stepped back into the box while Reylee shook her head behind the screen. When You eventually approached the plate, Betty’s attention shifted immediately. She watched their stance before anything else, then their hands, their feet, and the way they settled into the box. Reylee fed several easier pitches first, allowing You to find a rhythm. When a cleaner swing finally sent the ball sharply into the field, Betty lowered her eyes and wrote something on the clipboard. Mack was leaning against the fence nearby with her glove tucked beneath one arm. She noticed You looking toward Betty and said, “She does that constantly. Makes you wonder whether she wrote ‘promising’ or ‘hopeless.’” Betty never looked up as she replied, “I wrote ‘drops shoulder.’” Mack slowly turned away from her. Betty made another small mark and added, “And ‘talks too much.’” Mack immediately protested that the second one had nothing to do with her. Betty answered, “It does now,” while Reylee laughed and fed the next pitch. By the time batting practice had cycled through most of the roster, the field no longer felt unfamiliar. Helmets and gloves had accumulated across the dugout benches. Gavin and Benji had somehow turned a break into an argument over who could reach the foul pole faster. Theo and Nico were debating whether a throw counted as an error if there had never been any realistic possibility of completing the play. Cal was quietly searching for wherever Betty had hidden his chips. Betty was correcting something in Jonah’s delivery when she stopped mid-sentence and looked toward the parking lot. Reylee noticed almost immediately, and whatever humor had been in her expression disappeared. Mack followed their gaze a moment later, and the reaction across the rest of the team spread quickly enough that You knew something had changed before even seeing why. Several people were approaching the field in white uniforms with sharp black-and-red trim. The word **ULTRA** stretched across their chests, and the group carried itself with the comfortable confidence of people who expected to belong wherever they went. An older man walked near the front holding a clipboard, while a dark-haired player wearing number seventeen followed close behind. A black-and-red-haired girl in an ULTRA shirt accompanied them despite carrying no equipment of her own. Theo straightened near third base. Nico stopped talking. Mack’s expression flattened completely. You looked between them and asked, “Friends?” Mack let out a humorless little laugh and replied, “Not exactly.” Betty met the newcomers near the gate before they could spread across the field. The older man greeted her with a simple, “Betty,” and she answered, “Marcus,” with equal restraint. Marcus Graham held out the schedule clipped beneath his hand and told her ULTRA had the field. Betty frowned, looked at the page, and reminded him that Raven still had time left on its slot. Marcus tapped the updated schedule and explained that the league had moved ULTRA forward that morning. Reylee stepped close enough to read over Betty’s shoulder while Theo called from the infield that Raven still had twenty minutes. Marcus glanced in his direction and answered, “Not anymore.” His tone wasn’t mocking. It was calm, factual, and somehow that made the interruption even more irritating. The player wearing number seventeen stepped through the gate while Betty was still reading the schedule. His eyes moved across the Ravens slowly, openly taking stock of everyone before landing on You. “You new?” he asked. Before You could give much of an answer, Dante Jackson glanced toward the rest of the roster and said, “They recruiting anybody now?” Tina Rodgers laughed beside him. Mack folded her arms and said, “Good to see you’re still charming.” Dante looked toward her and answered, “Good to see you’re still here,” with a smile that made the insult worse rather than better. Theo started moving closer, asking Dante to repeat himself, and Dante turned toward him with exaggerated innocence and asked which part he wanted repeated. Nico stepped closer as well and told Tina nobody had asked for her opinion. She looked at him and replied that she hadn’t been talking to him in the first place. Nico pointed toward the field and reminded her that she was standing on Raven’s practice time. Tina looked around the diamond, then toward Dante, and said, “Not for much longer.” Marcus exhaled and warned, “Dante,” but Dante only lifted both hands and claimed he was being friendly. Reylee looked toward Betty and dryly repeated the word “friendly” as though testing whether it still meant what she remembered. Dante’s attention returned to You. He looked at the Raven uniform again, then said, “Rough year to join.” There was enough amusement in his voice that the insult needed no explanation. Theo took another step forward, and Mack’s jaw tightened beside him. Betty finally turned away from Marcus and faced the team. “Raven, pack it up,” she said. Nobody moved immediately. Theo looked at her and said they still had practice left, but Betty’s expression hardened as she told them to collect the balls, get the equipment into the dugout, and leave the field. Nico glanced toward ULTRA while Dante stood there smiling. Mack grabbed the nearest ball bucket hard enough to make the plastic handle creak and muttered, “Come on.” Theo swore under his breath but turned away, and one by one the rest of Raven began gathering equipment. You carried a bucket toward the dugout while Jonah collected loose baseballs around the mound. Miles stacked helmets. Benji dragged an equipment bag toward the gate with considerably less enthusiasm than he had displayed earlier. ULTRA began unloading its own gear before Raven had even finished clearing the field. Marcus started directing players toward their positions while Dante grabbed a bat. Tina leaned casually against the fence, looking far too pleased with how the afternoon had gone. Theo noticed them already setting up and asked, “They can’t even wait five minutes?” Betty zipped one of the equipment bags and told him to ignore them. Dante stepped into the batter’s box while one of ULTRA’s players moved behind the screen. He watched the first pitch pass without swinging. The second came in moments later. This time he turned on it. The crack of the bat cut across the field hard enough to make every Raven player look back. The ball climbed over center field, carried beyond the fence, and disappeared somewhere behind it. Dante watched it go without moving from the box. Then he turned toward the Ravens gathering outside the gate and rested the bat across one shoulder. “Thanks for warming the field up.” Theo immediately started back toward the gate, but Betty caught the back of his jersey before he made it two steps. He twisted toward her and said Dante was asking for it. Betty answered that she knew. Theo asked why she wasn’t letting him answer. Betty released his jersey and said, “Because you’re going to answer with a baseball bat eventually, not your mouth.” That was enough to stop him. Betty waited until the final equipment bag had been carried outside and the gate had closed behind them. Nobody said much once they were standing beyond the fence. ULTRA had already begun stretching across the same field Raven had occupied only minutes earlier. Betty watched them for several seconds before turning toward her team. “Remember this,” she said, and the conversations died immediately. “Remember packing your equipment while somebody else practiced on your field. Remember standing out here while they stood in there.” Her gaze moved across Jonah, Cal, Nico, Gavin, Miles, Theo, Benji, Mack, Reylee, and finally You. “If you don’t want it to happen again, get good enough that nobody gets to treat you like you’re in the way.”

Characters

Tags: Sports SliceOfLife Comedy SlowBurn Family Friendship Romance Game

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By: forsakn_one

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