Softbank The 8th overall pick in the developmental baseball division, Hokuto Oyama pitcher (21) of the junior college semi-hardball team, was greeted at the school in Hachioji, Tokyo, on March 29. The first semi-hardball player to be picked since Takashima, Orix, the fifth overall pick in the 2011 draft, pledged to be a guiding light, as his name implies.
Scouting supervisor Yamamoto and scout Fukumoto visited the school to greet him. It's been about a week since the draft meeting on the 23rd. Oyama said, "I was so nervous I couldn't sleep last night. I felt some pressure as I'm the first player from Chuo University's semi-hardball baseball team to become a professional baseball player, but looking back, I've always risen above the rest, so I've decided over the past week that I can make it as a professional." Despite his youthfulness, he flashed a gentle smile at times during the press conference, as coach Koizumi of the school's semi-hardball baseball team praised him, saying, "He has a friendly personality and is good at getting close to people."
He has a fastball that reaches a maximum speed of 152 km/h and fork that he says "gets a lot of struck out and hasn't been hit much since I entered the school," as well as eight types of breaking ball. He is the ultimate fork pitcher "like a cross between the Mets' Senga, who rose from development player to major leaguer with his "ghost pitch" that has a huge drop, and the Dodgers' Yamamoto, who overwhelms hitter with his fast-paced pitches."
He has lived a baseball life of rising above the rest. In middle school, he was a completely unknown player, always losing in the first round. At Konan High School, he was often overshadowed by his teammate, Kyohei Yamashiro, a left-handed pitcher who was drafted third by the The Giants. At university, he was attracted by the enthusiasm of Coach Koizumi, who said, "Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, he was enthusiastic about coming to the game," and "believed in fate" when he joined the semi-hardball baseball team. Yet, even here, it was the hardball baseball team that attracted the most attention. Despite such an environment, he persevered and continued to train hard, achieving his long-cherished dream of going pro. "Being able to stand on the same stage as Yamashiro and the others made me realize that what I'd been doing all this time was the right thing, and this is just the start. I'm good at climbing up from the bottom," he says confidently.
The name "Big Dipper" is derived from the Big Dipper, an ancient landmark for travelers. I want to be a star in the semi-hardball world and be a shining star for a long time," he said. He will be the last 116th pick in this fall's draft and become the "Big Dipper of the semi-hardball baseball world. （I want to be a star in the semi-hardball world and shine for a long time.)
Related News
・ Softbank 's No. 8 development player, Hokuto Oyama, "To the star of semi-hardball" - like the Big Dipper, a traveler's sign, he will become a guide for players from semi-hardball.
・ [Seibu] Greetings to second-round draft pick Sora Iwaki of Chuo University: "Now that you've become a professional baseball player, you want to be our ace."
・ [Seibu] Second-place Chuo University's Soku Iwaki, "10 wins as a starter, no runs as a reliever," is a left-handed pitcher with a top speed of 152 km/h, eager to be a battery partner with Koga.
・ JR East's Takahashi Takayoshi was not drafted in his fourth year at Chuo University, but showed his solid performance at the Intercity Baseball Tournament, saying, "I've become hitter can lead the team to win."
・ [Softbank] 28-year-old right-hander joins as compensation for Kai. His goal is to help the team win the Japan Series. He is the oldest player on the team to win the Rookie of the Year award.
