On the 29th, new Orix players toured the team's facilities in Maishima, Osaka. A scout in charge showed them around the players' dormitory, baseball stadium, training grounds, and more. First-round draft pitcher Atsuya Fujikawa (Nobeoka Gakuen) was impressed, saying, "Everything is clean and well-maintained, so it's an environment where I can always be in the best condition. The training room is amazing. It's completely different (from high school), and the rooms are different too, so it's a completely different place."
At the indoor practice facility, he met for the first time with Ota, who inherited number 31 jersey, and Yoshida, who is aiming to return from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. "They were like, 'I'll do my best.'... They're big, as expected, and I thought they had beautiful physiques," he said with shining eyes.
Tatsuya Sato, pitcher from Takasaki University of Health Sciences, who came in third, said with a smile, "It's a very blessed environment. I think it's professional-like to be able to quantify (everything) and see your own data and numbers with your own eyes. Being able to (practice) when you want, at your own time, is probably the best way to grow." Yosuke Kubota, outfielder from Sapporo Nihon University, who came in fourth, said, "There are really great things here. I'm really looking forward to it," revealing that he can't wait to move into the dormitory in January.
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・ [Hiroshima] Ren Hirakawa, the first draft pick who was born on March 31st, has signed a provisional contract. His father, Atsushi Hirakawa, the coach who won Koshien, said, "It still doesn't feel real."
・ [Orix] First-round draft pick Atsuya Fujikawa signs provisional contract: "I want to be the team's central pitcher. I want to struck out out Yanagida." The ace candidate, who has a top speed of 153 km/h, has a sparkle in his eyes.
・ [Orix] First-round draft pick Atsuya Fujikawa makes a decision: "Orix has a lot of great pitcher. I want to be there too"... Greetings after being nominated
・ [Orix] First-round draft pick Atsuya Fujikawa of Nobeoka Gakuen will inherit the number 31 from Ryo Ota, "so that he can be called the face of Japanese baseball," he announced as a new member of the team.
・ [Orix] Shumpeita Yamashita teams up with fellow high school graduate and first-round draft pick Atsuya Fujikawa, saying, "I'm really looking forward to it. It feels like family."
