Gota Suzuki pitcher (4th year) of Daisho University, who was selected as the third pick in the draft from Softbank Hawks, recently responded to an interview with Shizuoka Hochi. The fastest 147 km side right-hander who studied at Tokai University Shizuoka Shoyo High School thanked his alma mater for opening up a professional path and talked about his enthusiasm for the future. (Interview/composition = Asuka Ito)

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With his professional debut just around the corner, he has one thought in his heart.

"I want to be the kind of pitcher that makes the team and fans feel at ease when I come out on the court."

The ideal candidate was The Giants.

"The quality of his pitches is amazing, and even when watching on TV, when a lot of people come out, it makes you feel like you can't score any more points."

Suzuki, who is originally from Shiga Prefecture, decided to go to Shoyo because he was impressed by the strength of the attached junior high school during a practice game in junior high school. At his high school, Shunsuke Hara, a former catcher for The Giants (currently the head coach of Tokai University Sagami), was the coach. It was Hara who encouraged Suzuki, who joined the team as catcher, to switch to pitcher.

"My teachers paved the way for me. They taught me things that only a professional can do, such as the psychology hitter. If I hadn't come to Shoyo, I don't think I would have gone on to baseball at a university or become a professional."

During a career counseling session in the winter of his second year of high school, Suzuki told his coach that he would not continue playing baseball in college. His pitching speed never exceeded 140 km/h, and he was stagnating, so he made the decision after realizing he had reached his limit.

"At that time, he said to me, 'What will I do if you don't play baseball?' Those words made me realize that I couldn't say anything half-hearted, and it ignited my passion once again."

In the spring of his third year, he broke through the 140 km/h barrier. In his final summer, he pitched 52 1/3 innings as the ace in seven games from the first round to the finals, allowing only six runs. He led his team to a runner-up finish. In college, he switched to sidearm pitching in search of playing time, and his dream of going pro was realized. After joining Softbank Hawks, he met with Manager Hara.

"He told me, 'When you become a professional, the start is important.' I'm a college graduate, so I think the most important thing in my baseball career will be getting off to a good start."

Finally, he sent a message to baseball players who are pursuing their dreams.

"I don't think I was a player who could become a professional when I was in high school. But baseball is a sport where one small change can make a big difference, for better or worse. That's why I think if you work hard and prepare well, your dreams can come true."

◆ Suzuki Gota was born on August 31, 2003 in Nagahama, Shiga. He is 22 years old. He started baseball with the Asai Nishi Sports Club in his second year at Yuda Elementary School, and was a member of the Shiga United JBoys while at Asai Junior High School. He was on the bench at Tokai University Shizuoka Shoyo from the summer of his first year. He never played Koshien. At Osaka Shoin University, he made his regular season debut in the All-Japan University Championship in his first year. He is 175 cm tall and weighs 84 kg. He throws and bats right-handed.

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