Rakuten Eagles 's second-round draft pick, pitcher Itsuki Ito (22) from Waseda University, participated in the "Asobi Park Waseda" event at Abe Baseball Stadium in Higashifushimi, Tokyo, on the 14th. He interacted with 110 elementary school students. The ace, who has a total of 22 wins (5 losses) in the Tokyo Big Six baseball League, has set his goal for next season as the single kanji character for "learning," showing his eagerness to absorb new knowledge.

The joyous voices of elementary school students playing together with Waseda University baseball team members echoed through the skies of western Tokyo. This was the ninth time since 2015 that the Waseda University baseball Club Alumni Association had participated in a project to take action on the social issue of "declining outdoor play among children." This was Ito's first time participating, and he actively spoke to the children, easing their tension and running ground with them.

"This is the first time I've had the chance to play in a facility like this, so it's a lot of fun. It's a rare opportunity, so I'm having fun. I'm from Akita, so I've spent a lot of time playing in parks and rice fields. When I look at Tokyo, I think there aren't many places like that, so I think it's great that everyone can move around in such a spacious area."

This spring, he achieved no hitter against Meiji University. In the end, he led his team to five consecutive wins with five consecutive pitches in a rage. In the championship game against Meiji University, he pitched the full nine innings and became the third consecutive season pitcher to pitch a complete game. baseball In the Japan-U.S. Collegiate Championships in July, he also contributed to Hinomaru's five wins in five games as the ace of the Japanese Samurai Japan University national team. In the fall, he finished his college career with 22 wins, surpassing the total of 20 wins that manager Satoru Komiyama (60) had achieved during his playing days. When asked what single kanji character would best describe his year, he replied.

"It's 'Show'. I'm in my fourth year at Waseda, and there's a draft where you have to show your skills and how well I've shown my worth... that's what I've been thinking about the most this past year. It may not be the most beautiful character, but I think it's the character that's most important to me this past year."

"Then maybe next year," he said, sounding like a clever 22-year-old.

I want to 'learn'. baseball I want to learn from each match, each inning 1 inning and each pitch, and I want to give feedback and get good results."

There is a possibility that he will face off against his teammate, pitcher Ren Tawa (22), who was drafted second by The Giants, in the interleague games or the Japan Series in the future. His eyes sparkled, and he was excited about the dream match.

"I've vaguely heard that (Tawa) will be starting, so it would be great if we could face each other as starting pitchers, and I'm really looking forward to it. Since we're rivals, if Tawa comes in as a relief pitcher, it will mean we'll lose, so I'll do my best to not let him come in. I think it would be best if we could face each other as starting pitchers, so I'll do my best not to lose."

His words were filled with the pride he had in having defended mound at Jingu Stadium for four years as an ace complete game who could pitch complete games.

"My strength is my overall ability as pitcher. I'm also good at making up for my shortcomings. I want to continue to improve steadily, one step at a time."

This was the last time we saw him in the Waseda uniform. This was his first year as a professional and it was a crucial one. He swung his right arm with dignity to bring a smile to the faces of the fans in Michinoku. (Kato Hiroshi)