Rakuten Eagles Waseda University's Tatsuki Ito pitcher (22), the second overall draft pick of the Waseda University Draft, participated in the "Play Park WASEDA" event at Abe Ballpark in Higashifushimi, Tokyo, on April 14. He interacted with 110 elementary school students. Tokyo Six University baseball ace, who has won 22 league games (5 losses), said his goal for next season is to "learn" in one Chinese character, and he is ready to absorb the knowledge voraciously.

The joyful voices of elementary school children playing with members of the Waseda University baseball team echoed through the West Tokyo sky. This project, organized by the Waseda University baseball Club Alumni Association to address the social issue of "the decline in outdoor play among children," is the ninth of its kind since 2015. Ito, participating for the first time, actively spoke to the children, eased their tension, and ran around 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 pitched five consecutive games in a furious five-game stretch, leading his team to five straight wins. In the championship decider against Meiji University, he pitched all nine innings, becoming the winning pitcher for the third consecutive season. In the Japan-USA Collegiate baseball Championship in July, he contributed to Japan's five-game winning streak as the ace of the Samurai Japan Collegiate National Team. In the fall, he surpassed the 20 career wins achieved by manager Satoru Komiyama (60) during his playing career, ending his collegiate career with 22 wins, "surpassing Komiyama." When asked to describe such a year in a single kanji character, he answered as follows.

"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 make it a learning experience. I want to learn about the differences between amateur and professional baseball, and how well I can do. I want to learn from each game, each inning, each inning, and use that feedback to achieve good results."

He and his teammate, The Giants second-round draft pick, pitcher Ren Tawa (22), may face each other in an interleague game or the Japan Series in the future. His eyes lit up, and he was excited at the prospect of this dream matchup.

"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."

The pride he felt from having guarded the Jingu Stadium mound for four years as the absolute ace, a starting pitcher who complete game, was evident in every word he spoke.

"My strength lies in my overall pitcher ability. My strength is also in filling in my weaknesses. I want to continue steadily improving, 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)