An exhibition game between Fukuoka Softbank and The Giants will be held at Nagasaki Big N Stadium from 2:00 p.m. on March 11th.

The focus of attention for Fukuoka Softbank is on Yoshiyasu Sasakawa, who is showing signs of improvement with a batting average of .375 (3 hits in 8 At Bat hit) in the 3-game series Chiba Lotte starting on the 7th. On the 9th, he was replaced by Ukyo Shuto due to injury, and entered the game with one out in the bottom of the 2nd inning, but still managed to get 2 hit and 1 stolen base base. Although he only played in 7 games last season, he was selected as starting line-up in games 4 and 5 of the "SMBC Japan Series 2024," so there are high expectations for him, and he will be looking to continue to make his mark.

Also, Yuki Yanagita recorded his first hit in the exhibition game of the season in the game on the 9th. His adjustment will be the focus of attention as he aims to bounce back from last season, when he failed to reach the required number of at-bats for the first time in five years due to an injury to his right semitendinosus muscle.

Text by Aoi Yokoyama