Lotte's fourth-round draft pick, infielder Shohei, revealed in an interview at Lotte Urawa Baseball Stadium on the 19th that he had ordered an extra-thick bat from Rawlings.

"I personally feel that the bigger the face of the bat, the easier it is to hit pitch. I had them make the core of the bat thicker and the grip thinner so it's easier to hold. It's based on the hammer that the character Dedede holds in Super Smash Bros. (a Nintendo game)," he explained.

During the rookie joint voluntary training session that day, he practiced batting in the indoor training facility. The right-handed slugger candidate, who hit a total of 49 Home Run in high school and was entrusted with the number 55 at Lotte, vowed to succeed as a professional, saying, "I was really happy when I was given the number 55. I want to become a player who suits the Lotte number 55."