On the 29th, Rakuten Eagles kicked off a joint voluntary training session for rookies at Rakuten Eagles Mobile Saikyo Park Miyagi in Sendai City. First-round draft pick right-hander Sota Fujiwara (22) of Hanazono University, who boasts a top speed of 156 km/h, is determined to learn the secrets of surviving in the baseball world from legendary pitcher Kenta Maeda (37).

He will start camp with the first team. In Kin Town, Okinawa, he will work up a sweat alongside a living example. When asked about his feelings for Maeda, he said:

"When I was in high school (Mizuguchi, Shiga), I used to learn about his pitching form, so I'm happy to be able to baseball with someone like him. I learned a lot from him, like how to use the glove when winding up and moving in a linear motion."

Perhaps this is fate. I'll be sharing the same table with a star who once existed on my smartphone screen. "He's a player who has been active in the major leagues for a long time, so I'd like to ask him about his thoughts on baseball and his private life," he said with a sparkle in his eyes.

After completing the rookie joint voluntary training, the strong-armer reflected, "The environment was set up so that we could practice from morning until night, and I was able to spend every day immersed in baseball, which was very fulfilling." "I want to do my best so that I can survive in the first team with my own ability." He will use everything he learned from interacting with the legend as nourishment for himself. (Kato Hiroshi)