Softbank Hawks On the 29th, Masato Akihiro infielder (23) vowed to make a strong appeal for his first season opener with the first team. On this day, he practiced at Mizuho Peipay. He spent the day off with a good response, and has emerged as a frontrunner for a breakout season.

"I haven't even made it to the first team at opening day yet, so that's my first goal." On the 28th, the allocations for the Miyazaki training camp were announced, and it was decided that he would start in Group A (equivalent to the first team) for the fourth consecutive year since his time with The Giants. On the 28th, he dyed his hair from orange to black and shaved the sides of his head to inject some energy. This is his first training camp with this team since joining via trade in May 2013. "Softbank Hawks has a particularly impressive lineup," he said, before adding, "It's about time we did it too," and intends to push forward without reservation with the main players.

During the off-season, he felt he had practiced "four to five times the amount of practice he normally does." "I practiced so much that I thought, 'What if I can't hit it with this?' I'm looking forward to February." He is fully prepared for the "fourth time's the charm." This year, he will grab a spot on the opening day first team. (Moriguchi Noboru)