On the 4th, Samurai Japan started their second day of training camp in Miyazaki for the 'Luxas Asia Professional baseball Championship 2026' (November 12-15, Tokyo Dome). Sheet fielding practice was conducted for the first time today, revealing the general outline of the team's lineup. Softbank Hawks' Masaki moved to first base after taking right field defense with Lotte's Nishikawa.

Masaki, the oldest fielder at 26, was named MVP after hitting two home runs in four games during the Japan Series. In the regular season, his most frequent role was in the starting line-up at first base for 51 games, followed by 38 games in right field, 11 games in left field, and 1 game in center field. During the Japan Series, he played right field in Games 1 and 2 (Yokohama) where there was no DH system, and also played right field in Game 3 held at the home stadium, Mizuho PayPay. In Game 4, he moved from right field to first base.

Below are the players at each position during infield practice.

[catcher] DB Matsuo, L Kojima, F Shindo

[First Base] Yamaguchi (Masaki)

[Second Base] H Shoji, F Yamagata

[Third Base] L: Watanabe, C: Sasaki

[Shortstop] E. Muneyama

Left Wing: Watarai (DeNA), Tatsumi (Carp)

Mid-tier: Sasaki (Giants), Hasegawa (Lions)

Right Wing: H. Masaki, M. Nishikawa

The previous day, after finishing the first day of the training camp, Manager Iguchi expressed his confidence, saying, 'Not only the players but also the coaching staff are very cheerful, and we've made a great start with a really good team atmosphere.'

The tournament features players aged 24 and under or in their third year of professional play, and also utilizes overage slots. Promising young players such as Takemaru from The Giants, Muneyama from the Rakuten Eagles, and Nishikawa from Lotte were selected for the training camp, while Masaki from the Softbank Hawks, Yamaguchi from Lotte, and Tatsumi from Hiroshima were chosen for the overage slots.

Samurai Japan is moving forward with the goal of winning the gold medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. However, the road ahead is not easy. Only six teams will participate. The host nation, the United States, along with Venezuela, the winner of the March World Baseball Classic, and the Dominican Republic, a top-four finisher, have already secured their spots. Japan will qualify if they finish as the top Asian team in the 2027 Premier 12, which serves as a qualifier; if they miss that chance, they will have to compete for the final spot in the world final qualifying tournament scheduled to be held by March 2028. They will gather their strength and push forward toward their goal.

The Road to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics: Six teams will participate. The host nation, the United States, along with Venezuela (winners of the March WBC) and the Dominican Republic (semi-finalists), have already secured their spots. Japan will qualify if they finish as the top Asian team in the 2027 Premier 12, which serves as a qualifier. If they miss that opportunity, they will compete for the final remaining spot in the world final qualifying tournament scheduled to be held by March 2028.