On the 1st, Softbank Hawks manager Hiroki Kokubo revealed that he will be letting S-group players Yuki Yanagita, Hotaka Yamakawa, and Kenta Imamiya, who he has entrusted with training, play in the practice games (Sunmarine) against the Japanese WBC team on February 22nd and 23rd. "We will do whatever we can to help the team that represents our country. Of course, they won't play the full game, but they will be able to at bat once or twice. We have talked about taking them to Sunmarine. It is a sign of respect for the Samurai, and for Japanese baseball fans," he said.

Kokubo served as the manager of the Japanese national team in the 2017 WBC. Four players from the team have been selected for this year's Samurai Japan team: Kondo, Shuto, Makihara, and Matsumoto Yutaka.