Seibu Lions' fourth-round draft pick, pitcher Keita Horikoshi (22) from Tohoku Fukushi University, signed autographs for fans who came to watch the spring training camp held in Haruno, Kochi on the 5th.

He was born in Hanno City, Saitama. He was a Seibu Lions Lions fan and had been a member of the fan club since he was a child. On long days, he would wait for over an hour after games or at fan appreciation events to get autographs from players. He was inspired by Ken Togame (38, currently an amateur scout), who was pitching at his first game, and set his sights on playing professional baseball.

On this day, he attended to his fans after the morning practice. "I was really happy to receive it too, and I hope it will inspire everyone to try their best again, whether it's at work, school, or baseball," he said as he chatted with them as he wrote.

After turning pro, he has signed autographs many times, and the right-handed pitcher says, "It may sound cliché, but the words 'Do your best,' really touch my heart and make me want to do my best too," turning them into his own motivation. From being the one "receiving" autographs to being the one "writing" them. "It's not like I'm repaying the favor that was given to me, but I'd like to give energy to someone again, so I'd like to do this in my free time," he said enthusiastically.