Nippon-Ham manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo (54) expressed his hopes for the future of pitcher Sorato Kawakatsu (19) and Junki pitcher (19), both in their second year of development, who pitched in the Red-White game in Nago, Okinawa on the 14th. Both pitched one inning without allowing hit or runs. Kawakatsu recorded a top speed of 153 km/h and pitch out three struck out in a row, putting on a spectacular performance.

The manager singled out the two second-year high school graduates, saying, "Kawakatsu and Shibuya, who are development players, are promising. They'll be interesting in two or three years. If they can gain some experience and get the ball to go where they want it to, they'll be quite interesting. They throw some good pitches. They're two players who make you excited, and you get the feeling they'll closer shut down batter after batter. I was impressed by the atmosphere on mound and the release point of the ball."