On the 28th, Softbank Hawks pitcher Naoyuki Uwasawa was selected as the opening pitcher for this season. The final training camp in Miyazaki began on this day. Before practice, manager Kokubo revealed, "Naoyuki Uwasawa will be the opening pitcher for 2026."

The opponent in the opening game of the season (March 27th at Mizuho PayPay) will be Nippon-Ham. For Uesawa, it will be a match against his former team, and he commented, "Being the opening pitcher for last year's league champions means a lot to me. I want to do my best with a strong sense of responsibility."

He has experience as the opening pitcher in 2019 and 2021 when he was with Nippon-Ham, but this will be his first time with The Hawks. He has been entrusted with this important role in his second year with the team. "I think it's an honorable position that only 12 people out of 12 teams get to play in. It's also an important first game that gives the team momentum, so it's something very special," he said, interpreting the opening pitcher. "I want to be able to take to mound with confidence," he said, working backwards to improve his condition.