◆Pre-season game Rakuten Eagles vs. DeNA (7th, Shizuoka)

Rakuten Eagles infielder Takumi Aono, making his first appearance in a first-team exhibition game, hit a timely doble the left field fence in his first at-bat in the second inning to take the lead.

Aono, who was overtaken by starting line-up at No. 7 and first base, hit DeNA Higashi's two seam fastball from the 1st strike in his first at-bat with one out and second base in the second inning. The batted ball reached the left field wall to take the lead doble. In response to the special hit from the left-hander, who won the most games last season, he said, "I narrowed down the ball I was aiming for and swung the ball I could hit as much as I could," and raised his arms on the second base.

Aono is a graduate of Himi, a prefectural high school in Toyama, and participated in the 2011 Spring Senbatsu Tournament under the 21st Century枠. He played as the third batter and pitcher in the first game against Yamanashi Gakuin, losing 1-4. He was drafted by Rakuten Eagles in the eighth round that same year and joined the team. Up until last season, he had played in a total of 119 games in the minor leagues over the two years since, but had not yet played in regular season for the major leagues.