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

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

Aono, in his third year as a pro, was selected to starting line-up at first base and batting seventh. In his first at-bat in the second inning with one out and a runner on second, he swung hard at a two-seam two seam fastball from DeNA's Higashi after one strike. The ball reached the left field wall for a go-ahead doble. After hitting the game-winning hit off the left-handed pitcher who had the most wins in the Central League last season, he raised both arms in triumph on second base, saying, "I narrowed down my target pitch and swung with all my might at a ball I could hit."

Aono is from Himi High School, a prefectural high school in Toyama Prefecture, and participated in the 2023 Spring Koshien tournament as a 21st Century枠 (special selection) player. He played as the third batter and pitcher in the first game against Yamanashi Gakuin, but lost 1-4. In the same year's draft, he was selected in the 8th round by Rakuten Eagles and joined the team. He has played in a total of 119 games in the minor leagues over the past two years, but has not played in any regular season games.