Open game Nippon-Ham and Lotte (7th, Escond)

Nippon-Ham 's second-round draft pick, outfielder Kane Edokpolo (Osaka University of Economics), recorded his first RBI in the preseason games.

He made his first appearance in the open game as "No. 3 center fielder". In the second at-bat with one out and third base in the third inning, Lotte's starter Haru Tanaka's 151 kg was repelled to center fielder. The line drive ball was slightly catch from the left-center, but it was enough for sacrifice fly. Third base runner survived and marked his first RBI.

Edopolo started as the fourth batter and center starting line-up in the first external game of the season, a training match against Hanshin Tigers on February 8th (in Nago). He responded to Manager Shinjo's decision to use him as the fourth doble, hitting a double over the center field fence and making a strong showing with two hit RBI one RBI, earning him a promotion to the first team. However, he failed to produce any results after that and was sent back down to the second team. He joined the first team along with other rookie players for the new player introduction party that day.

◆ Kane Edokpolo was born on July 2, 2003, in Osaka City. He is 22 years old. He started playing baseball in the second grade of Kitatatsumi Elementary School with the Nagase Boys, and played for the Minami Osaka Baseball Club in Tatsumi Junior High School. He became a regular player from the fall of his second year at Nihon Koku (Yamanashi) and participated in Koshien in the summer of his third year. He hit a total of 24 Home Run in high school. He played in league games from the spring of his first year at Osaka University of Economics. He was drafted in the second round by Nippon-Ham in 2025. His older brother is mixed martial artist Edpolo King. He is 190 cm tall and weighs 102 kg. He is a right-handed pitcher and batter.