◆Pre-season Rakuten Eagles 1-3 Nippon-Ham (11th, Shizuoka)

Rakuten Eagles Eagles manager Hajime Miki (48) spoke to reporters after the exhibition game against Nippon-Ham and praised their first-round draft pick, right-handed pitcher Sota Fujiwara (Hanazono University), who pitched well as a starter, allowing only two hit and no runs in five innings. "He seemed to be pitching with a little more composure during the game. Right now, I think it's important for him to show what he has on mound, so I want to closer him for getting out of jams even when he allowed runner on base," he said.

In addition, it was revealed that Naoto Nishiguchi pitcher will start in the open match against Nippon-Ham (Shizuoka) on the 12th. Nishiguchi overcame Tommy John surgery and returned to control from training in February last year. Last season, he pitched in 52 games as a reliever and scored 31 hold. This season, he has expressed his challenge to switch to a starter, and in the open game against Lotte (Shizuoka) on the 5th, he took the mound in 2nd place from the 6th inning and threw 3 innings, 2 hit and no runs. The coach expressed his expectations for Nishiguchi, saying, "Rather than making a game and doing this inning, I will go to the point where I can go while throwing my own ball firmly one by one."