◆Exhibition game Rakuten Eagles 0-0 Seibu Lions (17th, Belluna Dome)

The second-year player Haruma Fukuo infielder (19) made his first appearance in a first-team game in an open game Rakuten Eagles (Verna D) on March 17.

He joined Seibu Lions in 2024 as the sixth pick in the developmental draft from Gakuhou Ishikawa High School. He joined the first team on this day, albeit in a limited capacity. During pre-game practice, he watched the main players practice up close and vowed, "They have a sense of consistency, and I was impressed by how carefully they hit each and every ball. I want to try to emulate that and do my best."

He appeared as a pinch runner in the bottom of the ninth inning with no outs and a runner on first base, with the score tied 0-0 in both teams. Although he was unable to score as the next batter was retired, he stood on ground at his home stadium, Belluna Dome, with the fans cheering him on. He said, "I was nervous, but I was able to get on base calmly without panicking as much as I thought I would. It's different from playing in the minor leagues, and I thought I'd like to play in this kind of environment," looking ahead to the near future with excitement.