Rakuten Eagles announced on the 26th that actress Shiori Kubo, a native of Miyagi Prefecture, will throw the ceremonial first pitch at their game against Softbank Hawks on May 16th (Rakuten Eagles Mobile). Kubo, who graduated from Nogizaka46 in November of last year, will be making her fourth consecutive appearance at the game since 2023, and her sixth appearance overall. In addition to throwing the ceremonial first pitch, she is also scheduled to appear at an event on the day.

Kubo commented through the team, "I am very happy to be able to participate again this year, following last year. After moving to Tokyo and leaving the Tohoku Golden Angels cheerleading squad, which I had been training with for many years, I have been given the opportunity to stand on the stadium again, and even after graduating from Nogizaka46, I am very grateful and truly happy to be able to stand on the home field of Rakuten Eagles, a team I have been supporting for many years. On the day, I will do my best to convey my feelings of support and gratitude. Thank you for your support!"

It has also been decided that the first 15,000 people with a ticket for the game will receive a "Third jersey 2026" featuring silhouettes of the six Tohoku prefectures.