
Nippon-Ham pitcher Haruki Hosono participated in a starter practice held at Escon on the 30th, in preparation for his start in the home opener against Lotte on the 31st.
In addition to playing catch and sprinting, he did some light pitch from mound to make a final check. Regarding his condition, he expressed confidence, saying, "I think I'm doing just fine."
The team got off to a surprising start with three straight losses. "I can't believe it. I really can't believe it... I want to do my best to be winning pitcher in the first game of the year," he said with determination.
Regarding the Lotte lineup, he said, "From what I can see, there are a lot of batters who seem to be in good form. So I hope they'll swing away and we can go head-to-head with them."