On March 22nd at 2 PM, an exhibition game between Hiroshima and Fukuoka Softbank will be held at Mazda Stadium.

Fukuoka Softbank 's two infielder, Kenta Imamiya and Isami Nomura, are definitely ones to watch. Imamiya, who started at short stop in the game on the 21st, went 1 hit At Bat RBI one RBI. He has now raised his batting average in the preseason games to over .300 and is making a strong impression with his batting.

Meanwhile, Isami Nomura entered the game in the top of the 5th inning as defense for Imamiya. He also made an impression with his batting, hitting his second home run of the season, a two-run shot, in the bottom of the 8th inning. It remains to be seen which player will secure the starting shortstop starting line-up for opening day, and the fierce competition in the final preseason game is something to watch.
　
Text by Hiroki Tanijima