◆ Pacific League: Nippon-Ham vs. Seibu Lions (19th, ES CON FIELD)

Nippon-Ham 's first-round draft pick, pitcher Jay Ohkawa, has been promoted to the first team for the first time.

After finishing pre-game practice, Okawa said with sparkling eyes, "I feel a sense of determination. Most of all, I'm looking forward to it, and I want to see how well I can perform at this level by actually pitching."

He was informed of his promotion during practice on the 18th. "I was surprised because I was in the middle of practice when I got a call from my manager. I was told to move immediately." When asked about the message from manager Shinjo, he revealed, "Yes, it was a direct message. He said, 'Get pumped up and ready.'"

He waited in bullpen for his turn, and looking ahead to his first appearance on the mound, he said, "I'm the type of person who does better when I'm nervous, so I hope to be properly nervous and be able to pitch with a good sense of tension."

Okawa pitched in five games for the minor league team. He pitched eight inning, allowing seven hit and two runs while strike out six, earning him his first promotion to the first team.