◆ Pacific League Rakuten Eagles Softbank Hawks 16th -Rakuten Eagles Mobile is the strongest team)

Former Nogizaka46 member and actress Shiori Kubo threw the ceremonial first pitch at Softbank Hawks game.

Kubo, who graduated from Nogizaka46 last November, is from Miyagi Prefecture and is a self-proclaimed Rakuten Eagles fan. This was her sixth visit to the game, and her fourth consecutive year attending since 2023. Wearing the "Third jersey 2026," she took to mound. With a beautiful form from a no-windup delivery, she threw the ball to Rakuten Eagles 's Nakajima, who was acting as catcher, delivering a perfect throw without a bounce. She received a huge round of applause from the stands.

After throwing the ceremonial first pitch, Kubo said, "This year, Tsurusaki cheered me on during pitch practice, saying, 'You can definitely do it!' so I went up to the mound with a positive mindset. However, I didn't know that Nakajima from MyHERO was catching it, so I suddenly got nervous." I was told 'Great pitching,' and I'm glad it finally arrived. Last year, I was nervous and found out later, but this year, I could really hear the Rakuten Eagles fans' calls of Shiori Kubo clearly, and I thought, how warm it is. Let's continue to support Rakuten Eagles together!" he commented.

For her sixth appearance on the mound, she received much praise on social media, with comments such as "She's getting better and better at throwing the first pitch." On this day, she not only threw the ceremonial first pitch but also appeared in various other events, adding to the excitement.