Nice Guy Partners, the management company for Stanford University infielder Rintaro Sasaki (2nd year), who was the first overall pick by Softbank Hawks in last fall's draft, issued a statement on the 22nd. "Regarding his future plans, he is considering a temporary return to Japan around the end of June and is scheduled to meet with Fukuoka Softbank Hawks organization. We will inform you again once we have more concrete developments," they announced. They also stated, "He still has classes and end-of-year exams as a student. Completing those should be the top priority, and as mentioned above, there will be no further developments for the time being. Although he will be posting on social media, he will refrain from making any official comments regarding his future plans."

The Atlantic Coast Conference Championship of U.S. collegiate baseball held its second round on the 20th (21st Japan time) in Charlotte, North Carolina, where Sasaki played. Stanford University lost to Miami University 2-11, bringing his second season in the U.S. to an end.

With the MLB draft, which will include players eligible for selection starting this year, scheduled for mid-July, negotiations with Softbank Hawks to sign players have also begun. Speaking to reporters at Mizuho PayPay Dome on the 21st, Tomohiro Nagai, head of player development and player acquisition, said, "I want to ask them things like, 'Is there anything you'd like to decide before we wait for their draft?' I want to give them a presentation that shows how much I'm looking forward to it. I'll also ask them about the timing."