◆ Pacific League: Softbank Hawks vs. Orix Buffaloes (23rd, Mizuho PayPay)

Rio Nakata (TOKIO Inkarami), who has won the World Junior Figure Skating Championships twice in a row, appeared for the ceremonial first pitch.

He wore the same number 9 uniform as Yuki Yanagita outfielder, which he listed as his favorite player. Before the match, he put on a glove that Yanagida had given him directly and climbed to the mound. The pitch thrown with two seam fastball grip was bounce and reached catcher.

Having completed his second major role in his life, Nakata smiled as he reflected, "I went straight for it, so I think it went well." Before the game, he asked Yanagita, "What are your feelings when you step up to the plate in a high-pressure situation?" Yanagita replied, "Every time I step up to the plate, I go in without any regrets," and Nakata is now applying that advice to his main job, saying, "I practice so that I won't have any regrets, and even if I fail, I'll be able to think that it happened at that time."