◆ Pacific League vs. Softbank Hawks = Cancelled due to rain = (26th, ZOZO Marine Stadium)

On the 26th, Lotte manager Saburo (50) issued an "MVP order" to pitcher Genki Ishigaki Star game (July 27th, Niigata).

The game against Softbank Hawks that day (at ZOZO Marine Stadium) was canceled due to bad weather. Speaking to reporters during practice in the indoor training facility, the manager mentioned Ishigaki's selection to the Fresh All-Star team and said, "First of all, I hope he finishes it safely without getting injured. I hope he wins the MVP award. I don't think he'll go as far as walk, though. I think he'll pitch inning, so I hope he goes for all struck out and gives up zero walks."

Yutaka Enatsu, who had a total of 206 wins, made history in the first game of the 1971 All-Star Series (Nishinomiya) by striking out nine consecutive struck out. The Fresh All-Star Series, which features young players, has seen many MVP winners go on to achieve great success, including Ichiro (Orix Buffaloes) in 1992, Aoki (Yakult) in 2004, Nakata (Nippon-Ham) in 2009, Okamoto (The Giants) in 2016, and Morishita (Hanshin Tigers) in 2023.

Ishigaki, a right-handed pitcher with a top speed of 158 km/h, has appeared in 10 games in the minor leagues so far, with a record of 0 wins and 0 losses and ERA of 7.20. Through the team, Ishigaki commented, "I am very honored to have been selected. On the day of the game, I will do my best to pitch in my own style and give it my all so that the fans can enjoy it."

From Lotte, infielder Yuya Sakurai (18) =Shohei=, drafted in the fourth round, and catcher Ryoju Okamura (19) =Tomishima=, drafted in the sixth round, were also selected. Manager Saburo said, "Sakurai has been given opportunities to bat, and I've always thought he was a talented kid, so I expected it to some extent, but Okamura was a bit of a surprise. He's been highly rated by the farm team's coaching staff, so I'm looking forward to it even more."

Sakurai said, "Thank you for selecting me. I will do my best to fully showcase my strengths and achieve results on this valuable stage of the Fresh All-Star game." Okamura added, "I am very happy to have been selected. This is a valuable opportunity to interact with players I don't usually have the chance to meet, so I would like to learn a lot while enjoying the game."