◆ Pacific League: Nippon-Ham vs. Orix Orix Buffaloes (30th, ES CON FIELD)

Ren Nikaido, who won a total of three medals in Nordic ski jumping at the Milan-Cortina Olympics, was first baseman pitcher. At the same Olympics, he won a silver medal in the normal hill event, a bronze medal in the large hill event, and a bronze medal in the mixed team event.

Nikaido, a Nippon-Ham fan, appeared wearing a signed uniform given to him by CBO Kuriyama. number was "23," a nod to his nickname "Nikasan." He declared, "I'm aiming for 150 km/h!" and headed to mound. He threw with force from the set position, but pitch bounced slightly towards first bounce. He clutched his head and gave a wry smile.

After his run, Nikaido said, “It was different from what I expected (laughs). I did practice, but it was my first time throwing from mound.” Although both the ski jump and mound are slopes, he reflected, “I might have been more nervous here. It’s a completely different sport, after all.”

His favorite player is Hiromi Ito, who is also from Hokkaido and shares his hobby of fishing. "He's from the same prefecture, and I also fish, so the points that make him my favorite are the things we have in common," he revealed. Although they don't interact at the moment, he said, "I'd like to go fishing with him someday."