The 11th game between Hokkaido Nippon-Ham and Fukuoka Softbank will be held at ES CON FIELD on June 21st at 1:00 PM.

[Head-to-head record] Hokkaido Nippon-Ham (4th place) vs. Fukuoka Softbank (2nd place): 1 win, 9 losses

[Announced Starting Pitcher]
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters: Leo Shibata- 1 game, 0 wins, 0 losses, 2.25 ERA
Fukuoka Softbank: pitcher Yugo Maeda 6 games, 4 wins, 0 losses, ERA 2.70

On August 23, 2025, Leo Shibata and Yugo Maeda took mound as the second pitcher. In this rubber match, their second encounter will be as starter. It will be interesting to see who will prevail in this pitching duel between two high school draft picks.

Shibata, a second-year high school graduate, will be making his second appearance of the season. In his previous appearance (against Hiroshima on the 4th), he contributed to the team's win by runs only one run in four innings. Furthermore, Fukuoka Softbank is the team against whom he recorded his first professional relief appearance and first hold. He will be aiming for his first professional win against his home team.

Facing him is third-year high school graduate pitcher Yu Maeda, who is undefeated so far this season. In his last start (on the 13th against Tokyo Yakult), which marked his fourth consecutive win, he achieved his first quality start since turning pro. Will he be able to pitch against Hokkaido Nippon-Ham, the team that gave up four runs in the middle of the fourth inning in the game on May 24th?

Written by Ao Yokoyama