◆ Seibu Lions Pacific League: Seibu vs. Softbank Hawks (26th, Belluna Dome)

Softbank Hawks Hawks manager Hiroki Kokubo spoke to reporters before the game and offered his support to the new Samurai Japan manager, Toshihito Iguchi, whose appointment was announced on the 25th.

From 1997, when Iguchi joined the team, until 2002, they played together at the Fukuoka Daiei The Hawks, the predecessor of Softbank Hawks Hawks. Both are graduates of Aoyama Gakuin University, and Manager Kokubo also has experience as the manager of the Samurai Japan team, having led them in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

Regarding the appointment of his "junior" who shares many similarities with him as the national team coach, the coach expressed his expectations, saying, "First and foremost, the Olympics (in Los Angeles in 2028) will be his biggest goal. It's a tough job. Accepting it means he has that much determination. I hope he will create a strong Japanese national team."