It was revealed on the 25th that Nippon-Ham's first-round draft pick, pitcher Jay Ohkawa (22) from Meiji University, will make his first professional start in the game against Lotte at Es Con Field on the 29th. Takayuki Kato, who was scheduled to start against the Seibu Lions at Belluna Dome on the 26th, will skip his start due to poor physical condition. With Tatsu, who was originally scheduled to start on the 29th, being moved up to the 26th, the opportunity has come to the first-round right-hander.

Okawa was first promoted this season as a reliever on April 19 but failed to produce results in two games ERA 27.00, and was removed from the roster on April 24. In the farm team, he continued to adjust his starting rotation, and on August 21 against Lotte (Kamagaya), he pitched well with 89 pitches over 6 innings, 5 hit 1 runs. He has already joined ESCON's starter practice.

His greatest weapon is a fastball with a strong hop component, topping out at 155 km/h. "There are many power pitcher with big bodies these days, but I'm not that type. I'm the type who closer batter with sharpness," he analyzes. Manager Shinjo said, "He really has a sharp pitch. The quality of his pitches is similar to Kitayama-kun's." This highly regarded talent is now being unveiled as a starter.

Jiei Okawa. Born October 28, 2003, in Hiratsuka City, Kanagawa. 22 years old. Started playing baseball with Hiratsuka Little in the third grade at Nadeshiko Elementary School. At Hamatake Junior High, he played for the Shonan Boys and was selected for the East Japan Hochi All-Star Kanagawa team. At Joso Gakuin, he appeared in the Senbatsu tournament in his third year. At Meiji University, he made 34 relief appearances in league play, recording 4 wins, 1 loss, and a 2.91 ERA. Joined Nippon-Ham as the first-round draft pick in 2025. Players in the same year include Tatsu, Yanagawa, and Fukushima. 180 cm, 75 kg. Right-handed pitcher, left-handed batter.