Pacific League: Orix Buffaloes 1-5 Rakuten Eagles (25th, Kyocera Dome)

A smile bloomed after a display of persistence. Rakuten Eagles' second-round draft pick, pitcher Tatsuki Ito (23) from Waseda University, earned his first professional win. In his first professional start, he allowed one runs on four hits and four Walks over five innings. Although he gave up the opening run in the first inning, he remained unfazed. He kept his team in the game by mixing a variety of breaking balls with a fastball that topped out at 152 km/h. "You only get one first start. I really wanted to win, so I'm glad I did," he said with a shy smile.

He has learned from some of the most prominent managers in the amateur baseball world. "I can say with confidence that I have had the best amateur career," he said. The right-hander, who was selected for the Rakuten Eagles Junior team in his sixth year of elementary school, trained under manager Wataru Sue (43) at Sendai Ikuei. He received guidance from the manager who reached the top of the nation at the 2022 Summer Koshien. "I was constantly told that a good player is one who has good judgment." Baseball is a constant series of decisions. He has mastered the art of thinking to choose the best move by drilling countless scenarios into his head.

At Waseda University, where he enrolled aiming to be a "first-round draft pick in four years," he studied under manager Satoru Komiyama (60), who has 117 career NPB wins. When he was struggling, it was more than once or twice that he knocked on the manager's door to seek advice. "Waseda must win. Under manager Komiyama, I was able to refine my control and my ability to read the flow of the game." He is not just a "thrower" who only throws fast; he has grown into a pitcher who can win.

There is a phrase that his former mentors emphasized in unison: "Value preparation." "They always said it. If both of them were saying it, there was no doubt about it." Because of that teaching, he never neglects his training even when the results aren't there. In his first appearance on June 5 against the Hanshin Tigers (Koshien), he gave up four runs in two innings. Using that frustration as motivation, he improved his fastball velocity and change-up in the minor leagues. Having made thorough "preparations" as taught, he returned to the first team and proved how much he had evolved.

The rookie's strong pitching snapped their four-game losing streak. Manager Yoshii praised him, saying, "His fastball is powerful, he's a good pitcher." His next appearance will be in his hometown of Akita on September 1st against Orix Buffaloes. "I want to get results," said the right-hander, who turned 23 on the 24th, as he confidently set out on his next challenge. (Kota Miyauchi)