Shota Suzuki selected first by Chiba Lotte, Koichi Takada selected second by Tohoku Rakuten, and Tatsuya Ishikawa selected first by Yokohama DeNA at the Professional Baseball Draft Conference

At the 2020 Professional Baseball Draft held on Monday, October 26, Shota Suzuki (Department of Lifelong Learning and Career Studies), a member of the Athletic Association's baseball team, was selected first by the Chiba Lotte Marines, Koichi Takada (Faculty of Law, Department of Law) was selected second by the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, and Tatsuya Ishikawa (Faculty of Lifelong Learning and Career Studies) was selected by the Yokohama DeNA BayStars as their first-round pick.

The press conference was held online to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. At the press conference, Suzuki spoke of his feelings about the nomination, saying, "Being a professional baseball player has been a dream of mine since I was a child, and to be honest, I don't really feel it right now. I want to fulfill the role I have been entrusted with and become a pitcher who can be trusted by those around me," he said. Takada said, "I'm honestly happy. I want to be a player who is supported by everyone and who can be trusted anywhere, whether as a starter or a reliever. Ishikawa added, "I was relieved when I was nominated. I was happy to be nominated by my hometown team, which I used to watch games with when I was little. I want to become a left-handed pitcher representing the world of baseball like Shota Imanaga of the Yokohama DeNA Bay Stars.

When asked about his goals for his first year, Suzuki said, "I want to pitch in a way that contributes to the team's victories, and first of all, I want to establish myself in the first team. Takada said enthusiastically, "In addition to contributing to the team's victories and making the starting lineup, I also want to become the rookie of the year. Ishikawa expressed his aspirations, saying, "I want to work hard every day in practice to become a member of the team from my first year.

We would like to ask for your continued warm support for Suzuki, Takada, and Ishikawa as they continue to make their breakthrough into the world of professional baseball.