Teruaki Sato, an infielder (4th year = Incheon Gakuin), who won the right to negotiate with Hanshin, said: “I’m glad to be a local and family team.” It was the first time in 40 years since Tatsunori Hara (giant) of Tokai University in 1980 that all four teams competed in the highest college player nomination (excluding first place out of the game).

I cut both sides of the hair that had grown from the day before the draft and waited for the moment of fate with director Hidemasa Tanaka (63). Even if Director Yano picked up a winning lottery from the lottery box, he didn’t change his expression. Many outlets, such as 15 television cameras, rushed to the meeting place and many students looked out of the place.

He is the number one hitter in the world of amateur ball. 187 cm, 94 kg right handed left handed. Although he has never participated in the Koshien tournament in high school, he has grown rapidly in college. In the Kansai Student Baseball League, he hit a total of 14 home bases, breaking the league record for total base hits set by former giant Tomohiro Nioka (currently the director of the 3rd Army of Giants) for the first time in 22 years.

Before draft day, ORIX announced the No. 1 nomination as soon as possible on the 13th. On the 25th, the day before the draft, Softbank and the giant announced the nomination for first place, and the competition for three o more teams.

◆ Teruaki Sato Born on March 13, 1999 in Nishinomiya City, Hyogo. He started softball at Koto Blue Sanders from the first year of Koto Elementary School. In 6 years he was chosen Tigers Junior, but he could not play an active role because he injured his right elbow. He belongs to the Koryo High School Softball Club. Incheon Gakuin reached 20 operating bases in high school. At Kindai, he has been a regular since spring of the first year. Selected as the top nine for three consecutive seasons beginning in the spring of the second year (outfielder in the spring of the second year, third base in the fall of the second year and spring of the third year). 14 locals in total in the league game. Bench press 130 kg, left and right grip force 75 kg. His father Hironobu (53) is a Judo club (86kg class) at Nikkei University and is currently associate professor at Seki University.

◆ Lottery with many competitors The largest number was eight teams from Hideo Noshige (Nippon Steel Sakai) in 1989 and Hideo Koike (Adai) in 1990. The largest number of outfielders is Kosuke Fukudome (PL Gakuen) in 1995 and Kotaro Kiyomiya ( Sayami) in 2017. There are only two college students, Akifu Okada (Waseda University = 6 teams) in 1979 and Tatsunori Hara (Tokai University = 4 teams) in 1980, who are off the field and excluded from 1st place.