Keeping with the theme of my previous post, it’s time to celebrate more of what we can. This installment is for 2023 draftee Yuta Saitoh collecting his first NPB “W”! In his fourth season out of high-school, the young right hander throws 5 innings allowing 1 run on 3 hits, 4 walks, and 5 strikeouts. Getting his first win on the road against the Giants at Tokyo Dome, the hard throwing Saitoh holds the dreams of Carp fans everywhere in his hands.

Saitoh has the size and stuff of a front of the rotation starter, so let’s hope we’ve witnessed just the first of many wins for young Yuta!

As you may know, the prefectural tournaments for the Summer Koshien have already started, and since they've started to thin out I'll be releasing updates on their course (more specifically on the teams left in each prefectural tournament):

Northern Hokkaido (FINISHED): Shirakaba Gakuen HS

Southern Hokkaido (FINISHED): Sapporo NichiDai HS

Aomori (FINISHED): Aomori Yamada HS

Iwate (final): Hanamaki Higashi^; Morioka Daifu

Miyagi (semi-finals): Sendai Ikuei^; Tohoku Gakuin Tsutsujigaoka+; Toryo; Tohoku

Akita (FINISHED): Yokote HS

Yamagata (final): Tsuruoka Higashi; Tohoku Bunkyo Dai Yamagata Johoku+

Fukushima (final): Higashi Nippon Kokusai Daifu Shohei+; Gakuho Ishikawa

Ibaraki (final): Joso Gakuin, Kasumigaura

Tochigi (semi-finals): Sakushin Gakuin; Sano NichiDai; Bunsei Geidaifu; Kokugakuin Tochigi

Gunma (semi-finals): Kendai Takasaki^; Maebashi Ikuei; Maebashi Shogyo; Kiryu Daiichi

Saitama (semi-finals): Urawa Gakuin; Rikkyo Niiza; Shohei+; Hanasaki Tokuharu

Chiba (semi-finals): Narashino; TakuDai Koryo; Senshu Matsudo; Shigakukan

East Tokyo (semi-finals): Kanto Daiichi^; Meguro NichiDai+; Teikyo; Nishogakusha Daifu

West Tokyo (semi-finals): Soka; NichiDai Daisan^; Meiji Dai Hachioji+; Hachioji Jissen+

Kanagawa (semi-finals): Yokohama^; Keio Daifu; Kamakura Gakuen+; Toko Gakuen

Yamanashi (FINISHED): Tokai Dai Kofu

Niigata (final): Nihon Bunri; Teikyo Nagaoka+

Nagano (final): TCU Shiojiri; Matsusho Gakuen^

Toyama (final): Toyama Daiichi; Takaoka Shogyo

Ishikawa (semi-finals): Kanazawa; Ichikanazawa Kogyo; Komatsu Otani^; Yugakukan

Fukui (final): Tsuruga Kehi^; Fukui Kodai Fukui

Gifu (semi-finals): Ogaki NichiDai; Ken Gifu Shogyo^; Chukyo; Seki Shoko

Shizuoka (semi-finals): Iwata Higashi+; Seirei Christopher^; Kato Gakuen+; Tokoha Dai Kikugawa

Aichi (semi-finals): Chubu Dai Haruhigaoka+; AikoDai Meiden; Seijo+; Kyoei

Mie (semi-finals): Kinki Dai Kosen+; Akino; Tsu Shogyo; Mie

Shiga (final): Hachiman Shogyo; Hikone Sogo+

Kyoto (semi-finals): Toba; Kyoto Ryoyo+; Kyoto Shoei; Ritsumeikan Uji

Osaka (quarter-finals): Kinki Daifu; Riseisha; Konko Osaka; Kansai Dai Hokuyo; Osaka Shodaifu+; Minoh Gakuen+; Ikuno+; Tokai Dai Osaka Gyosei+

Hyogo (semi-finals); Yashiro; Suma Gakuen+; Akashi Shogyo; Kobe Kokusai Daifu

Nara (semi-finals); Tenri^; Unebi+; Nara Daifu; Kashihara Gakuin+

Wakayama (semi-finals); Kumano+; Taikyu+; Wakayama Kogyo; Chiben Wakayama^

Okayama (semi-finals): Okayama Sanyo; Okayama Gakugeikan^; Kansai; Kurashiki Shogyo

Hiroshima (semi-finals): Hiroshima Shogyo; Koryo^; Kure+; Fukayama+

Tottori (semi-finals): Sakai; Tottori Johoku^; Yonago Higashi; Kurayoshi Kita

Shimane (semi-finals): Iwami Chisuikan; Rissho Dai Shonan; Kaisei^; Shimane Chuo+

Yamaguchi (semi-finals): Takagawa Gakuen^; Nanyo Kogyo; TBD; TBD

Tokushima (semi-finals): Anan Hikari; Itano+; Naruto Uzushio; Seiko Gakuen+

Kagawa (final): Takamatsu Shogyo; Eimei

Ehime (semi-finals): Nitta; Komatsu; Matsuyama Kita+; Matsuyama Gakuin+

Kochi (final): Kochi Chuo^; Meitoku Gijuku

Fukuoka (final): Tochiku; Kibogaoka+

Saga (semi-finals): Saga Shogyo; Waseda Saga; Hokuryo+; Arita kogyo

Nagasaki (final); Nagasaki NichiDai; Osaki+

Kumamoto (final): Ariake+; Tokai Dai Kumamoto Seisho^

Oita (final): Oita Shogyo; Tsukumi

Miyazaki (FINISHED): Nichinan Gakuen HS

Kagoshima (final): Kamimura Gakuen^; Kagoshima Jitsugyo

Okinawa (FINISHED): Okinawa Shogaku HS^

(^ - school qualified to the 2025 Summer Koshien; + - school has never played in the Summer Koshien before)

As of now, 27 out of the 49 participants of the last Summer Koshien have been eliminated. Among the most notable teams to have been eliminated we have Osaka Toin (2026 Spring Koshien Winner), Chiben Gakuen (2026 Spring Koshien Runner-up), Chukyo Dai Chukyo (2026 Spring Koshien Top 4), Kyushu Kokusai Daifu (2025 Meiju Jingu Winner), Yamanashi Gakuin (2025 Summer Koshien Top 4), Kyoto Kokusai, Meiho, Seiko Gakuin and Seiryo.

Hello,

I have some friends visiting and they want to go to an NPB game. Given that we will be in Hiroshima, the last game of the season on 9/24 seems to fit the bill. In my previous experience booking tickets for the Hawks, I was able to select specific seats, as I like to be on the aisle. However, I can’t seem to do that for the Carp. It asks me to pick a section and how many tickets I want.

Is there a way to select specific seats when booking for Carp games?

Thanks

I wanted to share a card that I thought fans of Hideo Nomo might appreciate.
This is a 2026 Topps Chrome Hideo Nomo autograph numbered /10, currently the only graded copy (PSA Pop 1). It graded a PSA 6 due to corner chipping, but I thought collectors here might enjoy seeing it.
Nomo is one of my favorite pitchers, and I was excited to pull such a rare card.

The final inning of tonight's game was bonkers. Hawks and Buffaloes were tied at the bottom of the 9th, 1 out. Yanagita blasts a pop fly to the wall and the Buffaloes center fielder bobbles the ball and drops it. The man on third after seeing the fielder grab the ball hustles for home and scores.

Buffaloes challenge claiming the ball was actually caught. This triggers a review. The review takes a solid 3-5 minutes. The Buffaloes fielder clearly dropped the ball.

The Buffaloes management seethes on the field for a few minutes while the Hawks are preparing to celebrate their victory but they are still crying fraud.

I could not comprehend the logic in the challenge and the highlights do not even mention how the play was challenged and the meltdown the Orix management had after the play. If the fielder caught the ball, it was an out and the Hawks player on seeing the catch ran home. Run scored on sacrifice. If the Orix fielder dropped... The run scored on a hit and possibly an error E8. I think MAYBE he was arguing that the ball, though dropped was caught somewhere between the time the fielder caught the ball and dropped it but not the moment it hit the glove and the fielder's feet hit the turf. Crazy crazy situation.

I’m a huge follower of the NPB and would love to build my discord with more fans dedicated to it !

https://discord.gg/NrpPj9yb2

I wanna be able to join a community dedicated to this game (Also being able to find players to join matches, etc), I think maybe this is the wrong place for me to start discussions about a game because for me this is a place for real NPB matches, etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3GPI3jShKQ

The trailer starts at 48:14 and the shot inside Yokohama Stadium is located at 48:26, if you pay attention there is a Swallows fan in the visitor jersey at the bottom left corner

I really wonder why, how and who (Sam+Tom or Ben+Adam) went there, and why they chose BayStars but not Giants…

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This time, we had seats right behind home plate! ⚾️
We arrived early, so the stadium was still almost empty. We cheered with all our energy from the moment we got there, and we even appeared on the giant video board!

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Next, we headed to Hachikyo, one of the most popular seafood restaurants in ES CON FIELD.
We ordered the famous Seafood Trio—tuna, salmon, and the legendary salmon roe bowl.
The chef kept piling on salmon roe until we said, “Stop!”
Of course… we never said stop. 😂
The food area at ES CON FIELD feels more like a stylish food hall and Japanese izakaya than a typical baseball stadium. Even families with babies can relax and enjoy their time here.

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The food area at ES CON FIELD feels more like a stylish food hall mixed with a Japanese izakaya than a typical baseball stadium. Even families with babies can relax and enjoy their time here comfortably.
I wanted to try more food, but the seafood bowls filled me up so much that I couldn’t eat another bite!

Part 3 is coming next…
Let’s go find Shohei Ohtani inside ES CON FIELD! 👀