Yokawa, who joined in the active draft, also became the first army.
On the 27th, Seibu announced the participating athletes for the spring camp A and B. Among the newcomers, outfielder Takuya Hiruma, who ranked 1st in the draft, pitcher Minato Aoyama, who ranked 4th, and infielder Ryosuke Kodama, who ranked 6th in the draft, started the first army’s A group. Naomasa Yokawa, an infielder who joined from Hanshin in the active draft, also became a group A.
Infielder Hodaka Yamakawa and infielder Sosuke Genda, who are members of Samurai Japan, who will participate in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March, are also in Group A. The veteran group of pitcher Tatsushi Masuda, infielder Tsuyoshi Nakamura, and outfielder Takumi Kuriyama starts from the 2nd Army’s B group.
Due to the influence of the WBC this year, the opening will be delayed from the usual year, so both A and B teams will camp on February 6th. Group A will be held at Nango Chuo Park in Miyazaki Prefecture, while Group B will be held at Haruno Sports Park in Kochi Prefecture until the 23rd.
