At the professional baseball team Nippon-Ham's camp in Okinawa Prefecture, opening pitcher Taikai Ito showed smooth adjustment by pitching in the bullpen and vowed to do well, saying, ``I definitely want to win 15 games.''
On the 2nd day, the second day of Nippon Ham's training camp in Nago City, Okinawa Prefecture, pitcher Ito, who was designated by Manager Shinjo as the opening pitcher, entered the bullpen for the first time.
Pitcher Ito placed a hurdle about 15 centimeters high in order to correct the fact that his left foot was slipping when he pitched, and he pitched with a form that required him to take a big step over the hurdle.
Pitcher Ito looked satisfied as he threw 45 pitches while checking the curvature of his sliders, cut balls, and other breaking balls.
Nippon-Ham's former ace pitcher, Naoyuki Uezawa, signed a minor league contract with the Rays with the aim of making it to the major leagues, so pitcher Ito is expected to play an active role as the new ace, and after practice he said, ``I am someone like Uezawa.'' "I may not be able to become the best, but I want to be a player who can lead the team. I want to win the opening game and get 15 wins so that we can aim for the championship," he vowed to do well.