[Nippon-Ham] Mizutani’s most memorable game of the season was… not the CS or the Escon, but the game where they came back and won with a walk-walk-off victory.
Sports Hochi
December 14, 2025 05:10
Nippon-Ham Shun Mizutani outfielder (24) of the “JETRO” held a Christmas talk show in Sapporo on January 13th. Looking back on this season, he mentioned the memorable game against the 2nd Army in Hakodate. He revealed that he was empowered by the cheers of the crowd during a difficult time, and vowed to play an active role in the next season.
It was a more memorable at-bat than any of the home runs Home Run in the first team. On May 17th, in Rakuten Eagles game against Eastern League (Hakodate), in the 11th inning extra inning, trailing by three runs, he came in as a pinch hitter and hit a timely single to center field, leading to a walk walk-off off victory. “It was a tough time when I was removed from the roster, but so many people supported me. I received cheers that were just as loud as those at Escon, and even though it was tough, it really motivated me to do my best. It was like they ignited a fire in me, and I’ll never forget those cheers,” he said, expressing his deep gratitude.
Looking ahead to next season, Mizutani said with a smile, “I want to go for the championship and aim to become number one in Japan. I want to be at the center of the team as an individual, so I would like to have an even better season than this year, so please support me.” In order to live up to the cheers that give me strength, he will continue to liven up the team with his play and performance next season. (Yamaguchi Yasushi)