(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Ibaraki Astro Planets)
 Twins Oosterhout adds two Japanese pitchers to roster
Nederlands
 OOSTERHOUT (Neth.) -
A few days before the start of the new season, Twins Oosterhout added two Japanese pitchers to its active roster.
Last week, righthanders Taisei Nakamura and Shunta Oba arrived in Oosterhout, but according to the rules and protocols regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19), they had to be in quarantaine first for some days.
As that period has now ended, the two pitchers have been placed on the roster and are both eligible to play in the upcoming Opening 3-Game Series against HCAW.
Nakamura is scheduled to be the starting pitcher in the second game on Saturday at home in Oosterhout.
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...Taisei Nakamura (left) and Shunta Oba...
(© Photos: Ibaraki Astro Planets) |
The 20-year old Nakamura and 23-year old Oba both pitched for Ibaraki Astro Planets in the independent professional Route Inn Baseball Challenge League (Bēsubōru Charenji Rīgu) in Japan.
This League has two divisions with five teams each.
All teams play 72 games in a season that begins in April and closes in October.
With the Shikoku Island League Plus (Shikoku Airando Rīgu purasu), the Baseball Challenge League forms the Japan Independent Baseball League Organization.
Ibaraki Astro Planets was founded in 2017 and plays in the Future-East Division of the Baseball Challenge League.
It plays its home-games at the Kanakubo Sports Park in Ibaraki in the Ibaraki Prefecture and is located north of Chiba Prefecture, which is close to Tokyo.
Last year, as a control measure against the coronavirus, the league was divided into three divisions.
Earlier this month, Twins Oosterhout announced that it has come to a cooperation agreement with Ibaraki Astro Planets.
The deal will be for an unlimited period and includes the exchange of players.
Oba, who is the team-captain of Ibaraki, will be with Twins through the end of May, Nakamura will be with the team the entire season.
(April 28)
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