The Softbank Hawks won the right to negotiate a deal with Toyo University right-hander Shota Oba in the first round of Japanese baseball's amateur draft on Monday.
Right-hander Shota Oba speaks to the media after being picked by Fukuoka Softbank in Monday's NPB amateur draft in Tokyo. The Hawks won the right to negotiate with the Toyo University pitcher in a lottery with five other clubs.
KYODO PHOTOSoftbank won the six-team lottery for Oba, who has set Tohto University Baseball League records with 14 straight wins and 410 strikeouts, after the Orix Buffaloes, the Yokohama BayStars, the Hanshin Tigers, the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters and the Yomiuri Giants also named him in the first round of bids.