by Namur Angels, www.namur-angels.be
The lone D1 club from the South of Belgium has just signed a player from the Land of the Rising Sun.
Namur’s manager very soon established a good communication with Yohkoh Kobayashi, a Japanese agent and the deal was under way for Shouta Ichinoseki, a 22 year old right-handed pitcher from Hokkaido who was looking to play overseas.
Originally looking for a Dutch or Italian club for his client, Kobayashi, a former pro player agreed with the young hurler that Belgium would be a good place to start his European journey.
Ichinoseki has played College baseball in Japan for the strong baseball program from the Aomori University.
During his College career, the 6’0 – 176 lbs pitcher threw 119 strike outs in just 98 innings, allowing only 32 walks and 88 hits, posting a career ERA of 2.20
Injured in the 2009 season, when he was touching 90 MPH, the Aomori standout is still sitting in the mid-80s but his main asset is his pinpoint control of an array of pitches.
In his first preparation outing in Europe, he silenced the RCH (former Dutch Major League team) offense for 3 innings securing a 1-0 lead, good for a spot to the final of the Frans Van der Meer Tournament from Rosmalen – Netherlands, where the Angels squad was the only foreign team.
A strong asset for Namur, Ichinoseki, who is signed for a 3-month contract, is looking to climb the ladder and play for a Dutch Major League or IBL ballclub later this season, possibly before the term of his contract, if the deal makes sense for all parties involved.
Photo: © Namur Angels
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Ichinoseki retiring the side in order for his former university.