Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles: Shoma Doi of Montedio Yamagata to Perform Ceremonial Pitch at Kirayaka Stadium Game on June 23

Rakuten Baseball, Inc. (Headquarters: Miyagino-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture; President and CEO: Makoto Mori) announces that Shoma Doi, a professional soccer player from Montedio Yamagata and native of Yamagata City, will perform the ceremonial first pitch before the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles' home game in Yamagata Prefecture as part of the 'Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles Tohoku Series Supported by Taisei Kenpak' series, titled 'People Shine!! Keijukai Night Game'. Additionally, Tomoaki Homma, a professional wrestler from Higashine City and representative of New Japan Pro-Wrestling, will attend various events. The game day will also feature the national anthem sung by students from Yamagata North High School and a special collaborative performance by the Yamagata University Wind Ensemble, uniting local residents to celebrate this annual event in Yamagata. This season’s theme is 'Festival,' with numerous themed activities. A special version of the popular 'Mawase! Guruguru Time ~Festival Ver.~' will be held between innings, and 200 children (middle school age and younger) will be recruited on-site to participate. Other highlights include the 'Welcome High-Touch' event where players greet fans at the gate, exclusive Tohoku Series merchandise, and player-curated gourmet food stalls—popular features from Rakuten Mobile's 'Saikyo Park Miyagi'—making for a day full of fun and excitement.

■ Game Overview ・Date: June 23 (Tuesday) vs. Saitama Seibu Lions [Game starts at 18:00] ・Venue: Kirayaka Stadium (Yamagata City Comprehensive Sports Center Baseball Field) [1 Ochiai-cho, Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture] ■ Shoma Doi (Montedio Yamagata), Native of Yamagata City, to Perform Ceremonial Pitch ≪Message from Shoma Doi≫ I’m Shoma Doi from Montedio Yamagata. I’m truly honored to stand on the mound of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, another professional sports team representing Tohoku! Though I usually control the ball with my feet, today I’ll channel the passionate spirit of Yamagata and all of Tohoku through my right arm for a full-power pitch. Eagles fans and Yamagata supporters, please witness this 'Play Ball' moment—our version of a kickoff—on the mound! ≪Shoma Doi’s Event Appearances≫ ・Approx. 16:55: EAGLE STAGE Talk Show (Stadium Outer Plaza) ・Approx. 17:45: Ceremonial Pitch (On the Mound) ・After Bottom of the 5th Inning: Mawase! Guruguru Time ~Festival Ver.~ (On the Field) ■ Tomoaki Homma of New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Hometown Ambassador of Higashine City, to Attend ≪Message from Tomoaki Homma≫ Our Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles! I’ll give my all to cheer you on, starting with this game in Yamagata! Ei ei oh! ≪Tomoaki Homma’s Event Appearances≫ ・Approx. 16:45: EAGLE STAGE Talk Show (Stadium Outer Plaza) ・After Bottom of the 5th Inning: Mawase! Guruguru Time ~Festival Ver.~ (On the Field) ・After Top of the 7th Inning: Rakuten Eagles Lucky 7 (On the Field) ■ Local Mascot Race to Be Held A local mascot race will be held between innings after the bottom of the 3rd inning! Participants include Kitekero-kun (Yamagata Prefecture), Hanagata Beni-chan (Yamagata City), Musubimaru (Miyagi Prefecture), and Clutch (Rakuten Eagles), competing in a fun showdown. Kitekero-kun Hanagata Beni-chan Musubimaru ■ Special Collaborative Cheer by Rakuten Eagles Supporters and Yamagata University Wind Ensemble As a special cheer performance, the Yamagata University Wind Ensemble will perform alongside the Rakuten Eagles supporters. From the left-field bleachers, they will play fight songs and chance themes, filling the entire stadium with energy. ・Special Cheer Inning: During Rakuten Eagles’ offensive plays from the 1st to 5th innings ■ National Anthem to Be Sung by Student from Yamagata North High School A third-year music student from Yamagata Prefectural Yamagata North High School will perform the national anthem. ■ EAGLE STAGE (Stadium Outer Plaza) Schedule 15:30: Player Appearance! Surprise Stage 16:00: Musubimaru Appearance! Sendai Stay Campaign Information 16:10: Yamagata University Hanagasa Circle 'Shimensoko' Festival Performance 16:20: Tohoku Golden Angels Performance 16:35: Yanbider & MICHICA Appearance! Keijukai Stage 16:45: New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s Tomoaki Homma Talk Stage 16:55: Montedio Yamagata’s Shoma Doi Talk Stage 17:05: Washiwashi Eagles! With Ginji & Ambassador Goro Okajima Player Appearance! Surprise Stage ■ Player Welcome High-Touch Players will greet fans with high-fives at the stadium entrance. ・Time: 16:00–16:10 (planned) ・Location: Backnet 3rd Base Side Gate, Infield 3rd Base Side Gate ※ Players participating will not be announced in advance ※ May be scaled down or canceled due to weather or other conditions ■ Festival-Themed Events ≪Festival Lantern Gate and Player-Handwritten Message Lanterns≫ A welcome gate decorated with lanterns and booths featuring lanterns with players’ handwritten messages will appear at the stadium’s outer plaza, transforming Kirayaka Stadium into a festive atmosphere. ≪Festival Booth≫ The popular festival booth from Rakuten Mobile Saikyo Park Miyagi will come to Yamagata! ・Activities: Shooting game, thousand-ticket lottery, yo-yo fishing, smart ball, jewelry hunt, ring toss, can knockdown, super ball scoop ・Price: 400 yen per play (tax included) ・Location: Stadium outer plaza ・Hours: 15:00 until game ends ≪Distribution of Festival-Themed Player Stickers in Yukata≫ Limited-edition 'Tohoku Series Stickers' featuring players wearing yukata will be distributed at various locations inside the stadium. ・Distribution Points: Goods Shop (1 sticker per purchase), Fan Club Booth (1 sticker per registration), Speed Gun Challenge (first-come, first-served) ・Time: 15:00 until 30 minutes before game ends, or until supplies run out ≪Yamagata University Hanagasa Circle 'Shimensoko' to Appear≫ The group selected via the team’s website to perform festival entertainment is the Yamagata University Hanagasa Circle 'Shimensoko'! ・Approx. 16:10: EAGLE STAGE Festival Performance (Stadium Outer Plaza) ・After Bottom of the 5th Inning: Mawase! Guruguru Time ~Festival Ver.~ (On the Field) ≪Recruitment for Kids to Join 'Mawase! Guruguru Time ~Festival Ver.~' After Bottom of the 5th Inning≫ The popular 'Mawase! Guruguru Time' from Rakuten Mobile Saikyo Park Miyagi will be held in a special festival version exclusive to the Tohoku Series. We will recruit 200 local children (middle school age and younger) from the 'Stamp Rally Booth' at the stadium’s outer plaza to join the fun on the field. ・Distribution Location: Stamp Rally Booth ・Distribution Time: 15:00 until game start ・Eligibility: First 200 children (middle school age and younger), must be able to participate independently from parents ■ Stamp Rally to Be Held A stamp rally connecting two games: the farm team’s official game held on May 24 (Sun) at Kirayaka Stadium and the first-team official game on June 23 (Tue). Collect stamps at designated stations during both games—collect two stamps for a chance to win exclusive merchandise through a lottery!