[Player History] Winning numerous titles and contributing to the team's three consecutive championships - The trajectory of Yusuke Nomura (Hiroshima Toyo Carp) / Players retiring from professional baseball in 2024

Yusuke Nomura, born in Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, started playing softball in the first grade of Tsurajima Minami Elementary School, and in the sixth grade, he participated in the prefectural tournament as the ace pitcher, achieving a runner-up finish.

At Tsurajima Minami Junior High School, Nomura joined the Kurashiki Biggers and began to seriously pursue hardball baseball. He honed his skills as a pitcher and second baseman, and in his third year, as the second-string pitcher, he won the West Japan Tournament (2004). After that, Nomura went on to Koryo High School in Hiroshima Prefecture, which boasts a deep roster of players including Shohei Habu (former Hiroshima Carp) and Seiji Kobayashi (Yomiuri Giants). He made the bench from his first year and led the team as the ace pitcher from the fall of his second year (2006).

Although they didn't win the championship at Koshien, he led the team as the ace pitcher.

In the 2007 Spring National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament, he pitched a complete game victory in extra innings against Narita High School, which featured Yuki Karakawa (currently with Chiba Lotte), without allowing a single earned run in the first round. However, in the game against Teikyo High School, which followed a victory against Hokuyo High School (now Kansai University Hokuyo), he gave up six runs in the first inning, resulting in a quarterfinal defeat.

Nomura, who led the team as ace pitcher in the summer Koshien tournament, achieved a come-from-behind victory against Komadai Tomakomai, who were aiming to reach the finals for the fourth consecutive year. He then defeated other strong schools such as Higashi Fukuoka, Seikogakuin, Imabari Nishi, and Tokoha Kikugawa to reach the finals. In the final, he faced Saga Kita High School, who had caused a sensation with their "Gabai whirlwind," but was defeated by a grand slam by Soejima Hiroshi and other factors, and finished as runner-up.

He became only the fifth player in Meiji University history to achieve a "season ERA of 0.00"! He is considered one of the "Big 3" in university baseball.

Nomura, who went on to Meiji University, made his official game debut in the spring of his freshman year (2008), and in the fall of his freshman year, he became the fifth player in league history to achieve a season ERA of 0.00. This was the first time in 44 years since Ryo Ejiri (former Taiyo Whales), and he also won the Best ERA title. In the fall of his junior year (2010), he recorded 5 wins and an ERA of 1.30, and won his second Best ERA title.

In the spring season of his senior year (2011), he became the 14th player in history to achieve 300 career strikeouts. In the fall, ahead of the draft, he became the 7th player in history to achieve 30 wins and 300 strikeouts, earning his first Best Nine selection and contributing to the team's championship. He also won his first career national championship at the Meiji Jingu Baseball Tournament, where his team competed as the winner of the Tokyo Big6 League.

Nomura, who was considered one of the top right-handed pitchers in college baseball and was known as one of the "Big 3 of College Baseball" along with Tomoyuki Sugano (Tokai University) and Takahiro Fujioka (Toyo University), was selected in the first round of the draft that year by the Hiroshima Toyo Carp and joined the team.

He won numerous titles, including Rookie of the Year, and contributed to the Hiroshima Carp's three consecutive championships as a starting pitcher.

In his rookie year of 2012, he secured a spot in the starting rotation from the opening day, and his performance in the first half of the season alone, with 7 wins (3 losses), earned him a spot in the All-Star Game through a manager's recommendation. Although he was unable to increase his win total in the second half of the season, finishing with a losing record of 9 wins and 11 losses, his consistent pitching with an ERA of 1.98 supported the team, and he was awarded Rookie of the Year.

In 2013, although his ERA dropped to 3.74, he still managed 12 wins (6 losses), but he struggled for the next two years.

However, in 2016, Nomura regained his consistent pitching form with a team that was on a roll, achieving 10 wins in the first half of the season alone. In June, he won the monthly MVP award and made an appearance in the All-Star Game. Ultimately, Nomura finished with an excellent record of 16 wins (3 losses) and an ERA of 2.71, contributing to the team's first Central League championship in 25 years and winning the titles for most wins and best pitching percentage. He was also selected to the Best Nine team.

Nomura contributed to the team's third consecutive Central League championship with 9 wins in 2017 and 7 wins in 2018, but after 2020, when he recorded 6 wins, his pitching appearances gradually decreased, and he announced his retirement at the end of the 2024 season.

profile

name:Yusuke Nomura
Birthplace:Okayama Prefecture
date of birth:June 24, 1989
Height/Weight:177cm/85kg
Pitching/batting:Right-handed pitching and right-handed hitting
position:pitcher
Draft year:2011 Draft 1st Round Pick
Biography:Koryo High School - Meiji University - Hiroshima Toyo Carp

Overall record

Active career: 13 years, 211 appearances (80 wins, 64 losses, 3.53 ERA)

Titles won

2012:Rookie of the Year
2016:Most wins, best winning percentage, Best Nine (16 wins, 3 losses, 2.71 ERA/.842 winning percentage)

*The information in this article is current as of the time of publication (as of November 2024).