Ryoya Kurihara

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Ryoya Kurihara
R.KURIHARA.jpg
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – No. 31
Catcher / Outfielder
Born: (1996-07-14) July 14, 1996 (age 25)
Fukui, Fukui, Japan
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
NPB debut
June 13, 2017, for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
NPB statistics
(through 2020 season)
Batting average.238
Home runs18
RBI80
Hits117
Stolen base5
Sacrifice bunt11
Teams
Career highlights and awards
hide
Medals
Men's baseball
Representing  Japan
Summer Olympics
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo Team
Asian Junior Baseball Championship
Silver medal – second place 2014, Bangkok, Thailand Team

Ryoya Kurihara (栗原 陵矢, Kurihara Ryōya, born July 4, 1996) is a Japanese professional baseball catcher and outfielder for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball.

Early Baseball career[]

As a catcher at Fukui Prefectural Harue Technical High School, Ryoya Kurihara participated in the 1st grade autumn 43rd Meiji Jingu Baseball Championship and in the 2nd grade spring 85th Japanese High School Baseball Invitational Tournament.[1] In 2014, he was selected to the Japan national baseball team in the 2014 Asian Junior Baseball Championship.[2]

Professional career[]

Kurihara was drafted in the second round by the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in the 2014 draft. He and the Hawks agreed to a ¥7 million annual salary.[1] From 2015 to 2016 he played on SoftBank's minor league teams in NPB's Western League.

He made his Hawks debut in an interleague game against the Yomiuri Giants on June 13, 2017.[3] And he was selected as the Japan Series roster in the 2017 Japan Series, however he did not play.[4] In February 2018, Kurihara dislocated his left shoulder during spring training.[5] He returned from the injury on August 10 and recorded his first hit on September 5.[6][7] He was again selected to the Japan Series roster in 2018 in which he recorded a sacrifice bunt as a pinch hitter.[8] On July 23, 2019, Kurihara recorded his first home run.[9] Again, he was selected as roster in the 2019 Japan Series.[10]

Kurihara played in 118 of 120 games in the 2020 season.[11] In the Japan Series, he went 3-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs in Game 1 and 4-for-5 in Game 2,[12] becoming only the 23rd player to record four hits in a Japan Series game.[13] After the Hawks swept the Giants to win the series, Kurihara was named Japan Series MVP.[12]

International career[]

On June 16, 2021, Kurihara was selected as the Japan national baseball team in the Baseball at the 2020 Summer Olympics.[14]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "ソフトドラ２栗原 走れる「１番捕手」だ". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). November 26, 2014. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  2. ^ "日本代表に峯本、香月ら 部内いじめ発覚で済美・安楽は選ばれず". Sports Nippon (in Japanese). August 25, 2014. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  3. ^ "ソフトバンク栗原１軍デビュー「ただただ緊張した」". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). June 13, 2017. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  4. ^ "SMBC日本シリーズ2017 出場資格者名簿（福岡ソフトバンクホークス）" (in Japanese). Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  5. ^ "ソフトバンク栗原が左肩脱臼 特守で打球に飛び込む". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). February 20, 2018. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  6. ^ "ロッテ安田、ソフトバンク中田ら登録／10日公示". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). August 10, 2018. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  7. ^ "ソフトバンク４年目栗原プロ初安打「ボールは親に」". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). September 5, 2018. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  8. ^ "2018年10月27日（土）マツダスタジアム【SMBC日本シリーズ】 広島東洋カープ vs 福岡ソフトバンクホークス 第1戦" (in Japanese). Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  9. ^ "ソフトバンク栗原プロ１号「出せることをやろうと」". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). July 23, 2019. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  10. ^ "SMBC日本シリーズ2019 出場資格者名簿（福岡ソフトバンクホークス）". NPB.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  11. ^ "栗原 陵矢 (福岡ソフトバンクホークス)" [Kurihara Ryoya (Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks)] (in Japanese). Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b Coskrey, Jason (November 26, 2020). "Hawks sweep Giants again to clinch fourth straight Japan Series title". The Japan Times. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  13. ^ Coskrey, Jason (November 23, 2020). "Hawks still in a class of their own". The Japan Times. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  14. ^ "Japan national baseball team Press release 選手発表 東京オリンピック内定選手決定について 2021年6月16日". Japan national baseball team Official site (in Japanese). June 16, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2021.

External links[]

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