Niigata Albirex Baseball Club
Baseball team
Oisix Niigata Albirex
Logo Cap insignia
Information
LeagueEastern League
BallparkNiigata Prefectural Baseball Stadium
Established2006
League championships1 (2012)
Division championships2 (2011, 2012)
Former leagueBaseball Challenge League (2007–2023)
ColorsBlue and orange
   
OwnershipNiigata Albirex Baseball Club Inc.
ManagerMasaru Takeda

Oisix Niigata Albirex Baseball Club (オイシックス新潟アルビレックス・ベースボール・クラブ, Oishikkusu Niigata Arubirekkusu Bēsubōru Kura) is a professional baseball team based in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. Founded in 2006, it competes in the Eastern League, one of the two minor leagues ("ni-gun")[1] of Japanese professional baseball.

The club was member of the Baseball Challenge League from its debut season in 2007 until 2023. In 2024, it joined the Eastern League as the only team in the competition not affiliated with any Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) franchise.

History

After failing to secure a Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) franchise during the 2004 realignment, Albirex Niigata’s owner founded the Niigata Albirex Baseball Club and co-founded the independent Baseball Challenge League with other entities in 2006.[2]

The team hired former Yomiuri Giants player Kōji Gotō as its manager and recruited several local players to strengthen ties with the community. The inaugural season of the Baseball Challenge League opened on 28 April 2007 and Albirex lost its debut game 0–9 to the Toyama Thunderbirds.[3]

Niigata Albirex won the 2012 BC League championship. Former Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) player Itsuki Shoda pitched for the team in 2011. Former NPB and Major League Baseball reliever Shingo Takatsu played for the team in 2011–2012, and was the player-manager in 2012.

On 26 October 2023, the club entered into a naming-rights agreement with Oisix La Daichi, a mail-order food company, and became the Oisix Niigata Albirex Baseball Club.[4] On 22 November 2023, it was announced that the team would join the Eastern League, one of the two NPB minor leagues, starting in 2024.[5]

The team finished its first season in the Eastern League in last position with a 41–79–6 record. Despite this, Albirex performed well in home games, with 33 wins, 28 losses and 3 draws. Additionally, pitcher Tomoki Uemura led the league in saves and Taisei Chinen won the title as leading batter.[6]

Roster

Oisix Niigata Albirex roster
Active roster Coaches
Pitchers
  • 11 Japan Tomoki Uemura
  • 14 Japan Takuto Takada
  • 15 Japan Riku Nishimura
  • 17 Japan Satoshi Miyamori
  • 20 Japan Kazutomo Iguchi
  • 26 Japan Taiga Yamada
  • 28 Japan Ryota Imai
  • 29 Japan Shu Namba
  • 31 Japan Jui Kobayashi
  • 34 Japan Kaito Irei
  • 41 Japan Hayato Suzuki
  • 43 Japan Kenta Ajiro
  • 45 Japan Yu Takano
  • 46 Japan Shunga Takahashi
  • 47 Japan Shōtarō Kasahara
  • 48 Japan Kazuma Yamashita
 Catchers
  • 12 Japan Sora Yamada
  • 35 Japan Hideaki Nakazawa

Infielders

  •  0 Japan Yoshihiro Taka
  •  3 Japan Shunta Tanaka
  •  7 Japan Keita Sonobe
  • 25 Japan Keiji Konishi
  • 33 Japan Tamon Banzai
  • 52 Japan Kazuhiro Kishikawa

Outfielders


 Manager

Coaches


Roster updated on 26 December 2025


See also

References

  1. ^ "Minor League History," JapaneseBaseball.com. Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed 26 December 2025.
  2. ^ "独立リーグ、本県の球団設立" [Independent league, establishment of a prefectural team]. Niigata Nippo (in Japanese). 2 August 2006. pp. 1, 23.
  3. ^ "北信越BCリーグが開幕 富山が初戦飾る" [Hokushinetsu BC League opens, Toyama wins opening game] (in Japanese). Kyodo News. 28 April 2007. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
  4. ^ "オイシックス・ラ・大地様とスポンサーシップ契約・資本提携契約締結のお知らせ" [Notice of sponsorship agreement and capital partnership with Oisix ra daichi]. Niigata Albirex Baseball Club (in Japanese). Niigata Albirex Baseball Club. 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
  5. ^ "Japan Pro Baseball Expands Minor League with Addition of 2 Teams". The Japan News. The Yomiuri Shimbun. 30 September 2023. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
  6. ^ "【オイシックス】橋上監督「打ち合いでも互角に」最下位で終えたイースタン参加１年目を総括" [[Oisix] Manager Hashigami: "We were evenly matched even in slugfests" — review of their first Eastern League season, finishing last]. Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 30 September 2024. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
  • Niigata Albirex Baseball Club Official Website
  • Hokushinnetu BC league Official Website
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