High school student Eri Yoshida was drafted by the Kobe 9 Cruise, a professional team in a new independent Japanese league that will start its first season in April.

'I always dreamed of becoming a professional,' Yoshida, who is 152 centimetres tall and weighs 52 kilograms, told a news conference on Monday.

'I have only just been picked by the team and haven't achieved anything yet.'

Yoshida throws a side-arm knuckleball and says she wants to follow in the footsteps of Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield, who has built a successful major league career throwing a knuckleball.

Yoshida took part in a tryout held earlier this month and passed with flying colors. The right-hander held male batters hitless for one inning in the tryout and her successful outing helped her become one of the 33 players picked in the draft. -- AP