Two players who helped lead the Waseda Baseball Club to consecutive championships go pro
Fri, Jan 15, 2016-
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Fourth year student at School of Education
Shinnosuke Shigenobu
Fourth year student at School of Culture, Media and Society
Eigoro Mogi
Shinnosuke Shigenobu, outfielder for the Waseda Baseball Club and record holder for most stolen bases in the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League, has been drafted by the Yomiuri Giants as their second round pick. Eigoro Mogi, infielder for the Club and known for his sharp swings and extra base hits, has been drafted by the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles as their third round pick.
“My grandfather graduated from Waseda so I’ve loved the university since I was little,” says Shigenobu. Waseda Baseball Club Coach Hiroshi Takahashi says many expect Shigenobu to surpass base-stealing legend “Blue Lighting” Tadashi Matsumoto, 1977 Waseda graduate and former player for the Giants.
Mogi’s practice of shouting “Bring it on!” from the batter’s box has turned him into a fan favorite. He is writing about sports for the disabled in his graduation thesis. Mogi became interested in the topic after reading a newspaper article about a boy worried that others would hold back on him because of his disability. “I would like to help support the disabled by working with my team and spreading awareness,” says Mogi.
The two teammates are friends and have been “catch” partners since their first year at Waseda. In their fourth year they won consecutive spring and autumn league championships and also won the All Japan University Baseball Championship Series, a series that determines the top university team in the country. Both vow to continue motivating each other as professional players and improving their abilities.
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■Shinnosuke Shigenobu (right) is from Chiba Prefecture and graduated from Waseda Jitsugyo High School. Shigenobu enrolled in the Jitsugyo High School after he saw them win the Koshien tournament in his first year of junior high school. As part of the Big6 League Championship, he participated in a total of 83 games with a .333 batting average, two home runs, 22 RBI, and 39 bases stolen. He was the leading hitter in the autumn semester of his fourth year.
Eigoro Mogi (left) is from Tokyo and graduated from Toin Gakuen High School. He decided to enter Waseda after being dazzled by the famous Waseda-Keio baseball game. As part of the Big6 League Championship, he participated in a total of 79 games with a .307 batting average, 10 home runs, and 58 RBI. He was the leading hitter and batting king in the spring semester of his fourth year.
