News

Waseda University Softball Team

Fourth year, School of Human Sciences
Satoshi Mizoguchi

Fourth year, School of Law
Shinpei Yamaguchi

The Waseda University Softball Club has an impressive record with three consecutive intercollegiate championship victories and a second place finish in the 2014 World Series U-23. In 2015, Captain Satoshi Mizoguchi and Sub-Captain Shinpei Yamaguchi are hoping to win the team’s first ever fourth consecutive intercollegiate championship victory. The pressure is high but their will to win is unshakeable. Mizoguchi tells us, “Our team has all members participate in daily practice. Teams at some top schools only have their regulars practice while everyone else picks up balls or does other errands. However at Waseda, we all practice, get along, and enjoy ourselves. This has a positive effect on our teamwork.”

Mizoguchi has been active in softball competitions since he began participating in the sport in elementary school. Yamaguchi on the other hand switched to softball from baseball after entering Waseda. Their differences are apparent in their roles as team members. “I work to cheer on players that won’t get to appear in the games. I myself spent a long time on the bench, so I understand how they feel. By fulfilling my role as sub-captain and taking care of the players, Captain Mizoguchi can concentrate on managing the team and on strategy,” says Yamaguchi.

In preparation for the intercollegiate championship in August, the Waseda University Softball Team is practicing hard to maximize their teamwork. The words of Captain Mizoguchi are heartening: “I want us to meet the expectations of our team members and fans.”

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(From left to right) Yamaguchi: Originally from Hyogo Prefecture, Yamaguchi graduated from Hakuryo High School. He is Sub-captain and first baseman of the Waseda University Softball Team. Mizoguchi is originally from Nagasaki Prefecture and graduated from Nagasaki Prefectural Sasebo Nishi High School. His position is second baseman. All-team practice is conducted approximately three to four hours per day, but virtually all members practice independently for several hours. Practice is held on the Tokorozawa Campus, but members studying on Waseda Campus practice during their free hours on the tennis courts of the Kikui-cho Campus. Mizoguchi’s hobbies include fishing, while Yamaguchi’s are mountain climbing and cycling.

Original article from Waseda Weekly