STANFORD, California ― It took Rintaro Sasaki 17 games, but it will be remembered for a long time. The Stanford University freshman slugger hit a prodigious towering blast in the fifth inning of an 11-1 win over Duke University on Saturday, March 15 at Sunken Diamond.
The Iwate Prefecture native was 0-for-2 with a walk when he stepped to the plate with the Cardinal leading 6-1 and turned on a 2-1 high fastball from Duke reliever Max Stammel and deposited it over the trees behind the right field wall. The crowd on hand gasped as the ball rocketed off the 125-kg slugger's bat and roared its approval when it cleared the fence.
Sasaki followed his first blast with a line-drive single to left field his next time up in the sixth inning. He then brought the game to a dramatic end in the bottom of the eighth inning when he smoked a three-run sayonara shot to right field that ended the contest on the 10-run mercy rule.
Sasaki was mobbed at home plate by his Stanford teammates as he completed his second circuit clout of the day to finish with three hits, two home runs and four RBIs.
The 19-year-old Sasaki came to Stanford as Japan's all-time prep home run leader with 140 during his career at Hanamaki Higashi High School, but had not been able to leave the yard during more than 75 plate appearances in his freshman campaign.
Rintaro Sasaki Having a Strong Freshman Season
After Saturday's heroics, Sasaki is batting .333 with 19 RBIs. His on-base percentage of .425 is second amongst the team's starters and he has reached base in 16 of 17 games.
"I don't like talking about myself, I'm just happy we are continuing to win," Sasaki stated on the field after the game. "We have beaten Duke in two games now and have to keep going for tomorrow."
Added Sasaki, "I don't care so much about home runs. I am just happy the team is winning. That is the first thing in my mind. A home run is good, but I am just thinking about the next game."
Academic Plans for Rintaro Sasaki
Sasaki, who revealed to JAPAN Forward that he is going to major in Science Technology & Society in his studies, was grateful for the backing of his teammates in his first season on campus.
"My teammates have really been supporting me as I waited for my first home run," Sasaki commented. "Everyone has been helping me. I really enjoy communicating with my teammates."
The victory raised Cardinal's record to 14-3 on the season and 4-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Stanford southpaw Christian Lim (2-2) went six innings for the win, allowing one run on four hits while walking two.
Esquer Excited by Sasaki's Success
Stanford coach David Esquer had predicted earlier this month that once Sasaki hit his first collegiate home run, they might start coming in bunches.
"You could tell after the first one," Esquer remarked. "Then he went back and got his hitter's hit with the single to right. After that he was just looking for a ball out over the plate."
Added Esquer, "It was exciting. Maybe more exciting was our team's reaction to Rintaro's success. They are a pretty close group, but they have really embraced him. They really want to see him succeed."
Esquer said he and the coaching staff have been trying to be positive with Sasaki during the lengthy wait for his first home run.
"We have just been encouraging him," Esquer noted. "He has been playing great. We knew that he was pressing a little bit, because what he is known for is driving balls out of the park. He has been so productive for us as a hitter and playing good defense for us at first."
Jimmy Nati homered to left to spot Stanford a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Trevor Haskins made it 3-0 with a single up the middle that plated two runs in the fourth inning.
Later in the frame, Haskins was caught in a rundown and tagged out, but Tatum Marsh scored on the play after Blue Devils shortstop Wallace Clark threw wildly to home to put the Cardinal up 4-0.
Duke Ends Shutout Bid
Duke cut the deficit to 4-1 when Clark delivered a sacrifice fly in the top of the third.
Marsh cracked a two-run blast in the fourth to give Stanford a 6-1 advantage.
One out after Sasaki's first homer, Brady Reynolds added one of his own to right to put the Cardinal up 8-1.
Blue Devils starter Andrew Healy (1-2) took the loss, giving up six runs on five hits and a walk.
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Author: Jack Gallagher
The author is a veteran sports journalist and one of the world's foremost figure skating experts. Find articles and podcasts by Jack on his author page, and find him on X (formerly Twitter) @sportsjapan.
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