Baseball, softball, soccer capsules for Japan

BASEBALL

Edgren

Head coach — Brett Lehner, 16th season.

Key performers — Liam McDonald, So., SS-P; Toby Davidson, Jr., 3B, P; Isaac French, So., IF; Charles Richardson, So, P-C; Haruki Jones, Sr., C; Carter Berry, So.; Ethan Wong, Sr., OF.

Outlook — Rebuilding, with the constant turnover and the constant snow that forces indoor training, both staples of Eagles spring sports. There is potential, and the Eagles did make it to the D-II final last year.

King

Head coach — Matthew Carl, fourth season.

Key performers — Jaden Arocho, Jr., P-IF; Taisei Shimakura, Jr., P-IF (transferred from Perry); Kosei Shimakura, So., P-IF (transferred from Perry); David Armstrong, Jr., C-IF; Musashi Niitani, So., P-IF.

Outlook — Rebuilding-reloading. A young team, sophomore- and junior-heavy, but with plenty of pitching potential, with Arocho leading the way. Cobras could do some serious damage.

Perry

Head coach — A.J. Edwards, third season.

Key performers — Aira Fujinuma, Sr., P; Akiro Hiromoto, Jr., P-C; Dylan DeGuzman, Jr., CF; Hiyoshi Oliver, Sr., OF; Leon DeJesus, So., P-IF; Andrew Isaac Otero, Jr., 3B-OF-P; Mason Bell, Fr.; Malaki Maestas, Fr., P (transferred from California).

Outlook — Reloading. Solid core of experienced ballplayers balanced with youngsters who are not new to the sport. Losing Taisei Shimakura to transfer will hurt.

Yokota

Head coach — Barry Oxendine, fourth season.

Key performers — Bently Bogard, CF; Derick Gima Miaguti, SS; Jaivyn Ocana, 3B; Mark Segura, Sr., IF; Takumi Iwazaki-Chung, Sr., C-P; Thomas Martin, P (transferred from the States); Lucious Como, So., LF; Jackson Mays, So., 2B; Jay Gutierrez, 3B.

Outlook — Somewhere in between. Not as much depth as in the past, making roster development challenging. But a good core of upperclassmen and Far East tournament leadership.

Zama

Head coach — Lawrence Ungar, Joshua Dawes, second seasons.

Key performers — Toro McClendon, Sr., P-3B; Brody Kuchera, So., P-3B; Adrian Fredericks, SS (transferred from Cincinnati); Spencer Hughes, So., C-1B (led team in batting average last season).

Outlook — Reloading-contending. Very hard to count out the Trojans after last season, when they were expected to be rebuilding, but came on strong at the end for their third straight championship. Lacking depth, but coaches feel the Trojans can be just as competitive this season as well.

Kinnick

Head coach — Chad Stark, ninth season.

Key performers — Noah Berhow, Sr., C; Keanu Serban, Sr., 2B; Dale McNamara, Sr., P; Kaiden Conley, Fr., P; Bunsei Stark, Fr., P.

Outlook — Good core of veterans joined by a pair of freshman pitchers who are not new to the game, including Bunsei Stark, the coach’s son. This team could be one to watch.

SOFTBALL

Yokota

Head coach — Steven Cruz, third season.

Key performer — Gracie Kenney, 2B.

Outlook — Graduation and transfers absolutely battered the roster of the three-time defending champ. Kenney is the lone returner from the starting lineup, and is a good one, having batted .603 last season. But the rest of the roster is mostly first-year players. It will be a matter of how quickly the Panthers develop.

Perry

Head coach — Brad Cramer, ninth season.

Key performers — Emma Roberts, Sr., C; Laney Mullins, Jr., SS; Alex Altig, So., 2B; Maia Minton, Jr., P-OF; Gabby Martens, So, P-1B-3B; Keri Edeyaoch, Sr., UT; Autumn Hendra, Sr., IF-OF; Meliyah Bevett, Fr., UT.

Outlook — Good core of veterans, including Roberts, Martens, Mullens and Minton, the latter who got off to a hot start during opening weekend. If the Samurai can build and bond, they could contend for their first D-II title.

King

Head coach — Shawn Johnson, first season (previously assisted 13-year head coach McKinzy Best, who’s now coaching track).

Key performers — Mila Nishimura-Reed, Sr., P; Nanami Crump, Jr., SS; Kaia Ties, Jr., 2B (third season); Eliana Lachica, Jr., OF (second season); Katelyn Rheaume, Jr., OF (second season); Miya Benavente, So., OF (second season); Nylire Costa, Jr., 3B; Rina Dowty, Sr., OF.

Outlook — Rebuilding-reloading. Five key seniors graduated, but enough experienced players return that the Cobras could play their way into contention. A deep roster; more players than there are uniforms for all of them.

Zama

Head coach — Veronica Tipton-Jones, ninth season.

Key performers — Kira Herring, Jr., P; Evangeline Nelson, Sr., C; Sophia Olson, Sr., P-EH.

Outlook — Herring, Nelson and Olson form a small but veteran core of experience, and plenty of youngsters who are not new to the game.

Edgren

Head coach — David Carrano, fourth season (took last season off).

Key performers — Teniya Nelson, Sr., IF-C; Summer Martinez, Sr., OF-2B-P; Keira Marrero, Sr., P-OF; Kaiya Pasion, Jr., OF; Joslyn Hernandez, So., SS-P; Aubrey Francois, Jr., IF (transferred from Zama).

Outlook — Plenty of players are back, but the Eagles must deal as always with practicing indoors before the Misawa snow melts for the first month or so. Eagles showed plenty of promise opening weekend.

Kinnick

Head coach — Taylor Kigerl-Hill, fourth season.

Key performers — Sydnee Walker, Sr. C; Teora Miyashiro, Sr., P-3B; Emily Kitts, Sr., 1B; Isabella Marchetti, Sr., 1B; Isabelle Hernandez, Sr., OF; Carell Zaraga, Sr., OF; Lillie Gyorkas, Sr., P (transferred from Great Mills, Md.).

Outlook — Rebuilding-reloading. A senior-laden roster is showing more promise than in years past, Walker said. The roster is deep and has the most experienced returners on Kigerl-Hill’s watch.

BOYS SOCCER

Yokota

2025 season record — 6-11-2.

Head coach — Frederick Riley, David Horne (first seasons).

Key performers — Evan Horne, Sr., GK; Luke Harbert, Jr., MF; Liam Kirby, Jr.; Kysiem Banks, Jr. (team-leading 6 goals last season); Aiden Stedelin, Jr.; Ryunosuke Roesch, Jr.; Jacob Schaefer, Jr.; James Chapla, So.; Chris Stinson, So.; Roi Teves, So.

Outlook — Several key players graduated or transferred, but the returners are capable and experienced, perhaps enough for a push back to the Far East D-II final in which the Panthers played two seasons ago.

Zama

2025 season record — 7-15-4.

Head coach — Chad Guisinger, fourth season.

Key performers — Joseph Stroud, Jr., GK; Connor McCale, So; Syan Phillips, So.; Sean Grady, Fr.; Eugene Han, Fr. (transferred from Texas); Adrian Venable Jr, So.

Outlook — Rebuilding-reloading. Graduation and transfers hit the roster pretty hard, but youth could serve the Trojans well; some of the underclass are not new to the game. Stroud will be a steady presence in the net.

Edgren

2025 season record — 2-13-1.

Head coach — Brian Johnson, first season.

Key performers — Aidan Lehner, Jr., MF; Luke Lehner, Jr., wing; Ethan Young, Sr., GK; Jayden de Asis, Jr. (transferred from Perry); Lee Culala, Fr. (transferred from States).

Outlook — Rebuilding-reloading and facing the same challenge as Eagles teams always do, practicing indoors for the first four weeks. Good returners and strong additions not new to soccer.

King

2025 season record — 15-7-1; won Far East D-II tournament last season.

Head coach — Mitzi Andrew, second season as head coach, assisted the last six seasons.

Key performers — Gabriel Leak, Sr., MF; Nolan Grubb, Jr., F; Danial Leak, So., MF; Rafael Beccerill, Sr., def.; Elijah Rene, Jr., MF; Ryan Tinio, Sr., def. MF.

Outlook — Reloading. Other than the returners, the Cobras’ roster is quite green and will have to provide plenty of solid minutes.

Perry

2025 season record — 17-5-2.

Head coach — Mark Lange, 22nd season.

Key performers — Ren Spinosi, Sr., D-F (12 goals); Jalen Cooley, Sr., MF (7 goals, 6 assists); Noah Charles, Jr., MF (19 goals, 6 assists), Liam DeMarsico-Birkland, Sr, MF.

Outlook — Reloading-contending. There’s enough firepower returning in Spinosi, Cooley and Charles. Kenshin Dukowitz, who comes over from basketball, and Nikoto Ortiz, each sophomores, will be good additions. Lange, in what may be his final season, says he would like to go out with a “seventh star,” meaning seventh Far East D-II title.

Kinnick

2025 season record — 14-5.

Head coach — Tim Rippeth, eighth season.

Key performers — Koboyo Awesso, Sr., F (23 goals, 12 assists); Mykhi Russell, Sr., def.; Esteban Diaz, Sr., def.; Gianni Stevens, Jr., MF; Elias Venetsanakos, Jr., def. MF

Outlook — Reloading-contending. Awesso is back for his swan-song season; “every team is going to put two (players) on him,” Rippeth said. Diaz returns his playmaking ability. A strong defense will play in front of growing new goalkeepers.

GIRLS SOCCER

Kinnick

2025 season record — 21-3.

Head coach — Nico Hindie, 22nd season.

Key performers — Alyssa Staples, Sr., def.-F (43 goals last year, 67 the last two seasons); Valentina Sacca, Sr., def.-MF (16 goals, 11 assists; Scarlet Seiders, Sr., F; Victoria Justice, Sr., MF (9 goals, 22 assists); Rachael Vite, Sr., F (8 goals); Julia Blackwell, Sr., def.; Autumn Rowley, Fr., F; Roma McClure, Sr.; Lindsey Andrade, Sr., def.

Outlook — Contending for their third D-I title in seven Far East tournaments; they’ve come up just short the last three. A senior-heavy lot returns 86 goals from last season. Blackwell is just as staunch in the back as Staples, Sacca and Justice are up front. But it’s now or never for those seniors. Fun fact: Andrade’s father, Lister, played for Hindie on the Kinnick boys team in 1999.

Yokota

2025 season record — 8-16.

Head coach — Matthew Whipple, 20th season.

Key performers — Giselle Pinard, Sr., MF; Cami Cort, Sr., MF; Angela Velez-Soto, So., MF; Maddison Michaud, So., GK; Giselle Estrada, Jr., (transferred from Texas).

Outlook — Rebuilding, though in Estrada, they get a classic finisher who scored 30 goals last year in Texas. A small core of veterans is back, but there will be a learning curve for the youngsters.

Zama

2025 season record — 15-8-3.

Head coach — Jill Smith, fourth season.

Key performers — Bella Hunter, Sr., F (17 goals last season); Jessie Hunter, So., F (17 goals); Charlotte Callicott, Sr., (transferred from Hawaii); Kiera White, Jr.; Reagan Brady, Jr; Megdn Brady, So.; Mia Fulton, So, GK; Samantha “Skully” Kouzu-Ballard, Sr., GK.

Outlook — Contending. The Hunters will be a handful to handle in the front and the Trojans are steady in the middle. Kouzu-Ballard and Fulton are being tried in net.

Edgren

2024 season record — 1-19-1.

Head coach — Robbie Riddle, first season.

Key performers — Reise Redmond, So., F (8 goals); Saige Whitmore, Sr., D; Kaleiana Alonzo, Sr., F; Nadiah Miller, Sr., D; Danni Waldo, Jr., GK.

Outlook — Riddle takes over as the team’s third coach in three seasons. The Eagles will face the same obstacle they always do early, practicing indoors due to snow. But this may be a team to watch as time progresses.

Perry

2025 season record — 27-2-2; defending Far East D-II champion.

Head coach — Tige Tarleton, fourth season (first since 2018).

Key performers — Audrey Peneloza, So.; Veatriz Orozco, Jr.; Adrianna Beltre, So.; Hailey Navarro, Sr.

Outlook — Another major rebuilding task; 116 goals – and a great deal of up-front speed and quickness – either transferred, graduated or are trying other sports. Tarleton calls the returners a solid foundation to build upon.

King

2025 season record — 5-20-2.

Head coach — Jesse Dare, third season.

Key performers — Aniah Little, Jr., F (16 goals last season); Rosie McGrath, Sr., MF; Ai Kina, Jr., def.; Julisa Garcia, Jr., MF; Mya Schinker, Jr., utility; Reina Kina, So., utility; Eileen McKown, Sr., def.; Shanell Reyes, So., F.

Outlook — Rebuilding. Still a young team, but in terms of technical skills, much farther along than they were starting last season. Could develop into a darkhorse where Far East is concerned.