Kubasaki senior left-hander Luka Koja brings a 5-1 record and 0.58 ERA into Friday's showdown with American School In Japan. The Dragons won the Far East Division I Tournament title in 2023 and the Mustangs in 2024, facing each other in the finals each year. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa – A baseball adage says that home run hitters drive the Cadillacs.
But where American School In Japan and Kubasaki are concerned, it’s pitchers who pilot their teams’ respective prized vehicles.
The Dragons and Mustangs, the last two Far East Division I Tournament champion teams, have combined this season for five of the Pacific’s 10 no-hitters, ASIJ two and Kubasaki three.
ASIJ (13-4) and Kubasaki (15-3) have already faced each other once this season, last weekend in Tokyo where the teams split a pair of games, Kubasaki winning 3-1 and ASIJ triumphing 9-3.
They face each other again Friday at Camp Foster. Kadena then hosts the Mustangs on Saturday.
“It kind of opens our eyes to competition outside of the island,” said Dragons senior Lukas Gaines, who has authored one of Kubasaki’s three no-hitters. “Because they play different teams, it gives us an idea of the skill level we will face” at next month’s Far East tournament.
Gaines, a right-hander, is 3-0 this season with a 1.31 earned-run average, and senior left-handed teammate Luka Koja is 5-1 with a 0.58 ERA with a perfect game to his credit.
“Different players, different pitching, different baseball IQ, different plays,” said Koja, who along with Gaines has faced the Mustangs eight times in the past three seasons, going 4-4 in that span. “It’s more fun. It’s more competitive.”
In 100 innings pitched in 17 games, the Mustangs have allowed 51 hits and 24 earned runs with 149 strikeouts, a 1.68 ERA and a 1.17 walks and hits to innings ratio.
Kubasaki’s pitchers have thrown 102 1/3 innings in 18 games, allowing 41 hits and 37 earned runs with 152 strikeouts, a 2.53 ERA and 1.06 WHIP.
Despite not having the facilities that the DODEA schools have, ASIJ is a proven contender over the last 35 years in regular-season and Far East tournament play. The Mustangs have eight Far East D-I tournament titles to their credit, six straight from 2014-19.
“We make the most of what we have,” said Mustangs junior Billy Freund (2-0, 1.31), who authored one no-hitter and combined with Joe Sexton (4-0, 0.00) on another.
“Every day, there are one or two pitchers throwing in the bullpen and getting their stuff better,” Freund said.
On the first day of the two-day Okinawa track meet, Kubasaki senior Carlos Cadet recorded a triple jump of 13.62 meters, .23 short of the 40-year-old Pacific record. Cadet also holds the Pacific record in the 110 hurdles, but faces a forecast of rain Friday if he wishes to beat his record 14.61 seconds. (Kaylani Desenganio/Special to Stripes)
Humphreys sophomore Cassandra Jarzabek, the reigning Far East cross country champion, was timed in 2 minutes, 15 seconds in the 800 during Wednesday’s time trial preceding Saturday’s DODEA-Korea/KAIAC league championship meet at Humphreys. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Perry freshman Priscilla Ramirez, right, shares the Pacific lead in goals with 35 entering this weekend's home matches with E.J. King. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Kinnick's Alyssa Staples shares the Pacific lead in goal scoring with 35, heading into this weekend's matches at Edgren. (Cynthia Abel/Special to Stripes)
Elsewhere, it’s a league championship weekend for track and field in Japan, where the DODEA-Japan/Kanto Plain finals take place Saturday at Yokota, and in Korea, which holds the DODEA-Korea/KAIAC finals Saturday at Camp Humphreys.
Sophomore Cassandra Jarzabek of Humphreys will continue her pursuit of Pacific records in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200. In a time trial Wednesday, she clocked 2 minutes, 15 seconds in the 800, which would surpass the region and Far East meet record.
Saturday’s forecast for the Humphreys-Pyeongtaek area calls for clear skies and temperatures in the 70s. At Yokota, the forecast is for cloudy skies with periods of afternoon rain.
Nile C. Kinnick’s own distance stars Talan Farrington and Mia Bartram will seek championships in the 1,600 and 3,200 at Yokota’s Bonk Field.
Rain is also forecast for Friday, the second day of Okinawa’s latest two-day meet.
Senior Carlos Cadet on Thursday recorded a 13.62 in the triple jump, just .23 meters shy of the 40-year-old Pacific record of 13.85, set by David Wilson on Guam. He holds the Pacific mark of 14.61 seconds in the 110 hurdles.
Elsewhere in Japan, Kinnick’s soccer and Zama’s baseball and softball teams head to Misawa to face Robert D. Edgren. At Iwakuni, Matthew C. Perry’s baseball and softball teams host King and Yokota, while Samurai soccer entertains the Cobras’ boys and girls teams.
The Red Devils and Samurai are DODEA-Japan’s top two girls soccer teams, with Kinnick striker Alyssa Staples and Perry’s top scorer Priscilla Ramirez tied for the league lead with 35 goals each.
King senior Damian Perez has a Japan-leading 23 goals, three behind Pacific leader Elijah Whipp of Kadena (26).
