Nov. 23, 2009
Track the Commodores in Japan and Hong Kong
Daniel Harris is in his second year serving in Baseball Operations for the Vanderbilt Baseball team. Daniel will provide updates during the team’s trip to Japan this week.
View Day 2 Photo Gallery
Today began with an hour bus ride to Hosei University located an hour outside of Tokyo.
When we arrived to the stadium for our first game of the trip, members of Hosei’s baseball team greeted us at the bus. The turf field was similar to the one at the University of Louisville, but with dirt around the bases and at home plate.
In the top of the ninth, VU rallied with no one on and two outs. Brian Harris’s infield single scored Joe Loftus, and Drew Hayes pitched a scoreless ninth to conclude the game (Game recap with box score).
After the game Hosei invited us back to their clubhouse for a gift exchange and post game mingle. Highlights included a rap-off between Nate Gonzalez and a member of Hosei’s squad, Coach Corbin inviting Hosei to come play us in Nashville, and the best mango Gatorade any of us had ever drank.
Tonight we enjoyed a traditional Japanese meal on the 46th floor of a high-rise with sashimi, noodles, octopus, and squid. Strength Coach Gabe Teeple and pitcher Jack Armstrong took the award for most sushi consumed in a single sitting. The team returned to the hotel after dinner to rest up for the double-header tomorrow vs. Aoyama Gakuin & Meiji. Below are Coach Corbin’s thoughts on the day:
Coach Corbin’s Postgame Quotes (below) Vanderbilt 4, Hosei 4
“We had a blast today – this was fun. It was a very surreal feeling…one month from Christmas, 65 degrees, not a cloud in the sky and we are playing baseball in Tokyo…are you kidding me.
“I thought we played well against a very good college baseball team. That group (Hosei) can really pitch and they don’t give you a thing. We overcame three deficits; the most important one coming in the ninth with two outs off of a closer who was throwing a lot of noise at us.
“Sonny was very effective for the most part and I liked the strides that Corey Williams and Will Clinard have made over the last year. We played seven kids who have never stepped on the field before and they looked unnerved for the most part.
“Really good energy for a group that had been traveling for 26 straight hours…they will sleep well tonight.”
