Team Kado Hawaii White second baseman Jase Kaneshiro stepped on the field at a National Team Championships Arizona event for the first time on Saturday morning, but for those that watched him play throughout the day, that fact would be hard to believe.
Kaneshiro showed out in his team's first games of the 14U age group, leading the way offensively for a lineup that put up 25 combined runs in two comfortable victories over GBG Inland Empire and CBA Bulldogs Navy. In his first at-bat of the tournament against the former, he came up with the bases loaded and cashed in with a productive out, lifting a fly ball out to center field to bring home his team's second run of the game.
Two innings later, Kaneshiro came up with traffic on the bases for the second time -- with the runners being on second and third in this instance -- and once again, he came through in the clutch with a base hit to drive in each of them for another pair of RBIs. This situation repeated itself in his final at-bat of the contest, and just like the last time, he plated both with a single to give him his fourth and fifth runs driven in of the game.
This hot start to the event didn't stop there, either, as Kaneshiro picked up right where he left off in his second contest of the day. The righty strolled into the box with yet another opportunity with a runner in scoring position, and he proceeded to pick up his first extra-base hit so far, a double into center field that added one more RBI to his already lengthy tally. He would only get one more at-bat in his team's 15-4 win and drew a walk, bringing his final line on the day to 3-4 with a whopping six RBIs.
Needless to say, the beginning of 14U Champs AZ went about as well as it could have for both Kaneshiro and his Team Kado Hawaii White squad. Following the team's second win, Kaneshiro spoke with USA Baseball about his standout day at the plate and the experience of playing at the event for the first time:
Q: It was a big day for you at the plate, notching three hits and six RBIs over the two games. What do you think was working for you today?
A: I think just attacking the fastball, that was our coach's message to us. Just attack the fastball and be aggressive.
Q: When you get up to the plate with runners in scoring position like that with a chance to drive them in, does your approach change at all? Or do you jut try to stick with what you were doing?
A: Not really, honestly. My teammates are able to help me out when they're on base and let me know what pitch might be coming, so it makes it way easier to hit.
Q: It wasn't just a big day at the plate for you, as your team scored 25 runs on the day. How do you think you guys were able to come out so strong on the first day of the tournament?
A: Same thing as with me, we just came out being aggressive, and we were hungry. I think we just have to stay with that the whole time and we'll be good.
Q: I know it's your first time being at the Champs AZ tournaments. It's still early, but what's it been like playing so far away from home like this?
A: It's a great experience being able to play out here on these Spring Training fields, honestly. I've dreamed of playing on an official MLB field, so it's very cool.
