The younger brother of Chiba Lotte Marines’ Roki Sasaki (22), Reiki Sasaki (18), failed to fulfill his older brother’s dream of reaching the Koshien.
Japanese media Nikkan Sports reported on March 21, “Ofunato High School lost 1-3 to Morioka No. 1 High School in the third game of the High School Baseball Iwate Tournament. Sophomore Reiki Sasaki, Roki Sasaki’s younger brother, started the game but gave up three runs (one earned) on six hits and two walks in 2⅔ innings, making it his last appearance.”
Roki Sasaki is a specialty ace who became the youngest player in Nippon Professional Baseball to throw a perfect game last year. Known for his hard-hitting fastball that reaches speeds of up to 165 kilometers per hour, he is 7-2 with a 1.48 ERA in 12 games (79 innings) this season 메이저사이트.
Roki Sasaki, who has been a fan favorite since his high school days with a fastball that reaches over 160 km/h, was the ace of Ofunato High School, leading his team to the final of the Iwate tournament. However, he struggled a bit in the tournament and did not pitch in the final game due to the high pitch count, and his team lost 2-12 and failed to advance to Koshien. Younger sister Reiki Sasaki followed in her older brother’s footsteps as the ace for Ofunato High School, but ended her summer with a quarterfinal loss.
Nikkan Sports wrote, “Reiki Sasaki wiped away the tears that kept flowing. Her summer came to an end as she failed to reach the quarterfinals for the first time in four years after her brother’s performance in 2019, when she finished as runner-up.”
“I’m really disappointed,” said a tearful Reiki Sasaki, “I wanted to win today so I could pitch to move on, but it didn’t go my way.”
Reiki Sasaki was originally a shortstop, but the team switched him to pitching last fall. He wore the same number as his brother and quickly developed into an ace, reaching a fastball of up to 143 kilometers. However, his brother’s fame has also put pressure on him.
“In many ways, it wasn’t the best environment for me to play baseball,” he admits, “but with everyone’s support, I was able to play until today. I think I was supported by the best teammates.” “Now that it’s over, I hope that my school will go to Koshien next year. For now, I’m thinking of going to college,” he said of his future plans.