Mavericks ready for first pitch

By Sean Rooney on May 31, 2018.

srooney@medicinehatnews.com @MHNRooney

From across the Pacific Ocean comes not one, but two right-handed, graduated college pitchers for the Medicine Hat Mavericks this season.

Jumpei Akanuma and Sean Cruz had never met before arriving in the Gas City last week, but were fittingly paired up for a couple days before the rest of their teammates arrived.

“JP was actually the first person I met,” said Cruz, who hails from the island nation of Guam. “Coach was like ‘we’ve got another dude here, we can give you his contact, reach out to him, you guys can mess around for the next couple days.'”

Akanuma, an affable 22-year-old from Japan, was all too happy to make a new friend. The two explored the city, worked out and ate sushi. As the season starts tonight, a home date against the Brooks Bombers, they’re ready to see what the Western Major Baseball League is all about.

“There are not many summer ball teams who accept graduated seniors, but this one does,” said Akanuma, who played at Lee University in Tennessee and even threw a no-hitter this spring. “I drove 10 hours in North Dakota and all I saw was flat ground. Once I came into Medicine Hat, it is beautiful, I love it.”

Both are used to being in new environments. Akanuma barely knew English, much less anyone involved in college baseball, before walking on at College of the Desert in Palm Springs, California a few years ago. Cruz had never left Guam — population 165,000 or so — until he was 13. Baseball, as it is now, was the ticket.

“For the most part, I’ve always been one to want to get out and meet new people,” said Cruz, whose fastball has topped out at 95 miles per hour while with Friends University in Kansas. “Especially playing the sport I love, you get to come across different people.”

That said, Cruz misses his family, who have never seen him play live since he left for college. His sister gave birth to a baby boy earlier this week. He knows what he’s given up to pursue his dreams.

“It sucks in that way but it also gives me more of a reason to want to push myself to be better for my family,” said Cruz. “Hopefully one day I’ll be able to strap the cleats back on at another level and they can come watch a baseball game.”

For now, YouTube will have to do.

Both hurlers hope this summer leads into something else. Akanuma wants to continue his baseball career and found the Mavericks through head coach Andrew Murphy, who was an assistant on his summer team in 2016. He joked that he’s looking forward to the wood bat league so he can make opposing players — and owners — a little angry.

“In college baseball we use metal bats, so I’m expecting that I can break more bats when I throw fastballs inside,” he said with a laugh. “Once I broke four bats in a row. Money dropping, I love it.”

And yes, Mavs fans, he knows about the beer batter and is looking forward to it. He’ll start Friday at Athletic Park. Returnee Jared Libke will start tonight.

Murphy said it’s great to have some international flavour on the roster, and likes what he’s seen from both newcomers.

“It’s just cool to have guys, their first time in Canada, then they get to play with guys that are so far from Canada,” said Murphy. “That’s what’s awesome about baseball, so many guys play this game and you get to meet new people from different cultures.”

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