4 teams to test visiting Japanese baseball squad

Four local teams will try to challenge the visiting Hotoku Gakuen baseball team from Japan when the 3rd Philippine-Japan High School Goodwill Games begins on Friday at the historic Rizal Memorial Baseball Field. Teams from La Salle-Zobel, Alabang, Ateneo and one from Tanauan, Batangas are going to compete against Osaka’s All-High School champion in the two-day tournament organized by the Philippine Amateur Baseball Association (PABA). The Goodwill Games started in 2009 with the Philippines hosting the first edition. Osaka hosted last year’s tournament. The Philippines and Japan both hold a 6-6-1 win-loss-draw record after 13 matches in the Goodwill Games. The Japanese team, made up of players 13 to 15 years old, however, is hoping to dominate the third edition. The Philippines won four of the six games they played in Osaka last year. “We played with mixed players in Osaka. For this edition, the team comes from only one school and we are really determine to dominate this edition," said coach Ogino Hideki in an interview in a practice session by the team on Thursday. The visiting squad arrived Wednesday afternoon. Japan will play two matches on Friday and will open the Goodwill Games against La Salle-Zobel at 7:30 a.m. The visiting squad will then face the team from Batangas in the 1 p.m. game. Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Makoto Katsura will grace the 9:45 a.m. opening ceremony. Alabang will test the visitors on Saturday morning while Ateneo takes its turn in the afternoon. All games will be played for seven innings. Outstanding players will receive medals in the closing ceremony. The Hotoku Gakuen team returns to Japan on Sunday. – JVP, KY, GMANews.TV