posted2024/02/22 11:03
Rintaro Sasaki will go on to Stanford University from Hanamaki Higashi High School
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Daisuke Sugiura
Infielder Rintaro Sasaki, a big slugger from Hanamaki Higashi who hit 140 home runs, the most in high school history, will attend Stanford University in the US. Founded in 1891, the university is said to be the most difficult to enter in the United States, with a standard deviation score of over 80. What kind of university life will Sasaki, who will be leaving for the United States sometime in March, have? Is it possible for him to balance his studies and baseball? He spoke with Nico Horner, a major leaguer who graduated from Stanford University and currently plays for the Chicago Cubs.
I met Rintaro in America…
Actually, I met Rintaro and his family at Stanford University. In January, he visited the university to see its facilities and campus. So I talked to Rintaro about my experiences, baseball, school, social life, everything. He was a very impressive young man and it was great to meet his family as well. I also met Rintaro’s father, who was Otani’s (Shohei) coach.
Stanford is a really great university, and his family seemed to place a lot of importance on academics. At Stanford University, you can get an excellent education and play baseball on a good team. I’m thrilled that he chose my alma mater.
Is it possible to balance studying and baseball at a very prestigious school?
Of course, balancing school and baseball will be a big challenge. However, the good thing about Stanford University is that it adapts (what you learn) to each student. There are some difficult majors, such as engineering and mathematics, but you can also take more relaxed classes if you wish. It’s important to decide what you want to focus on. The school is also flexible, offering a variety of options to first-year students. I don’t know what he plans to major in, but there are definitely a lot of options out there.