Led by head coach Naofumi Suzuki and captain Dai Sato, Japan is making its eighth consecutive appearance in the quadrennial international lacrosse tournament.
Sugishita, recognized for his brilliant mastery of the forkball, and Kitabeppu for his control were pitching stars in different eras of Japanese pro baseball.
The Hokkaido-based Fighters are having a ball at Es Con Field Hokkaido, their new ballpark, and inching their way up the Pacific League standings.
With Hideki Kuriyama stepping down as Samurai Japan dugout boss after winning the WBC in March, Ichiro is reportedly one of the candidates to succeed him.
After two rough outings, the Yokohama DeNA BayStars sent veteran pitcher Trevor Bauer down to their Eastern League farm team to work on his game.
Takuma Sato, winner of the Indy 500 in 2017 and 2020, is with a new racing team this season. Can he win the prestigious race again?
For the Summer Basho, yokozuna Terunofuji's return to sumo competition after undergoing surgery on both knees is the biggest storyline to follow.