Teen Throws First Pitch at Dodger Stadium in Ohtani's Jersey

Yuri Teramoto stood on the mound at Dodger Stadium wearing number 17, the same digits her childhood hero Shohei Ohtani wore at their shared high school in Japan. The 16-year-old right-hander delivered a perfect strike into the glove of Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki, and 50,000 fans erupted in celebration.

"This is a dream for anyone who plays baseball," Teramoto said, taking in the massive stadium around her. "It's amazing."

Teramoto is a freshman at Hanamaki Higashi High School in Iwate Prefecture, the same school that produced Ohtani, fellow MLB pitcher Yusei Kikuchi, and top prospect Rintaro Sasaki. She moved 900 miles from southern Japan to Iwate this spring specifically to attend the legendary baseball program.

The trip was part of a youth development program celebrating Iwate Prefecture's 150th anniversary and 15 years of recovery since the Great East Japan Earthquake. Fifty high school students from Iwate traveled the U.S. West Coast, meeting their baseball heroes along the way.

At Angel Stadium, Teramoto watched Kikuchi throw a bullpen session, studying every pitch. The next day at Dodger Stadium, she became the center of attention.

"I'm nervous, but I'm also really excited," she said before taking the mound. Once she stepped onto the field, the nerves vanished and confidence took over.

Why This Inspires

Teramoto's journey represents the expanding opportunities for girls in Japanese baseball. She stands 5-foot-10, throws 73 mph, and practices daily with a batting machine Ohtani himself donated to the girls' program at Hanamaki Higashi.

"Ohtani is someone I've always looked up to," she said. "Whenever I struggle with baseball, I read books about him and use them as motivation."

Earlier this month, baseball legend Ichiro Suzuki played an exhibition game against Japan's top high school girls' baseball players at Tokyo Dome. The sport is growing rapidly among young women across Japan, with more schools adding programs every year.

Teramoto's dreams extend beyond Japan's borders. "Someday, I want to study in the United States and play baseball here, too," she said.

From a prefecture that once struggled to produce professional players, Iwate has become a baseball powerhouse producing major league stars. Now Teramoto is carrying that legacy forward, one pitch at a time.