Hikaru Kawase

Japanese baseball player

Baseball player

Hikaru Kawase

Kawase with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – No. 0
Infielder
Born: (1997-09-15) September 15, 1997 (age 26)
Ōita, Ōita, Japan

Bats: Left

Throws: Right

NPB debut
May 23, 2018, for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
NPB statistics
(through 2023 season)
Batting average| .221
Home runs| 0
RBI| 39
Hits| 111
Stolen base| 9
Sacrifice bunt| 38
Teams

* Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (2016-present)

Career highlights and awards

* 2× Japan Series champion (2018, 2020)

Hikaru Kawase (川瀬 晃, Kawase Hikaru, born September 15, 1997) is a Japanese Professional baseball Infielder for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball.

## Early baseball career[edit]

Kawase participated in the 1st grade summer 95th Japanese High School Baseball Championship with Shunsuke Kasaya and Masato Morishita at the Ōita Prefectural Ōita Commercial High School.[1] He had a rivalry with Morishita, who competed for pitcher and shortstop positions in high school.[2]

## Professional career[edit]

On October 22, 2015, Kawase was drafted by the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in the 2015 Nippon Professional Baseball draft.

On January 5, 2016, He underwent surgery for a broken left hand.[3]

In 2016-2017 season, he played in the Western League of NPB's minor leagues and played in informal matches against Shikoku Island League Plus's teams.

On May 23, 2018, Kawase debuted as a shortstop against the Saitama Seibu Lions.[4] On the 24th of the following day, he recorded his first hit.[5] And he was selected as the Japan Series roster in the 2018 Japan Series.[6]

In the 2019 season, Kawase finished the regular season in 29 games with a batting average of .176.

In 2020 season, Kawase finished the regular season in 70 games with a batting average of .191, a RBI of 6 runs and a stolen base of 2. Kawase was selected as the Japan Series roster in the 2020 Japan Series. And he recorded his first hit in the Japan Series.[7]

September 20, 2021, he was named a starter against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles and recorded three hits.[8] However, he did not get many chances and finished the 2021 season with a .185 batting average in 21 games played.[9]

On July 18, 2022, Kawase would record a two-run double against the Chiba Lotte Marines.[10] On August 18, he was removed from the first team registration with a positive COVID-19, but was re-registered on September 3.[11] On September 12 against the Saitama Seibu Lions he started the seventh inning on defense and recorded a two-run double.[12] In 2022 season, he finished the regular season with a .278 batting average, 11 runs batted in, and 2 stolen bases in 73 games, his highest number of appearances despite being used as an infield reserve.

In 2023 season, Kawase played in a career-high 102 games, and finished the season with a .236 batting average, a 15 RBI, a 2stolen bases, and a 18 sacrifice bunts.

On December 13, 2023, announced that his uniform number would be changed from 00 to 0.[13]

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Nishinippon Shimbun baseball news (Japanese) ３年前エースだった兄の分まで…大分商の大型ショート森下、明豊にリベンジへ／夏の高校野球 大分大会". Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese). June 21, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
2. ^ "Weekly baseball ONLINE (Japanese) ソフトバンク6位・川瀬晃 スカウト評価は"川崎二世"". BASEBALL MAGAZINE SHA Co.,Ltd (in Japanese). November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
3. ^ "Nikkan Sports baseball news (Japanese) ソフトバンク6位川瀬晃が左手手術 転倒し骨折". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). January 5, 2016. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
4. ^ "Nikkan Sports baseball news (Japanese) ソフトバンク川瀬４の０ほろ苦デビュー「空回り」". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). May 23, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
5. ^ "Nishinippon Shimbun baseball news (Japanese) ソフトバンク川瀬はにかむプロ初安打 前日２併殺打…同郷の先輩が記念球キープ". Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese). May 24, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
6. ^ "Nippon Professional Baseball (Japanese) SMBC日本シリーズ2018 出場資格者名簿（福岡ソフトバンクホークス）". NPB.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved November 27, 2019.
7. ^ "Fukuoka Softbank Hawks Geme report (Japanese) 2020/11/22（日） 第2戦 巨人 vs 福岡ソフトバンク". Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Official site (in Japanese). November 22, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
8. ^ "Nishinippon Sports baseball news ソフトバンク川瀬、期待に応える遊撃スタメン 工藤監督「大きかった」". Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese). September 20, 2021. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
9. ^ "Nishinippon Sports baseball news ソフトバンク川瀬は100万円減で更改 結婚発表で「来年こそやってやる」". Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese). December 6, 2021. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
10. ^ "Nishinippon Sports baseball news 劇的V打の川瀬晃は「腹をくくった」 直前に長谷川勇也コーチがかけた言葉とは". Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese). July 18, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
11. ^ "Nishinippon Sports baseball news 試合途中で福岡へ〝帰省〟 中村晃＆川瀬、1軍昇格の準備はOK". Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese). September 3, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
12. ^ "Nishinippon Sports baseball news 「先輩方がつくってくれたチャンス」途中出場の川瀬晃が貴重な2点二塁打". Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese). September 12, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
13. ^ "Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks press release 2023/12/13 (水) プレスリリース 背番号の変更について". Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Official site (in Japanese). December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.

## External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hikaru Kawase.

* Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)
* Career statistics - NPB.jp
* 0 Hikaru Kawase PLAYERS2024 \- Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Official site

* v
* t
* e

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks current roster

Pitchers|

* 1 Kyuta Kazama
* 2 Carter Stewart Jr.
* 11 Yuki Tsumori
* 14 Katsuki Matayoshi
* 16 Nao Higashihama
* 17 Kohei Arihara
* 18 Shota Takeda
* 20 Hiroshi Kaino
* 21 Tsuyoshi Wada
* 26 Ryosuke Ohtsu
* 27 Shunsuke Iwai
* 29 Shuta Ishikawa
* 34 Kenichi Murata
* 35 Liván Moinelo
* 38 Ryotaro Sawayanagi
* 39 Shuto Ogata
* 40 Kazuki Sugiyama
* 41 Yugo Maeda
* 47 Tomohisa Ohzeki
* 48 Kouya Fujii
* 49 Haru Matsumoto
* 50 Yugo Bandoh
* 53 Ryo Ohyama
* 54 Roberto Osuna
* 56 Fumimaru Taura
* 58 Taisei Kimura
* 59 Takehiro Hasegawa
* 60 Kazuo Ohno
* 63 Darwinzon Hernández
* 66 Yuki Matsumoto
* 67 Shunsuke Kasaya
* 68 Hikaru Kimura
* 70 Sota Tanoue

Catchers|

* 12 Hiroki Minei
* 19 Takuya Kai
* 22 Kota Makihara
* 45 Kenta Tanigawara
* 62 Takashi Umino
* 64 Kengo Yoshida
* 65 Yutaro Fujita
* 79 Riku Watanabe

Infielders|

* 0 Hikaru Kawase
* 6 Kenta Imamiya
* 8 Taisei Makihara
* 13 Masaki Mimori
* 23 Ukyo Shuto
* 33 Ryuta Hirose
* 36 Ihine Itsua
* 43 Tomoya Inoue
* 46 Jumpei Kawarada
* 52 Richard
* 55 Daiju Nomura
* 99 Isami Nomura

Outfielders|

* 3 Kensuke Kondoh
* 7 Akira Nakamura
* 9 Yuki Yanagita
* 24 Ryoya Kurihara
* 28 Adam Brett Walker
* 31 Tomoya Masaki
* 32 Tatsuru Yanagimachi
* 37 Ikumi
* 44 Yoshiyasu Sasagawa

Developmental player

Pitchers|

* 120 Hiroki Sato
* 124 Shuji Kuwahara
* 125 Yuri Furukawa
* 126 Yuwa Miyasato
* 133 Kotaro Hoshino
* 134 Shinno Ohshiro
* 135 Alexander Armenta
* 136 Fuga Otake
* 137 Ryota Nakamura
* 139 Sanshiro Izaki
* 140 Mizuki Miura
* 141 Mailon Felix
* 142 Haruto Fujiwara
* 143 Shun Murakami
* 145 Reiri Tanaka
* 146 Jumpei Fujita
* 147 Koki Kato
* 148 Takuma Yamasaki
* 152 Masaki Takimoto
* 154 Takuma Sato
* 156 Luis Rodríguez
* 158 Ren Akaba
* 160 Keishin Nagamizu
* 161 Kaito Uchino
* 162 Jumpei Okaue
* 163 Akito Sasaki
* 164 Souta Minakuchi
* 165 Hayato Miyazaki
* 167 Jun Maeda
* 169 Yusei Tobita
* 172 Yuki Watanabe
* 174 Takuya Kuwahara

Catchers|

* 121 Soichiro Ishizuka
* 151 Sora Kato
* 171 Ryota Morishima

Infielders|

* 122 Keio Fujino
* 127 Riku Ogata
* 128 Daisuke Itoh
* 129 Kyoshiro Sakura
* 130 Haruki Katsuren
* 131 Koki Nakazawa
* 149 Takuto Sakuma
* 153 Yoshiki Mishiro
* 157 Jui Kobayashi
* 159 Kyogo Yamashita
* 170 Ayuma Nishio
* 175 David Almonte

Outfielders|

* 123 Shuya Ohizumi
* 132 Yuto Kawamura
* 138 Naoki Satoh
* 144 Marco Simon
* 150 Keita Yamamoto
* 155 Keisuke Nakata
* 166 Kaito Shigematsu
* 168 Kota Sato
* 173 Jose Osuna

Managers / Coaches

First squad|

* Manager: 90 Hiroki Kokubo
* Head coach: 92 Hiroshi Narahara
* Pitching coaches: 94 Shinji Kurano, 72 Kenichi Wakatabe, 71 Kenichi Nakata
* Hitting coaches: 93 Arihito Muramatsu, 78 Takayuki Murakami
* Defense & base running coaches: 80 Yuichi Honda, 87 Tatsuya Ide
* Battery coach: 84 Hiroaki Takaya

Second squad|

* Manager: 74 Hideaki Matsuyama
* Pitching coaches: 73 Takashi Ogasawara, 76 Hayato Terahara
* Hitting coach: 77 Ryo Yoshimoto, 88 Kenji Akashi
* Defense & base running coaches: 82 Tomoki Takata, 96 Ryuma Kidokoro
* Battery coach: 83 Masaumi Shimizu

Third squad|

* Manager: 85 Hiroshi Ogawa
* Pitching coaches: 86 Masahiro Sakumoto, 97 Kazuhisa Makita
* Hitting coach: 75 Noriyoshi Omichi
* Defense & base running coaches: 91 Keisuke Kaneko, 98 Fumikazu Takanami
* Battery coach: 95 Kenji Yoshitsuru

Fourth squad|

* Manager: 011 Kazumi Saito
* Pitching coaches: 012 Hidetaka Kawagoe, 021 Masato Okumura
* Hitting coach: 013 Shigeru Morikasa
* Defense & base running coaches: 014 Takashi Sasagawa, 015 Go Kamamoto
* Battery coach: 016 Tetsuya Matoyama
* Rehabilitation coach: 017 Ryoji Moriyama, 018 Masahiro Nakatani
* Field player coordinator: 019 Koichi Sekikawa
* Pitcher coordinator: 020 Junji Hoshino
* Battery coordinator: 022 Hiroyuki Mori
* Base running coordinator: 023 Hisao Arakane

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