Stanford's Bench Bats Take Down Waseda University in Exhibition

Over the course of the season, Stanford baseball will be taking on plenty of team, traveling around the country from coast to coast, taking on all comers. But the game today was by far the most unique of them all.

On Wednesday, the Cardinal took on Waseda University in an exhibition matchup. Many fans would have questions about Waseda, as they have almost certainly never heard of them. That’s because they're located in Japan.

The two teams had matched up just once in the history of their baseball programs, back on April 16, 1905, in the first-ever international intercollegiate game ever played. Stanford won that one, 9-1. They played again four days later, with the Cardinal winning again, 4-1.

Things started out fantastically for the Cardinal on Wednesday, as they loaded the bases with the first three baters, and ended up scoring four runs in the top of the first. Cort MacDonald, Teddy Tokheim, and Brock Ketelson each notched RBI, with Tokheim getting two.

However, Waseda wouldn’t go away that quickly. Throughout the next three innings, the Bears scored one run each, chopping their deficit from four runs to just one. Luckily for Stanford, they matched Waseda’s fourth inning run with one of their own, pushing their advantage back to 5-3.

After some solid success at the start, the Bears went blank from the fifth inning on. While Waseda didn’t score a single run the rest of the game, the Cardinal weren’t finished just yet. In the seventh inning, Stanford rallied for another six runs, with Tokheim again being the one to deliver the decisive blow on a three RBI triple, giving him five RBI on the day.

The final score ended up at 11-3, with Stanford picking up another victory. Unfortunately, it doesn’t go into the win column due to this matchup being an exhibition, but a win is a win regardless, and this game provided some playing time for guys that typically see less of it.

Coming into this game, Tokheim, a freshman had racked up all of three at-bats, going 1-for-3 with a run scored. Wednesday was a career game for him, given his freshman status. He may have also made the case that he should see a little more playing time. He's listed as an infielder/right-handed pitcher, though he split time between DH and first base on Wednesday.

Sebastian David went 3-for-4 with a big double and scored a run as well. It was another big-time performance by an unsung hero. Rashad Hayes also had a great game with two hits, including a double, to go along with great defense at shortstop.

It’s tough to grade how good an exhibition win is due to the fact that Waseda doesn’t have much experience against similar opponents. However, they did take on Santa Clara, a Division I foe, whom they beat, proving that the Bears are a solid opponent. This win certainly showcases a lot, especially from the depth perspective, where many players shone at the plate.

On the mound, this was treated as a bullpen game, with nine pitchers being used to get through the game.

Stanford will host Fresno State for a three-game series this weekend, where they hope to build momentum off of the weekday win. If the Cardinal can get a sweep, that would be huge, especially considering Fresno State’s team. A series loss would put Stanford at a losing record on the season, something the Cardinal can’t afford this early on with ACC play still lurking.