Yuri Teramoto wore the same number as one of her childhood idols and stood on a mound that has been graced by generations of baseball legends. What was going through Teramoto’s mind as she prepared to throw?

Teramoto, a freshman at Hanamaki Higashi High School in Iwate Prefecture, Japan, threw out the ceremonial first pitch Sunday at Dodger Stadium before the Dodgers faced the Giants.

The 16-year-old right-hander stands 5-foot-10 and can throw as hard as 73 mph. With Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki behind the plate, Teramoto delivered a strong pitch. The crowd erupted as the ball landed in Sasaki’s glove.

“This is a dream for anyone who plays baseball. It’s amazing.”

Teramoto looked around the enormous stadium, visibly thrilled by the moment.

Hanamaki Higashi is the high school that produced MLB stars Yusei Kikuchi and Shohei Ohtani, as well as Rintaro Sasaki, who was selected by the Miami Marlins in the 2026 MLB Draft. Roki Sasaki, who served as Teramoto’s catcher, also grew up in Iwate.

The trip was part of a youth development program organized by Iwate Prefecture and Iwate Nippo to mark the prefecture’s 150th anniversary and 15 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami. Fifty high school students from Iwate, including Teramoto, traveled along the U.S. West Coast from Sept. 15-22.

On Sept. 19, the group visited Angel Stadium, where the students met Kikuchi and watched him throw a bullpen session. Teramoto watched closely as Kikuchi fired pitch after pitch into the catcher’s mitt, seeing firsthand what it takes to compete on a major league mound.

The following day, the group arrived at Dodger Stadium. This time, it was Teramoto’s turn to take the mound.

“I’m nervous, but I’m also really excited,” she said before the first pitch.

Yuri Teramoto in the Dodgers dugout. Photo by Ayako Oikawa / MLB.com.
Yuri Teramoto in the Dodgers dugout. Photo by Ayako Oikawa / MLB.com.

Once she stepped onto the mound, the nerves seemed to disappear. She delivered with confidence and finished the moment she had been dreaming about.

Teramoto moved from Kumamoto Prefecture in southern Japan to Iwate this spring to attend Hanamaki Higashi. Ohtani played a major role in her decision.

“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. I’ve learned from the way he sets goals, and it has helped me enjoy practice more.”

There are increasingly more high schools with girls’ baseball programs in Kumamoto and elsewhere in Kyushu. But Teramoto chose to move nearly 900 miles north to Hanamaki Higashi because, she said, “it gives me an environment where I can focus on studying and baseball.”

With only three years of high school ahead of her, Teramoto wants to make every day count -- both in the classroom and on the field. That mindset helped convince her to leave home and pursue her dreams in Iwate.

And those dreams already extend beyond Japan.

“Someday, I want to study in the United States and play baseball here, too,” she said.

At Hanamaki Higashi, Teramoto wears No. 17, the same number Ohtani wore as a high school player. The number has also been worn by other Hanamaki Higashi standouts, including Kikuchi and Rintaro Sasaki.

“It’s my favorite number, too, so I’m really happy to wear it.”

On Sunday, “IWATE 17” was emblazoned across her back as she stood on the Dodger Stadium mound and fired her best pitch toward her hometown hero’s teammate.

Girls’ baseball has continued to grow in popularity in Japan in recent years, with more players taking up the sport. When Hanamaki Higashi established its girls’ baseball program, Ohtani donated a batting machine to the school.

“We use it every day. I’m really grateful for it,” Teramoto said.

The movement to support girls’ baseball is also gaining momentum. Earlier this month, Ichiro Suzuki played an exhibition game at Tokyo Dome against a selection of Japan’s top high school girls’ baseball players.

For a region that once struggled to produce even professional baseball players, Iwate has now become home to a remarkable baseball lineage. Kikuchi, Ohtani and Roki Sasaki have all gone from the prefecture to the biggest stage in the sport, while Rintaro Sasaki is now pursuing his own path toward the majors with the Marlins organization.

Now, Teramoto is following in their footsteps. With “IWATE 17” on her back, it was one small step toward carrying the dreams of those who came before her into the next generation.