BY Junko KANEKO

Masato Ochi, who is a senior of the English Department of Sapporo University Foreign Language Faculty, is a southpaw ace pitcher of the Sapporo University baseball team. Last year, just before the autumn league began, he had unexpectedly serious trouble in both his eyes: in his right eye retina detachment and in his left eye retina laceration. But having overcome these disorders, he came back to the ground last spring. Accordingly, S.U. won the championship in the 2001 Sapporo universities baseball spring league, thanks to his left hand. His efforts, getting over his suffering to resume playing baseball, attracted the attention of many people; not only campus broad sheets but national newspapers carried the articles admiring him.

Besides his athletic achievements, Masato Ochi has a good reputation for studying; he is the leader of professor Fukuhara's seminar class. Blessed with unusual talents for both studying and baseball, he told us about his enthusiasm for baseball, and his feelings at present as he waits for graduation so that he can begin his career at Sapporo city office next spring.

He was born and grew up in Sapporo. When he was in elementary school he joined the Little League. That was the chance for him to begin playing baseball. After that, he belonged to the baseball clubs in Atsubetsu junior high school and in Tokai Fourth high school, and he entered Sapporo University through the sports recommendation system. "I could not play at Koshien during my high school days, and I felt chagrin at that. Then I pinned my hopes on university baseball." 　As he had wished, he finally played at Koshien three times during his university life. To the question of how he copes with the strained and frightening situation on the mound, he answered, "My practical experiences overcome the strain of a timid heart. The more games you play, the more confidence you can gain. Also, you can see what you should do, each game." And continued, his eyes serious, "Training is sometimes very hard, actually, but I have never thought that baseball is hard and mentally painful. Since I know the great joy of winning games and the great pleasure of baseball, I can endure any amount of hard training," he answered to the question of the training late every day. He has been putting his heart into baseball since his childhood. Moreover, he never spares any efforts in order to win and to get great pleasure. I realized through his words and his eager eyes, that he steadily gained physical strength and the ability to concentrate from hard every-day training and lots of games.

Since he directs his efforts toward both baseball and studying, I expected he would say it was very hard to keep both of them up. Contrary to my expectation, "I don't think it is difficult," he said lightly. He added, "When I get home after training, I usually go to bed soon, but I always try and find time to study, and there is no problem as long as I keep attending every class." I could catch a glimpse of the earnest man that he is, through the fact he devotes himself not only to what he likes to do, but also to what he should do. However, he is not the serious type of man who has no sense of humor; he was friendly and willing to be interviewed while ready to make a joke. As for his practice teaching at his alma matar last summer, it was a very impressive experience for him and the students taught him a lot, he said. That experience must have made his character even more attractive. He said, remembering the visit he paid to the baseball team of his alma mater, "They were not yet physically well-developed and they played rough, but, I felt that they have a great future." He has shown an interest in the coaching baseball, too.

"Baseball is played by the heart. Without a strong mind, even such a nice pitcher as one who throws a 140 k.p.h. ball can not get a strike. On the other hand, overconfidence will cause unexpected failures. I believe that all S. U. baseball team members already understand what I have just said. I hope they will manage to preserve a strong team," said he. After graduation, he is going to continue playing baseball in the baseball team of the city office. Finally, he said, "Now, the focus of this interview is only on me, but, I am sure, I am just a representative of our team. We have been making great efforts to build a strong team all together. That is why the team and myself have been successful." The writer felt, through this interview, his great efforts, modest character and openhearted personality, which have been the root of his remarkable activities and success. Ochi's radiating college life gave the writer the chance to look over her own and resolve to try harder.