You would be hard-pressed to sit in the stands at RE/MAX Field last summer and not hear the echoing chants of “Tommy, Tommy, Tommy” every time number fourteen stepped up to the plate.

The 6’1” switch hitter quickly stole the hearts of the Riverhawks faithful with his bubbly personality and electric play on the field.

“Playing in front of thousands of people last year, I’m not going to lie, was nerve-wracking at first but I quickly got used to it,” he chuckles. "It's really easy to play with a lot of energy and a lot of effort when you have that many people rooting for you. It was something I didn't take for granted."

The overwhelming support from the record-breaking 2023 crowd of 104,000+ fans at RE/MAX was a standout moment in Takayoshi’s 18-year baseball career. It made his decision to return to Edmonton this summer an easy one.

“I had such a great time playing [in Edmonton] last year, I just knew I had to come back.”

Last summer, Takayoshi stood out as one of the leading hitters for the Riverhawks, boasting an impressive .291 batting average across 42 games, accumulating 48 hits and 18 RBIs in the process. This earned him a well-deserved place on the league’s All-WCL Honourable Mentions team.

Riverhawks Head Coach Jake Lanferman is thrilled to welcome Takayoshi back to the dugout this summer.

“Tommy is such a great leader on and off the field. With his combination of leadership skills and a high baseball IQ, he is going to be one of the guys we lean on heavily to steer us in the right direction and help us win ball games.”

This natural baseball IQ runs through Takayoshi’s DNA. His father, Todd, played pro ball in the Los Angeles Angels and Cleveland Guardians organizations and served as a minor league hitting coach with the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2013-15. Todd is the current Minor League Assistant Hitting Coordinator with the Oakland Athletics.

"My dad has been a huge part of my career. He's the one who got me into [baseball], and I've just kind of stuck with it, and now I'm playing college baseball!"

His college career has taken him across the United States from the University of Washington to Fresno State and now to his current home out East: Niagara University in New York.

As Takayoshi gears up to return to Edmonton, he looks forward to seeing faces new and old alike.

"My favourite part about summer ball is meeting all these new people that you haven't met, but within a week or two, it feels like I've known them my whole life… Those guys honestly make the whole thing worth it."

Fans can catch Takayoshi and the rest of the Riverhawks in action at the Home Opener on June 7th at RE/MAX Field.

Tickets for the 2024 season are available at tickets.gohawks.ca.