What Ben Hoshizaki is doing to his Chandler-Gilbert Community College opponents is a crime.
His base-stealing prowess through the first few weeks of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) season is pure larceny.
It’s almost automatic that once the Calgary native gets on-base, he’s about to swipe another bag or two.
Through his first 25 games, Hoshizaki is hitting .371 with 28 stolen bases while he’s only been caught three times.
“It’s just a lot of confidence, honestly,” he told Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast. “I really trust my abilities and, often when I’m-base, I just kind of think that the catcher has no chance of getting me out.”
Not only does he lead all Canadians in stolen bases across all US college programs, but he’s also leading the entire NJCAA and shows no signs of slowing down.
“After I got off to a pretty hot start, other teams started picking up on that and you see a lot of catchers bricking the ball behind the plate,” Hoshizaki continued.
“They’re almost too worried about throwing the ball before they get it, so I think it kind of compounds for me and almost gets easier as the games go on.”
BLAZING ONTO THE SCENE
While Hoshizaki exudes confidence and trust in his ability now, it wasn’t always the case.
Growing up in Calgary, he didn’t really catch onto baseball until he was about 10, and after succeeding at every level including representing Canada at the Cal Ripken Baseball World Series in 2017, where he was named a Gold Glove outfielder.
With a fire in his belly to take his game to the next level, Hoshizaki made the move south to join Dawgs Academy in Okotoks.
“Coming in, I was a little timid, a little scared at times,” recalled the 5-foot-10 southpaw. “This was my first experience with something very high level and being surrounded by other people who were playing at such a high level.”
While it might have been intimidating at first, he quickly realized that many others were feeling the same way.
Hoshizaki was able to experience a number of high-pressure moments in his time in Okotoks, including playing for the Dawgs Black team during the COVID-abbreviated 2021 Western Canadian Baseball League season.
He was also a part of the Perfect Game tournament-winning academy team in 2022.
“It was a really great time for me and allowed me to keep excelling at my game and push myself and have others push me forward,” Hoshizaki said of his Dawgs experience.
“It really shaped me into the relentless, calm, feel-no-pressure ball player that I am today.”
SETTING THE BAR
With fellow Dawgs on the Chandler-Gilbert roster including Andrew Yusypchuk, Ryder Hancock and Seth Thompson, Hoshizaki says the transition to post-secondary was made that much easier off the field.
At the ballpark, the Henry Wisewood High School product was an impact player right out of the gate, hitting .340 with a home run, 11 RBI, 33 runs scored and 27 stolen bases in 44 games.
He kept working out during the offseason with the goal to steal 50 bases in 2024.
“It’s a really ambitious goal,” Hoshizaki admitted. “But I think, especially with some of the teams we play, I can get a few bases in those games.”
The 19-year-old says it will be tough to achieve that goal, especially with the ebbs and flows of each game along with no guarantees of getting on base in the first place.
“I would be happy with improving on last season,” Hoshizaki continued. “That’s what I’m focused on is being better than I was before.”
THE ART OF BASESTEALING
Every great base-stealer, from Rickey Henderson and Tim Raines to Lou Brock and Ty Cobb, has a method to their madness.
They all admit it was more than just speed – it was an art form based on preparation and timing.
For Hoshizaki, his process includes two steps off and three shuffles to get himself 10-12 feet off first base.
“I like to keep my feet moving while I’m on-base, kind of stay on my toes so I have a little bit of momentum and creep towards second,” said the sophomore outfielder. “From there, I just need to get my timing down.”
Hoshizaki will then look at how the pitcher delivers the baseball, paying attention to his timing, the height of his leg kick and other noticeable patterns.
“We also do a little thing called YOTE,” the engineering student said. “It’s a timing thing when we’re on-base, we go Y-O-T-E and, from there, we can deduct timing and patterns from pitchers so when we’re on-base in future at-bats, we kind of have an idea of when he’s going to go.”
That anticipation, combined with his confidence and trust in himself, have made him a difficult base-runner to nab.
FIVE-BAG DISCOUNT
Through his first 25 games, Hoshizaki has had seven multi-steal games.
The pace-setter was a Feb. 14 matchup against the Phoenix College Bears, where he swiped five bags in a 20-7 Yotes victory – an impressive feat when you consider that he only reached base twice with a hit and once with a walk.
“It was pretty awesome because I stole the first base on a close play,” Hoshizaki said. “On all four of my next stolen bases, the catcher would either pop up and the ball would slip under his glove, or catch it and bobble it a bit or just tried to throw it too hard and throws it offline.”
While he didn’t steal home in the contest, he does admit that feat is on his “baseball bucket list” and hopes he will get the green light at some point this season.
Hoshizaki is also looking to find a four-year school to keep his baseball journey going after his days at Chandler-Gilbert are done.
“I’m always driven to be better and compete against myself,” he said. “I want to keep on pushing, keep on putting up better numbers and give my team a better chance to win.”
Base by base, Ben Hoshizaki is doing exactly that.
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