Washington Academy’s baseball team has been utterly dominant this spring, outscoring its opponents 153-31 and boasting a 14-2 record heading into the postseason.
The Raiders of East Machias have five underclassmen in their starting lineup, and at the center of their compelling 2024 campaign is a freshman by the name of Trevor Shimabukuro — a half-Japanese Texas native who is putting up video game numbers in the batter’s box and on the mound.
Through 16 games, the two-way star is batting .512 with three triples, 12 walks, 20 RBIs and 32 stolen bases, and has a 3-0 pitching record in 41.2 innings with a 0.84 ERA and 52 strikeouts, including a no-hitter versus MDI on April 24.
“I didn’t even know I was throwing a no-hitter until after the game,” Shimabukuro said. “I don’t really care about the stats, just helping the team win is all I care about. The whole season has been fun.”
Led by Shimabukuro, the Raiders (No. 2 Class C North) have beaten six different teams by double digits this season, and their only two losses have come in extras against Foxcroft Academy (No. 1 Class C North).
What’s so intriguing about Shimabukuro’s game is the humble nature of his character and skill set. At 5-foot-8 and 150 pounds, he doesn’t have a fastball that reaches 80 miles per hour, and he hasn’t hit any home runs this year.
Instead, Shimabukuro relies on his five-pitch arsenal — a four-seamer, a two-seamer, a curveball, a slider and a changeup — to keep hitters off-balance, and outwits opposing pitchers with his patience and precision.
“I look up to Japanese players like Yu Darvish and Ichiro Suzuki,” Shimabukuro said. “If the velocity and power comes, that’s great. I’m just trying to do my job and keep control of things. Baseball’s like no other sport, I love how many times you fail — it’s about never stopping the grind.”
Shimabukuro’s family moved to Down East Maine from Fort Worth in October, in search of cooler weather and more opportunities to be in nature. He is home-schooled along with his two younger siblings, and was welcomed with open arms by his future teammates and coaches.
Head coach Rich Olivares was impressed by Shimabukuro’s talent and work ethic right away.
“During pitchers and catchers week, I realized his ball moves differently, and his work ethic is second to none,” Olivares said. “He does not feel like he’s better than anyone else, and works on the little things that make good baseball players great. He relishes his teammates’ success as much as his.”
Arriving in Maine right before winter and without any friends took some getting used to, but Shimabukuro feels like he’s settled in now.
“My teammates were very inviting. We go fishing and hang around town, and they’re a nice group to play baseball with,” Shimabukuro said. “People are way friendlier and more talkative here. It’s definitely colder than Texas, but I got used to it.”
