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2025 Player Profiles
2025
San Mateo Sister City Association Fields Youth Baseball
Exchange Team
Japanese Cultural Exchange Team travels to San Mateo this summer as Competitors and Ambassadors
SAN MATEO, Calif. – July 9, 2025 – A select squad of 15 youth baseball players is preparing to play against their Japanese counterparts July 30-August 3 for the biennial Baseball Cultural Exchange.
The baseball exchange is part of a series of Sister City events that strengthen the bond between the two cities and educate each community about international cooperation and cultural respect. The 2025 San Mateo-Toyonaka team, like all previous teams, represents the diversity of the City of San Mateo, with 11 to 12-year-old player-ambassadors from multiple schools, neighborhoods, leagues, and ethnicities.
With a roster in place and fundraising in full swing, the San Mateo Sister City Association is moving quickly to the July arrival of the team from Toyonaka, Japan, continuing a legacy that began in 1979. The boys on the 2023 team were chosen based both on their athletic skills and their ability to be compelling ambassadors.
Players from Toyonaka travel without their parents, staying in the homes of the San Mateo players they will meet on the baseball field. Unlike programs that require personal financial responsibility from players’ families, the team is supported 100 percent through the community. The San Mateo Sister City Association – which includes community leaders, program alumni and player parents – has a goal of raising $30,000 to cover the costs of uniforms and hosting the Japanese team.
Players were selected based on their performance at multiple tryouts, a written application and personal interviews. The San Mateo-Toyonaka 2025 Baseball Cultural Exchange roster includes: Jacob Armstrong, Sterling Bailey, Leo Barsetti, Donovan Chow, Jax Connolly, Luke Cruz, Liam Finn, Max Johnson, Noah Jones, Elliott Klemp, Joaquin Lee, Kaleb Lee, Landon Lewis, Jacob Provence, and Jack Schaffer.
Preparations for the visit include on-field practice, as well as studying Japanese culture and San Mateo history in monthly classes. The players will learn basic Japanese, Japanese customs and the importance of being ambassadors of San Mateo and the United States.
Players and player families are also instrumental in raising the funds needed for the trip. In addition to personal outreach by players and soliciting sponsorship from area businesses, the San Mateo-Toyonaka Sister City Association will be hosting a number of fundraisers throughout the spring and summer. More information about the program can be found at https://www.smsistercity.com/fundraising.html. Community donations can be made on the same page.
About San Mateo-Toyonaka Sister City Association
The San Mateo-Toyonaka Sister City Association, established in 1963, has successfully forged a strong and lasting relationship between the two cities of San Mateo, California and Toyonaka, Japan. San Mateo Sister City Association is a 501(c)(3) Organization, Tax ID: 94-1588552
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