BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Bellevue University baseball coach Duane Monlux announced today the signing of Takumi Maeno (Fukuoka, Japan) to a letter of intent to continue his academic and athletic careers at BU beginning in the fall.
Maeno comes to Bellevue after the previous three seasons at Ohlone College in Fremont, Calif. where he was a regular in the outfield for the Renegades. Over the course of 80 career games for Ohlone, Maeno hit .358 with an OPS of 1.005 that saw him hammer out 19 extra base hits, drive in 51 runs, and steal 30 bases in 32 attempts.
This past season saw him hit .370 with a .962 OPS while playing in 43 games to help the Renegades to a 45-6 overall record. He both scored and drove in 35 runs, swiped 18-of-19 bases, and recorded hits in 22 of his final 27 games for a .390 average to help Ohlone to the CCCAA State Championship. For his efforts, Maeno earned first team Coast-South Conference and earned a place on the All-Northern California JuCo second team.
Coach Monlux on Maeno:
"We are very excited to be bringing in a player of Takumi's ability level. He was a mainstay in the lineup of a very good Ohlone College team this part season. He has shown the ability to hit for a high average and also has the ability to steal bases. He is also a tremendous student in the classroom. We feel that Takumi has a very bright future in a Bruin uniform. We can't wait to get him on campus."
Maeno joins earlier signees Hunter Herpel (OF, Mayville, Wis./Hibbing CC), Ayden Adams (RHP, Federal Way, Wash./Everett CC), Titus Oien (LHP, Vancouver, Wash./Clark College), Nick Grade (3B, Kennewick, Wash./Columbia Basin College), Logan Grant (UT, Calgary, Alta.), Jake Lacey (OF, Gillette, Wyo./Miles CC), Jacob Pubill (RHP, Daly City, Calif./Laney College), Parker McMan (RHP, Bozeman, Mont./Umpqua CC), Jared Eifler (RHP, Calgary, Alta./Shoreline CC), and Kenji Miller (LHP, Shoreline, Wash./Everett CC) in the Bruins' 2022 recruiting class.
Bellevue is coming off a 2022 season in which the program made its 15th Avista NAIA World Series appearance. During the campaign, the Bruins posted a 49-13 overall mark, going 25-2 in conference play and sweeping both the NSAA Regular-Season and Tournament titles. BU took the league's lone automatic bid in making their 24th NAIA National Tournament Appearance, hosted their fourth Opening Round at Don Roddy Field, and reached the Avista NAIA World Series for the third time in the past six full seasons.
