Coach Accused of Sexual Assault Rocks Spring Senbatsu Baseball Team

“The teacher did this to me.”

An unexpected scandal has been revealed within the baseball team that made its first appearance at Koshien in this year’s Spring Koshien High School Baseball Tournament.

On July 22nd, Shunsuke Mizuno, a 36-year-old health and physical education teacher at Shiga Junior College Attached High School, was rearrested by the Otsu Police Station of the Shiga Prefectural Police on suspicion of non-consensual sexual intercourse, after allegedly sexually assaulting a teenage woman at a hotel in Yokohama City.

“Suspect Mizuno stayed at a hotel in Yokohama City on February 3rd of last year with a group of people, including the victim. He is believed to have visited the woman’s room alone from 8:30 PM that day until the following morning and engaged in sexual acts. It is believed that Suspect Mizuno exposed his genitals and brought them close to the woman’s face, and also held her head down. After the act was over, the woman sent a message to a friend saying, ‘The teacher did this to me.'” (National Newspaper Social Affairs Reporter)

Because the woman did not report the incident to the police, it would not have come to light. However, on May 16th of this year, the situation took a dramatic turn when suspect Mizuno was arrested for another indecent act.

“Around 9:00 PM on May 9th, suspect Mizuno stopped at a park in Otsu City while driving a teenage girl home. He parked the car, stroked the girl’s legs while she was in the passenger seat, and tried to kiss her. The girl resisted fiercely and, after returning home, consulted her father. She then reported the incident to the Otsu Police Station.

As the police were questioning this woman and her acquaintances, they discovered the existence of a message sent by the victim of the February of last year’s incident to a friend. When the police confirmed with the woman herself, she reported that she had been victimized,” said a source involved in the investigation.

During police questioning, suspect Mizuno denied the charges, stating, “I can’t answer that right now.” Following his arrest, the school suspended Mizuno from his duties.

Suspect Mizuno obtained his teaching license from the University of Kagoshima in Kanoya. After working at a high school in Kyoto City, he was transferred to Shiga Junior College Attached High School. The school was originally a girls’ school, but became co-educational in 2008, and the baseball team was founded in 2009. Suspect Mizuno served as the baseball team’s manager for two years starting in 2018, and then as an advisor until his arrest.

Shiga Junior College Attached made their first appearance in the Kinki Tournament last fall, where they achieved a come-from-behind victory against Rissho University, a strong team ranked first in Osaka, in their first match, securing a spot in the top eight. Their performance was highly regarded, leading them to earn their first-ever ticket to the Senbatsu in their 16th year since the club’s founding.

“Suspect Mizuno utilized his experience aiming to become a trainer in high school, incorporating mental training into the practice menu to strengthen the players’ mental fortitude.

On the technical side, he was in charge of infield defense and pitching instruction. In his personal life, he was a doting father of three boys.” (An acquaintance of suspect Mizuno)

While his students are diligently practicing reaching Koshien, it is absolutely unacceptable that he repeatedly committed indecent acts with girls of the same generation. He can only be called unfit as an educator.