Sunday.
Wearing a team uniform, she had been throwing balls and assisting the team with batting practice — all part of her normal job — when she was ordered off the field by tournament officials earlier this week.
The school team’s manager subsequently issued an apology, but the Japan High School Baseball Federation, which organises the tournament and sets the rules, defended its position, saying the ban was purely for safety reasons.
“We have a rule that only boys play in games, which means those players are aware of the risk of injuries,” federation director Masahiko Takenaka told AFP on Friday.
“When girls are not supposed to play among males, we cannot possibly allow a situation where they get hurt,” he added.