Minnesota State senior baseball infielder Kosuke Hattori is in his fourth season with the Mavericks. The Kanagawa, Japan, native heads into the 2010 season ranking highly on several MSU career offensive lists including steals (third with 60), games played (ninth with 157), at bats (11th with 463), hits (tenth with 157), and runs (eighth with 119).

MSU head coach Matt Magers had this to say about his senior infielder:

“Kosuke began his Maverick baseball career as a walk-on from Kanagawa, Japan and will leave as one of the top players in the history of the program. [Kosuke] chose Minnesota State University, Mankato because of its strong international business program. At the end of his career he will rank in the top ten in several categories including: career at bats, hits, runs scored, triples, walks, and career steals. A very dedicated and passionate student-athlete, Ko excels at the fundamentals of the game. He has the distinctive ability to put pressure on opposing teams and makes everybody around him better.”

Ten Questions with Kosuke:

1. How did you end up at Minnesota State?

I was in English school in Japan called ESL. I was looking for a four-year collage which has a good baseball program and cheaper tuition, then my advisor recommended MSU.

2. What are your favorite things about baseball?

The moment that makes me excited such as close games or the big situations.

3. What are your plans after graduation?

I do not know yet. I hope to keep playing baseball.

4. What is the biggest thing you have accomplished at MSU?

I have passed all classes I need to graduate with accounting and finance.

5. When you’re not in the classroom or at practice, how do you spend your free time?

I work a lot on campus. If I have free time, I hang out with my friends.

6. What is your motto in life?

Concentration. Everything I do, I try to focus on that.

7. Tell me about your favorite moment competing in baseball?

Two conference championships in 2007 and 2009

8. Do you have any pre-game rituals or do anything superstitious before competition?

I try to do same things before the games. The way I run or play catch, whatever I do, I try to be the same.

9. What super-power would you most like to have, and why?

Transportation. Then, I can go back to home whenever I want.

10. If you were on an island, what would you want with you, and why?

An Ipad. Because I can hang out with it a lot and it is the one I really want now.