Class of 2025

Michelle Arimura (14) attends Washington Middle School in Seattle, where she resides with her parents and siblings. For most of Michell's young life, she has been surrounded by baseball and softball, where she started her playing journey with Seattle Central Little League. Michelle, a first-generation American, was raised speaking Spanish as her first language. When she started elementary school, Michelle struggled with reading. She took ESL classes and tutoring to overcome her learning barriers and slowly gained more confidence over time. With the same determination and self-assurance that she brings to the plate, Michelle was able to overcome her learning disability and thrive in the classroom. During this time, she started playing softball as an outlet for her frustration. "Softball changed my life," says Arimura. "I actually thought I suck at everything because of my learning barrier, but softball turned that around." Michelle plays for Flame Fastpitch, where she is a leader on and off the field. She is a multi-sport athlete and utility player who brings enthusiasm and a competitive nature to all of her positions; catcher, shortstop, and third base. At any position, her favorite part of playing the game is obviously, hitting dingers. When asked what changes she would like to see in her sport, Michelle stated "the softball world is expensive and very disproportionate for families that are low income. I want everyone to have the same opportunities in education as well as sport." When she isn't on the softball diamond, Michelle likes to hang out with her friends and has greatly missed their company during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a freshman next year, she will attend Garfield High School. Michelle's mentors are Elizabeth McCloskey (Sales) and Monica Marmolejo (Finance).

Joy Wilde (12) is from Tacoma Washington, where she resides with her two mothers, Glory and Amanda, and her little brother, Ocean. As a 4.0 student, Joy is a standout in the classroom, where she takes sophomore-level algebra at Washington Connections Academy. Joy has endless curiosity and a natural talent for nearly everything she puts her mind to. Her hobbies include writing, painting, making jewelry, baking, and most recently, knitting with her mentor Emily. Softball serves as a source of catharsis for Joy. At a young age, Joy suffered a traumatic experience which resulted in PTSD. Two years after the incident, Joy took up softball. Three years later, Joy is a standout with Seattle Softball Club and hopes to join the University of Washington Softball roster after graduating high school. When asked why she chooses to play softball, Joy said "When I play softball all the pain and anger just go away and it's just me, the ball, and my team. The thrill of playing the game is not one you can ever feel in any other sport." As if she wasn't impressive enough Joy is also a budding author who is in the process of publishing an anthology of "stories for change." Her goal is to uplift the voices of women in sports, specifically BIPOC athletes who have experienced racism and significant adversity in their playing careers. "Right now, I am working to collect stories from people of color about a racist comment or experience that they have been through in sports and how they handled it or wish it would have been handled," says Joy. "I believe that if we tell these stories we can create teams where all people feel safe enough to perform at their very best. These stories will help create anti-racist teams because they not only share the experiences and thoughts of people of color but they will also help white allies speak up. I believe that creating this book will take down a piece of the barrier that is shielding racism on sports teams. Joy's mentors are Emily Curtis (Baseball Operations) and Francesca Taporco (Merchandise).

King Allah (13) resides in Federal Way where he attends South Shore Middle school and lives with his mother and older brother. The youngest of four, King identifies as the "comedian of the group." He loves to crack jokes with his mentors and has a smile that could light up the whole ballpark. From a young age, King played many sports but took a liking to baseball during his time with Central District Little League. Even though his playing journey had plenty of adversity, Kind attributes his success to "working twice as hard and twice as long." Like many of his HT9 counterparts, King loves the fanfare of the game. "When you catch a ball, everyone's clappin' for you, you know? That's the joy about it. Everyone claps for you even though you do like the smallest thing. 'When describing the Hometown Nine, King stated "There's not a word that can describe how much help you guys are gonna give. That's what I like about it. You're helping support somebody that needs help. That's what the Hometown Nine does for people." His goal is to attend a four-year college and earn a business degree so he can "create a non-profit for underprivileged children with a focus on academics," and "mentorships for youth at risk and in sports." "I know how hard it was for my mom trying to maintain everything for four kids as a single parent. Things weren't always easy on my mom but she manages to keep me involved." King's mentors, Mike Mendolia (Sales) and Melissa Leung (Ballpark Operations) would describe him as kind, funny, and gregarious. Next fall, King will start his freshman year at O'Dea High School.

Darnell Carlisle (14) lives in Seattle Washington where he attends Asa Mercer Middle School and lives with his siblings and his parents. A third-generation baseball player, Carlisle takes after his grandfather who played with Rainier District Little League and dreamed of having his grandchild in the Big Leagues. Darnell takes after Mariners players, and HT9 Mentors, Justin Dunn and Justus Sheffield, and plays pitcher for his Baseball Beyond Borders Team. Darnell is a young man of few words, but those he does utter, are undoubtedly profound. When asked why he loves baseball, Darnel summed up his experience by stating "I like playin' pitcher cause I like throwing hard." A young ace in the making. When asked what his goals are for the future, Darnell stated "I would love to see more people of color have the opportunity to play baseball at the highest level. Often it seems as if only one specific group is given the opportunity to play baseball. It's expensive to play in tournaments. I just want to live in a world that is equal and fair for everybody. We should all just love each other more." Darnell's favorite subjects in school are computer science and math, making him the perfect fit for his mentors Skylar Shibayama (Baseball Operations) and Mason Shigenaka (Sales) both who work with data analysis in their roles with the Mariners.

Tycean Martin (14) resides in West Seattle where he attends Glacier Middle school and lives with his parents and siblings. Like many young men his age, Tycean loves baseball, shoes, and watching the Seattle Mariners. What sets him apart from his peers, aside from his resolve and radiant smile, is that he was born with hypoplastic-left heart syndrome, a rare congenital defect in which the left side of the heart is severely underdeveloped. Tycean has undergone 22 procedures, and 4 open heart surgeries. His doctors at Seattle Children's Hospital have described his journey as nothing short of a miracle. Despite significant physical challenges that include the sensation of "running at high altitude after just getting off an airplane," Tycean has continued to overcome adversity and loves nothing more than lacing up his cleats and crossing the white lines to take the field. Tycean found out that he had been selected to be in the Hometown Nine with a call from his favorite player, Kyle Lewis, who was impressed with Tycean's strength pushing through adversity. "His story is different than mine, but it's cool to be inspirational to anybody that I can," Lewis said. "He's had a lot to deal with. To show that resilience, I look up to him the same way he looks up to me." Lewis and Martin formed a bond over shared struggles and a love of Jordans. In the offseason, Lewis sent Tycean a pair of Jordan cleats to design for the AL Rookie of the Year to wear on the field. The two were finally able to meet in person when Kyle unboxed the hand-painted cleats for the first time this April. The shoes' hand painted message? "Overcome Adversity." Next year, Tycean will attend Evergreen High School as a freshman. His mentors are McKenzie Mitchell (Community Relations) and Mandy Lincoln (Marketing).

Kahealani Sharpe (14) lives in Federal Way where she attends Illahee Middle School and lives with her parents. She is the youngest of four children. Kahealani is a proud Hawaiian and is passionate about advocating to end bullying. "My cousins used to get bullied a lot," says Sharpe. "Whenever I see a bully, I just try to talk to them and see what's really going on." Kahealani takes after her mother, Shalana, who works for Catholic Community Services and loves working with families to find solutions for more equitable housing options. Kahealani takes after player mentor JP Crawford as a standout shortstop who plays for the Washington Ladyhawks. Her playing journey has been met with adversity, and when asked about these challenges Kahealani said "I had to become more resilient as I learned that different perceptions and points of view will always be there. Through a willingness to step up and have tough conversations, having compassion, and both sides showing they are willing to listen, we can always find common ground and help each other see solutions." Her dream is to play for a D1 university and continue her softball journey for as long as she can. Coaches have described her as the ideal teammate: kind, empathetic, and tenacious. Her smile lights up any room she is in. Her laugh? Even more infectious. When asked how she can make a positive impact on the future, Kahealani stated "Softball gives me the opportunity to push myself beyond my comfort zone, achieve new skills, grow my confidence, and represent myself, my family, and my community. I plan to lean on my experiences to help shape and improve the lives of a few people in my community by actively seeking ways to share compassion, strength, and confidence. My hope is that the impact of those actions have a ripple effect that can continue to improve lives beyond what I can see." Kahealani's mentors are Camden Finney (Marketing) and Mary Beeman (Merchandise).

Ty'Mori Greene (15) is originally from Fort Pierce Florida, moved to Seattle prior to joining the Hometown Nine, and recently relocated to Lewisville, Texas. Ty'Mori is no stranger to hardships, facing many at a young age. "Making it out of Fort Pierce, my city, there's a lot of gun violence, fighting, and hating." "Baseball is my favorite sport, that's what I grew up on." Ty'Mori has played baseball his entire life but struggled to find a team he consistently played with due to frequent moving. While in Fort Pierce, Ty'Mori experienced homelessness, and months where the utility bills could not be paid. When asked about barriers he had faced, Ty'Mori stated, "Living with my mom, not being able to have a stable place to sleep, having running water, and having to worry about moving to different places staying with family, it pushed me to become better and never let anything stop me." After moving to Washington, Ty'Mori started training multiple times a week at Driveline Youth Academy, where he honed his skills and posted impressive numbers for exit velocity. After joining the Hometown Nine, Ty'Mori and his family relocated to Lewisville, TX. His mentors are Ingrid Russell-Narcisse (Corporate Partnerships) and Joel Firman (Baseball Operations).

Gabe Lopez (14) is from Mercer Island Washington where resides with his parents and attends Islander Middle School. Gabe loves to play video games, watch MLB and NBA games, play basketball and baseball, and debate sports with his mentors, Albert Jaimes (Corporate Partnerships) and Austin Yamada (Baseball Operations). Gabe has been playing baseball since he was a young child; taking after his father and older brother who plays collegiate baseball. "I like playing baseball because your friends are cheering for you, your family's cheering for you. You get a base hit, and that feels really nice," says Lopez. Gabe plays for Baseball Beyond Borders and trains at Driveline Youth Academy. Lopez exudes the kind of cool confidence you see from veteran players in the Big Leagues, unique to a 14-year old. When asked how he hopes to make an impact on the world someday, Lopez responded "I hope that my generation eliminates discrimination. My future goal is to be a great athlete and person to society and have a good impact on people's lives." Next year, Lopez will attend Mercer Island High School as a freshman.

Noah Broussard (14) lives in Renton where he attends Northwood Elementary with his younger brother, Jalen, and his parents, Mariana and Errol. Noah is wise beyond his years and dreams of being an engineer and MLB player. He describes himself as someone who can "get along with anyone," and can "make friends easily." His mentors would describe him as calm, confident, and an old soul. Broussard has been a baseball fan since he was little, saying "I just fell in love with the game. That's why I like playing it and why I'm here now." A California-native, Noah's family lived in San Francisco prior to moving up to Seattle a few years ago. He was an avid Giants fan until the past six months, when the Mariners slowly but steadily surpassed San Francisco as Noah's favorite team for life. When he attended his first Mariners game this April, in the Mariners Opening Night against the Giants, Noah proudly wore his customized Mariners jersey next to his father, in all Giants gear. When asked about the most challenging barrier he has faced, Noah wrote "my biggest challenge was learning how my life, and many others like mine, will be more challenging in part because of income inequalities. I grew up in the Bay Area, and I started playing baseball when I was four. As I got older it became clear I had fewer resources than the other kids around me." Noah plays baseball with Baseball Beyond Borders which he describes as "the first ethical diverse team I've ever played on." Noah's goal is to "be an inspiration to kids of color, to serve as a role model, and continue to break down barriers by promoting diversity in engineering." Noah "looks forward to continuing to use baseball and education as a vehicle to continue to grow and make my goals a reality." His mentors are Juan Rodriguez (Ballpark Operations) and David Hesslink (Baseball Operations).