Aiden Garvin of Cranberry Township getting his shirt autographed by team Japan during the Friendship Series at Graham Park in Cranberry Township.

CRANBERRY TWP — A group of 35 Japanese baseball players wrapped up their PONY International series of games with a doubleheader Sunday in Graham Park.

The PONY, which stands Protect Our Nation’s Youth, Baseball Association has three age brackets. The players in the Friendship Series are in the Pony division, between the ages of 14 and 15.

The Japanese competitors started their tour in Los Angeles, before playing games in Ohio and Pennsylvania. The team played two games against Bradmar-Pine, before playing four games in Mars and making their final stop at Graham Park.

“Their skills were good, but what I’ll always remember is the way these guys warm up,” said Cranberry Township’s coach Matt Baic.

Before touching a baseball, all 35 Japanese players jogged the length of the outfield a few times while shouting a cadence and with their legs pumping in unison, almost like a fast-paced marching.

The Japanese players also showed a great deal of sportsmanship, according to Matt Baic.

“They would say hello and bow,” he said. “I didn’t detect any ego or anything.”

A full report will appear in the Butler Eagle.