Monmouth Rockets softball team have said a sad farewell to Year 10 pupil Hiro Mitomo (pictured centre rear) who has returned home to Japan after spending a year at Monmouth School. Hiro joined in the Rockets' off-season training sessions last autumn and quickly established himself as a key player and an inspirational example to the other members of the team. When the season started in April, Hiro took on the key position of short-stop and very soon his bullet throws and athletic diving catches were making the difference between defeat and victory. The Rockets currently lie in second place in the Bristol 2nd division with 11 victories and only three losses, an achievement made all the more remarkable by the fact that the Rockets are a school team in an adult league and were only promoted last year. If they can win their last four games they will hold onto the second place spot and gain promotion to the first division; a prospect both daunting and exciting. Meanwhile, Hiro returns to Japan to resume his baseball career with a souvenir Rockets cap and the best wishes of the team. He will be sorely missed as a player and a friend.