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T<\/span>his distance is familiar to a regular face in the Rivets\u2019 clubhouse, infielder Tate Shimao\u2014one of the few players who have been with the team since the start of the season. Shimao\u2019s story is one of the most unique in Rockford this summer.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Shimao hails from the Aloha State, a place where beaches and tropical paradise are very different from Rockford\u2019s midwestern cornfield life. Living in the Midwest has brought some strange occurrences for Shimao.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201c<\/span>The weirdest thing to me was when we were on a bus ride,\u201d Shimao said. \u201cIt was a five-hour drive, and I looked at my phone and it was six hours, and I didn\u2019t realize I went to a different state.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n This isn\u2019t the first time Shimao played baseball on the mainland. He committed to Cal Poly out of Rancho Cucamonga High School, where he spent two seasons playing for the Mustangs. While in San Luis Obispo, California, Shimao\u2019s 2023 season was solid, hitting .256 in 44 games while starting 42.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Following that season, he had the option to return home to play for the Rainbow Warriors. Something that made too much sense for the right-hander.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMy second year, I didn\u2019t play as much as I wanted to,\u201d Shimao said. \u201cSo I just wanted an opportunity to play, and what better than to play at home in front of my family and all the good fans of Hawaii. It was kind of a no-brainer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n While at home, it was Shimao\u2019s chance to shine in front of the people he holds dearest to his heart. Something all players fear struck him: a season-ending injury. Luckily for Rockford, this injury and lack of playing time led him to play for the Screws.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Being in Rockford has led Shimao to be a consistent part of the lineup day in and day out. So far this season, he is batting an outstanding .347, the best among Rivets\u2019 batters over 50 at-bats.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n To go along with his superb average, he is also top of the team with 34 hits, the most runs with 27 and leads the team in OPS with .958. As someone who isn\u2019t known for his power, he still has four doubles, one triple and two home runs on the season.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n His efforts have even gotten him in the Northwoods League All-Star game as the representative for the Rivets. <\/span>Shimao\u2019s Head Coach, Chase Brewster, sees him as an important cog at the top of the lineup that leads to success.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know if I\u2019m a good coach or a bad coach, but I know you need your best guys to get the most at-bats on the team,\u201d Brewster said. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to get him more at-bats. The more at-bats he gets, the more chance we have to win.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n On the defensive side of the ball, Shimao has been tested all over the field. He\u2019s played in the outfield, shortstop, third base, first base and his natural position of second base. He\u2019s played solid defense, scoring a .945 fielding percentage. He\u2019s also turned the most double plays in the middle infield. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Having consistency on the field is what his former University of Hawaii teammate, Kaysen Raineri, has appreciated when he is on the mound.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe works hard, I love having him on second,\u201d Raineri said. \u201cBeing able to throw with him there, you\u2019re going to get a lockdown second baseman.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n Tate Shimao lines up at third base, ready for the next pitch against the Kenosha Kingfish at Rivets Stadium on July 2, 2025<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n Coming to the Rivets offers the experience to meet other players from around the country sharing the same passion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n After getting the chance to reunite with his former Hawaii teammate, Raineri said they brought some fun to the clubhouse.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe play a lot of cards,\u201d Raineri said. \u201cThat\u2019s what we liked doing in Hawaii, and we brought it out here\u2026 Our relationship was good in Hawaii, and it\u2019s gotten even better here.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bringing the team closer together shows his leadership within the roster. As one of the more experienced players on the Rivets\u2019 roster, Shimao has taken on a role as one of the leaders of the team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n He\u2019s been remarked as a guy who comes early to the field and stays late to work on all aspects of his game\u2014something that Raineri admired about the Junior, but for Brewster, he believes Shimao has made his clubhouse a better place.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a do-as-I-do kind of guy, and I think a lot of our younger kids have really gravitated towards him,\u201d Brewster said. \u201cYou would have no idea he\u2019s sitting in the two-three hole for us and no idea he\u2019s had a career like he\u2019s had. He\u2019s just an awesome human being, and I know our program\u2019s thankful for him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n One of the main things that plagued Shimao\u2019s career leading up to this point has been injuries. He has to miss games this season to rest, and he remarked that sometimes he isn\u2019t playing at one hundred percent health.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n His ability to battle through his injuries continues to provide the Rivets a much-needed bat in the lineup and glove on the field. Shimao was frustrated with how his last season at Hawaii went. He wants to continue to succeed not only at Rockford but back home in Honolulu. He spoke on how he\u2019s using the Northwoods League to his advantage.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI think just getting better at every aspect of my game and preparing myself,\u201d Shimao said. \u201cI\u2019m facing a lot of good guys, and playing with a lot of good guys is going to make me better.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Rockford Rivets are in the thick of a second-half hunt to win the Great Lakes East Championship. Shimao is one of the core players fighting day in and day out to make it happen for the screws.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n As the season continues with 26 games remaining, he\u2019s continuing to show his teammates what it means to be a Rockford Rivet-something Brewster has loved in his first season of coaching.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe sets the bar for the hard workers,\u201d Brewster said. We\u2019ve asked him to do a lot of things. He\u2019s never said a word. I know he\u2019s not comfortable doing all these things, but he does them, and he\u2019s excited and he\u2019s happy, and he\u2019s truly a leader. He\u2019s everything you would want as a head coach.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Shimao\u2019s shown just how important he is to the team. This summer in Rockford has given him a chance to grow, leading into his next collegiate season. And as the second half winds down, having someone like Shimao on the team could be just what the Rivets need to finish strong.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n ###<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/assets.northwoodsleague.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2025\/07\/tateshimaoprofile2.png\"){kind=spacer}