FEATURE: Female umpires to break new ground at Japan's storied Koshien c'ship

For more than a century, only male umpires have officiated at Japan's prestigious Koshien high school baseball tournaments. That will change this summer when five women take the field at the national championship.Female umpires will make their debut at the national high school baseball championship in August, marking the first time in the history of Japan's spring and summer meets that women have officiated on Koshien Stadium's hallowed ground.The move comes as the Japan High School Baseball Federation seeks to broaden participation in the sport and address a growing shortage of umpires ami…READ FULL ARTICLE