For the Toyama Grouses, the next 10 games could define their season.
Currently, they are the Eastern Conference's fourth-place team. But with a 13-19 record, they are closer to last place than first place.
The Grouses, guided by first-year coach Charles Johnson, begin a challenging stretch of games this weekend. All of Toyama's next five opponents have a .500 record or better entering the season's sixth month.