Ed Odeven
STAFF WRITER
The Akita Northern Happinets' second season begins Oct. 15 against the visiting Oita HeatDevils. New coach Kazuo Nakamura has talked about veteran leadership, including Kazuhiro Shoji and Makoto Hasegawa, laying the foundation for success this season.
Hasegawa, an Akita native who played for the Niigata Albirex BB for several seasons before joining the Happinets for their inaugural campaign in 2010-11, said the team is in the midst of a transition coming off an 18-32 season.