The Maryknoll baseball program has been on the up and up for quite some time, and it just received another boost.
Spartans athletic director Ben Valle confirmed Friday that Eric Kadooka has accepted an offer to be the head coach. The final appointment won’t be made until it is accepted by the Hawaii Diocese of the Catholic Church.
Kadooka won seven straight state championships as the Punahou head coach from 2004 to 2010.
“Randy (Yamashiro) stepped down after the (spring) season for personal reasons,” Valle said. “So we started a search and got quite a few good applicants. We feel Eric is a good fit for where our program is going. He really impressed me about how much he cares about the kids he coaches and develops relationships. And he definitely has a track record.
“Who better than Eric to take over our program where we’re at now? The players are excited.”
Kadooka, who could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon, has already met with the players and parents.
Maryknoll went 2-14 under Yamashiro in its first season in Division I. The Spartans moved up to the higher class after winning three straight Division II state championships under Yamashiro from 2013 to ’15.
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