When the power went out on the UH campus during Thursday’s Divsion II semifinal between Waianae and Kamehameha-Hawaii, the only real inconvenience was keeping track of how many runs the Warriors were piling on the wounded Seariders.
But fans who had taken in the show the previous two days probably didn’t mind. The Division II schools showed off some offense that was lacking in the first two days on the UH Manoa campus.
Both Division II finalists, Kamehameha-Hawaii and Maryknoll, scored more than 10 runs in semifinal victories on Thursday in the only two Division II winner’s bracket games played at Les Murakami Stadium.
That hasn’t been the case in Division I where Saint Louis is the only team in 10 winner’s bracket games to score double digits in runs when they put up 13 in a shutout of Roosevelt on Tuesday.
Pitching has dominated the Division I tournament with four of the six winning teams in the quarterfinals and semifinals scoring four runs or less. Four of the six losing teams in those games were shut out and only Mid-Pacific, which lost 5-4 to Mililani on Wednesday, scored more than one run in a loss.
There have been 22 extra-base hits in 10 Division I games at the Les with 17 doubles and five triples. Nobody has come close to clearing the fence for a home run, meaning Keahi Rawlins’ record as the only player to hit a home run over the fence at Les Murakami Stadium in a state final seems pretty safe. The UH baseball team did have a couple of pitchers clear the fence with aluminum bats when it kicked the kids out to have practice on Tuesday, but prep fans are still waiting for a home run.
It’s safe to say we’re a long way away from the days when Farrington’s John Matias hit four home runs in a semifinal game in 1962.
KS-Hawaii and Maryknoll meet tonight in a rematch of the 2013 state final in Division II while Saint Louis goes for its first state championship since 1974 when it meets Mililani in the Division I final.
Here are lists of the only players to hit home runs or throw complete game shutouts in the state final.
Home runs:
Kainoa Crowell, 2010 Punahou, Iron Maehara Stadium
Johnny Dudoit, 2000 Molokai, Iron Maehara Stadium
Keahi Rawlins, 1999 Molokai, Rainbow Stadium
Kelii Alcon, 1999 Molokai, inside the park, Rainbow Stadium
Franz Yeun, 1989 Punahou, 2 homers one of them inside the park, at Aloha Stadium
Byron Rillon, 1985 Hilo, 340 feet, Aloha Stadium
Derrick Oyama, 1983 Iolani, inside the park, Aloha Stadium
Tim Coleman, 1983 Castle, Aloha Stadium
Chad Saki, 1982 Maui, Aloha Stadium
Alvin Asuncion, 1976 McKinley, inside the park, Aloha Stadium
Tom Williams, 1968 Punahou, 370 feet, Honolulu Stadium
Keith Kasparovitch, 1968 Punahou, 350 feet, Honolulu Stadium
Mike Yanagida, 1960 Saint Louis , 335 feet to right-center, Honolulu Stadium
Shutouts
2013 Maryknoll Chase Uyema, 5 inn., 4 hits, 3 Ks, 1 BB.
2008 Kauai David Jordan Buster, 7 inn., 3 hits, 8 Ks.
2008 Punahou Reece Kiriu, 7 inn, 3 hits, 8 ks
2004 Punahou, Jared Pate, 7 inn., 3 hits, 6 ks, 1 bb.
1975 Iolani: Nolan Arakawa, 9 inn, 4 hits, 9 ks, 11 bbs.
1972 Punahou: Glenn Goya, 9 inn., 0 hits, 0 bbs, 8 Ks PERFECT GAME!
1969 Kailua : Charlie Sedillo, 9 ip, 4 hits, 5 ks, 3 bbs
1964 Punahou: Greg Taylor, 9 ip, 3 hits, 0 bbs, 6 ks.
1963 Farrington: Gordon Shimizu , 9 ip, 3 hits, 2 bbs, 6 Ks, 4 hbp
1961 Punahou: Norbie Mendes, 9 inn., 4 hits, 1 bb, 5 ks.
Blame the BB core bats. Home runs are down on the college level too.
How about not having a Division I baseball team that plays for UH missing from Les’s field?????
2 words will solve that problem. WEIGHT ROOM.
Ever since the departure of Coach Mel Delaura, every single athletic program (with the exception of WVB of course) has taken a turn for the worse. Kolten Wong was the last pure power hitter to come through lower campus. No one tinkered with his swing and his work ethic took care of the rest. No more bigger, stronger, faster athlete (how Ikaika Alama-Francis, Tony Akpan, Kealoha Pilares (Chad Ikei)) transformations. Time to look elsewhere and use someone that gets results. Stronger athletes = Stronger minds = Stronger teams = Positive results.