Softball

Benny Agbayani found his calling early and continues to have a Midas touch. The ‘Iolani softball coach guided the Raiders to their first state title in 19 seasons this spring. His oldest daughter, Aleia, had a monster season with a .636 batting average, 16 home runs and 56 RBIs while pitching and playing center field. Four Raiders landed on the All-State first team, including player of the year honors for Aleia. The depth and experience will carry over next season […]

‘Iolani pitcher Aleia Agbayani was chosen as Gatorade Hawaii Softball Player of the Year, the Gatorade Company announced Thursday. The award recognizes outstanding athletic excellence, high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character on and off the field. The 5-foot-5 senior pitcher, first baseman and outfielder led the Raiders to a 19-5 record and the Division I state championship. Agbayani batted .636 with 49 runs scored, 16 home runs and 57 RBI, posting a 1.455 slugging percentage, according to the […]

The numbers tell us something drastic has happened in the world of high school softball, and fans are applauding from end to end on the bleachers. Batting numbers are up. Way up. So are pitching statistics. The trend has been real in the past two years, perhaps three. Compare the last two state softball Division I tournaments. A month ago, teams combined for 13 home runs. On day one. That alone surpassed the long-ball total of 12 for the 2018 […]

Work is work, and play is play. Somewhere along the line, Aleia Agbayani knew they were one and the same in this game of softball. The senior was a major part of ‘Iolani’s state-championship run this spring. Then came the Star-Advertiser All-State selection as player of the year. A southpaw ace pitcher who bats right-handed — .636 batting average, 16 home runs and 56 RBIs — and also plays center field with nearly no peer. Agbayani has one more exam […]

2019 was the year of the splendid splinter. Or, maybe, the year of the supreme swinger. Up and down the lineups of the state’s better teams, sluggers reached new heights. More so, positions that provided mostly defense and solid singles-oriented offense bashed their way into the spotlight more than ever. Leading the way for the 2019 Star-Advertiser Softball All-State team is pitcher/center fielder Aleia Agbayani of ‘Iolani, the player of the year. The Cal-bound senior crushed what is believed to […]