Pitching galore at Waiakea

BY JOE FERRARO

WEST HAWAII TODAY

jferraro@westhawaiitoday.com

Waiakea first-year manager Kevin Yee isn’t getting too far ahead of himself when he talks about competing for a Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division I state baseball title.

After all, the defending Big Island Interscholastic Federation champion Warriors must first worry about playing well against two traditionally strong baseball programs in Hilo and Kamehameha-Hawaii during the regular season.

Also, Waiakea has aspirations of repeating its BIIF title.

But Yee, armed with two quality left-handers in University of Hawaii-bound Quintin Torres-Costa and Kodi Medeiros and another Hawaii commit in junior infielder Kean Wong, knows his team has a legitimate chance to win a state crown if it puts itself in a position to do so.

“We definitely have the ingredients that a state contender is made of,’’ Yee said. “As a coaching staff, We just have to see where everybody fits.”

If anyone has a chance of toppling the Warriors in BIIF Division I play, it’s Hilo, which like Waiakea, has a host of players accustomed to playing under the spotlight.

Below is a team-by-team BIIF Division I baseball preview, with teams listed in alphabetical order:

HILO

c Manager: Tony DeSa (second season)

c 2011 BIIF record: 10-5 (lost to Waiakea 4-3 in BIIF final, 1-2 in HHSAA state tournament)

c Players to watch: Koa Matson (C, Sr), Chayce Kaaua (SS, Jr.), Kian Kurokawa (P, Jr.), Jodd Carter (OF, So.), Micah Kaaukai (2B, So.)

c Between the lines: The Vikings graduated a group of players that formed the nucleus of a team that went 22-7 in the past two years, including two-time BIIF East Hawaii Player of the Year Ridge Hoopii-Haslam and a reliable ace in Dustin Tagawa.

But when DeSa talked about his team, it seems as if the Vikings won’t have too many problems scoring runs or trotting out quality pitching to the mound.

DeSa has been pleased with the productivity at the top of the lineup, with Carter giving the team speed out of the leadoff spot and No. 2 hitter Kaaukai leading the team in hitting during nonconference play.

DeSa called Kaaua a “streaky” hitter.

“Hopefully, we can ride his bat if he gets hot,’’ DeSa said.

Matson and Kaaua, who played for a Hilo all-star team that won the Senior League World Series in August, give the team some power, but DeSa wouldn’t call the Vikings a “home-run hitting team.’’

“We have to play our game, move runners — that sort of thing,’’ DeSa said.

DeSa said Kurokawa, the team’s No. 2 starter last year, has gained some velocity and gotten stronger since last year.

“He doesn’t walk too many batters, doesn’t hurt himself,’’ DeSa said.

Senior Randall Iha, and sophomores Jordan Tagawa and Conrad Coffman will log innings as relievers.

KEAAU

c Manager: Herb Yasuhara (11th season)

c 2011 BIIF record: 4-7 (lost to Waiakea 10-0 in BIIF semifinals)

c Players to watch: Cody Silva (3B/2B, Jr.), Jonathan Segovia (C/SS, Jr.), Konnor Kanetani (1B, Sr.), Rylan Martines (P, Jr.), Maleko Remlinger (P, Jr.)

c Between the lines: The Cougars come off their third consecutive losing season.

Yasuhara said his players mentioned the state tournament when talking about team goals, but the Keaau manager wants them to focus on smaller goals first.

“The most important thing is having a winning season,’’ Yasuhara said.

But the Cougars must put together a brand-new rotation, and Yasuhara must carefully gauge his players’ stamina, saying he doesn’t know how long each pitcher can last.

Kanetani, Silva, Martines and Remlinger will all have opportunities to pitch.

Yasuhara called Silva, who will hit in the middle of the order, a good curveball hitter, while Segovia has given the team much-needed leadership at catcher.

Yashumara said the Cougars are coming along defensively, and he can see improved team chemistry.

“The main thing is they trust each other, and they kind of bonded,’’ Yasuhara said.

KEALAKEHE

c Manager: Louis Garcia (fourth season)

c 2011 BIIF record: 1-8 (lost 15-7 to Hilo in BIIF semifinals)

c Players to watch: Teao Buehler (3B/P, Jr.), Bricen Ferreira (P/1B, Jr.), John Kamoku (P/CF/1B, Jr.), Austin Galigo (2B, Sr.), John Alokoa (SS/P, Jr.)

c Between the lines: With most of last season’s team returning and a total of 21 players at his disposal, Garcia believes he has more depth at each position than he’s ever had.

The Waveriders return their No. 1 starter in Buehler, a durable pitcher who features a fastball, change-up, curveball and slider.

Behind Buehler, a host of players will have opportunities to pitch, including No. 2 starter Ferreira, Kamoku, Alokoa and junior Keith Pabre.

Behind the pitching staff, Garcia said, Kealakehe’s defense played well over three games in a Keaau preseason tournament at Konawaena last weekend, showing improvement from last season.

Garcia likes the double-play combination of Alokoa at shortstop and Galigo at second base, and he said senior Richard Pabre has made strides as a defensive catcher.

“The errors have gone down so much in the three games we played,’’ Garcia said. “I’m much more confident now when I see a ground ball.”

Garcia said the Waveriders don’t have an assortment of powerful sluggers, but a group of players that includes Galigo, Buehler, Ferreira and Alokoa have sprayed the ball around the field.

“Nobody tore it up, but nobody really stank up the field,’’ Garcia said of his team’s performance at the plate

WAIAKEA

c Manager: Kevin Yee (first season)

c 2011 BIIF record: 10-1-3 (beat Hilo 4-3 in BIIF final, 0-2 at HHSAA state tournament)

c Players to watch: Quintin Torres-Costa (P, Sr.), Kean Wong (C/SS/3B, Jr.), Korin Medeiros (3B, Sr.), Kodi Medeiros (CF/1B/P, So.), Davy Camacho (SS, Sr.)

c Between the lines: Yee said Torres-Costa and Kodi Medeiros may be among the top 15 pitchers in the state.

Torres-Costa was the ace Hilo’s Senior League all-star team. He throws a mid-80s fastball that can run in on the hands of opposing batters and quality off-speed pitchers. But Torres-Costa’s composure impresses Yee the most.

“He’s been faced with a few situations where things haven’t gone his way, and you couldn’t tell if we were winning or losing,’’ Yee said.

Torres-Costa will also bat leadoff for the Warriors, and a few of his teammates — Wong, Korin Medeiros, Kodi Medeiros and Camacho — also played on Hilo’s Senior League team.

The versatile and speedy Wong can play several different positions, and he can hit for average and power. Yee raves about his instincts on the basepaths, where the No. 2 hitter always looks for opportunities to take the extra base.

Korin Medeiros proves power out of the No. 3 spot, and brother Kodi is right behind him in the cleanup spot.

While Kodi Medeiros and Torres-Costa will log their fair share of innings on the mound, Yee said the team has 12 players — five right-handers and seven left-handers — who can pitch.

The hurlers will play behind a stout defense that includes Camacho at short and senior Kylen Uyeda, who can play four different positions on the infield.

When Yee took over the team, he didn’t “want to change the entire world.” But he has introduced yoga to the team, and he has also emphasized strong character.

“What we can do is to build team camaraderie and teach them more about life through baseball,’’ Yee said.