Waiakea senior pitcher Kodi Medeiros was a rare baseball diamond and the last essential link to the school’s first state championship in 2012.
Waiakea senior pitcher Kodi Medeiros was a rare baseball diamond and the last essential link to the school’s first state championship in 2012.
The 6-foot-1 left-hander separated himself from all others at the Hawaii High School Athletic Association and Big Island Interscholastic Federation levels with his production and potential.
For the season, Medeiros finished with a 7-1 record and a 0.97 ERA. In 43 1/3 innings, including states, he surrendered only 14 hits and 17 walks and struck out 83 for the BIIF champion Warriors.
Medeiros was named the BIIF Division I Player of the Year, by the league’s coaches.
“I feel grateful and it’s an accomplishment to be selected as the player of the year,” Medeiros said. “All the hard work paid off this year, and I was able to do well.
“What I enjoyed best was our team. We had a lot of fight in us, and we never gave up at all. The whole team had great chemistry, and the main thing I noticed is we stuck together as a team.”
Joining Medeiros on the first team are three teammates in sophomore third baseman Taylor Mondina (.308 batting average, 10 RBIs, .805 on-base plus slugging average), senior catcher Tyler Aburamen (.268, 2 RBIs, .595), and senior outfielder Matt Camacho (.432, 7 RBIs, 1.025).
Medeiros (.486, 13 RBIs) could have given himself competition as a hitter. He was on base often with a .543 clip, and slugged extra-base hits with a .784 average for a 1.327 OPS.
BIIF runner-up Hilo landed six players on the first team. The four seniors — first baseman Jalen Carvalho, shortstop Micah Kaaukai, and outfielders Jodd Carter and Isaiah Banasan — signed collegiate scholarships.
Carvalho (.514, 14 RBIs, 1.355 OPS), Kaaukai (.382, 6 RBIs, .923), Carter (.484, 19 RBIs, 1.472) and Banasan (.250, 7 RBIs, .761) are joined by sophomore catcher Josh Breitbarth (.143, 3 RBIs, .524) and junior outfielder Noah Serrao (.448, 14 RBIs, 1.190).
Keaau sophomore utility Keian Kanetani (.355, .783 OPS and 2-4, 0.95 ERA in 32 innings) rounds out the first team.
MLB quality
Medeiros’ two best weapons — a 96-mph fastball and slider — have graded out as above-average MLB-quality pitches by scouts. His work ethic is seen in his frame, from 180 pounds as a junior to 195 pounds of muscle as a senior. His commitment is a daily routine of self-improvement.
“My fastball comes from just the torque and mechanics, core and legs, and my dip-and-drive delivery,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of whip with my arm and that creates a lot of torque.
“It feels good to have that commitment and keep doing what I’m doing consistently and it pays off. Depending on what day it is I’ll either lift weights, do core work, or running. At nighttime, I’ll do all the small weight exercises for my shoulder, elbow and forearm.”
Medeiros, recently named the Gatorade Hawaii Player of the Year, plans to attend the first day of the MLB draft. The MLB Network, Channel 208 on Oceanic Time Warner Cable, will televise the first round. MLB.com will hold live coverage all three days.
As signing leverage, Medeiros has a full-ride scholarship to Pepperdine. He has a 3.6 grade point average and plans to major in kinesiology.