When Hilo senior Nick Antony steps on a scale, the reward of hard work stares back at him with three numbers: 239.
That’s the weight of the transformed 6-foot-2 first baseman, who is ripped with muscle after an offseason of weight lifting and conditioning.
As a freshman, Antony was 295 pounds. After his junior season, he weighed 270 pounds. That was the old Nick.
“After my junior season, I decided to make a change. I felt to compete at the next level, I needed to look and feel like a college-level athlete,” he said. “Now, I feel great. My energy level is there. My strength is there. I feel like I can do everything way better than before.”
It’s perfect timing for the new Nick and the Vikings, who enter the BIIF season with history on their side.
Since 2012 when Waiakea captured the BIIF Division I title, the two crosstown rivals have alternated winning the league.
According to tradition, it’s Hilo’s turn to take the title from the defending BIIF champion Warriors, who look pretty loaded, too.
“It’s funny that it goes back and forth every year,” Antony said.
Hilo senior catcher Chase Costa-Ishii has his own story of determination. He was on the varsity as a freshman but sat behind Josh Breitbarth, who’s playing ball at Iowa Central Community College.
“He’s a good friend, and I learned a lot from Josh, like how a catcher needs to be in charge,” said Costa-Ishii, who’ll see his old pal soon. “A catcher needs to be the leader of the infield and if an infielder has a bad play you need to pick him up.”
Antony and Costa-Ishii signed scholarships with Mount Mercy University, an NAIA school in Iowa, about two hours away from Iowa Central CC.
The only bummer is that the Mount Mercy Mustangs and Iowa Central Tritons don’t schedule each other because they’re on different levels.
The two Vikings are part of Kaha Wong’s Big Island Wood Bat Academy (formerly Big Island Baseball), and 2009 Hawaii Prep graduate and Mustangs assistant coach Devin Fujioka scouted them at a showcase.
“We’ll hook up and hang out,” Antony said of meeting with Breitbarth. “It’ll be the Big Island boys together, again.”
But first, the Vikings have a BIIF crown to chase in what’s no doubt the greatest crosstown or two-school rivalry in the state.
From 1973 to last season, either Hilo or Waiakea has pocketed the BIIF championship every year, except 2006 when Kamehameha won it.
The Vikings will be bolstered with the healthy return of senior right-hander Joey Jarneski, who’s back to throwing 92-mph sinkers. He’s set to play ball at Connors State College in Oklahoma.
Donald Salitban Jr., Noah Kalaoa, Briden Silva, Puukani De Sa, and Toa Barclay are options as starters or relievers with Ryan Ragual as the closer.
Besides Antony and Jarneski, who’s also a shortstop, the only returning starters are sophomore second baseman Stone Miyao and junior center fielder Micah Bello.
Maui Ahuna will see time at second base when Miyao shifts to shortstop and Jarneski is on the mound. De Sa will be at third. Kalaoa and Logan Respecio will patrol the outfield.
Pop time
There are always tools that immediately catch the eye of college coaches, and Costa-Ishii’s main asset is his strong right arm.
On steal or pickoff attempts, a catcher’s pop time is the moment the pitch hits the mitt to the moment the fielder receives a throw.
The MLB pop time average is 1.90 to 1.95 seconds, and most college catchers are in the 2.0 to 2.1 seconds range.
Costa-Ishii’s average is 2.0 seconds with a timed-best of 1.96 seconds. His favorite MLB player is Cleveland catcher Yan Gomes, whose best pop time is 1.68 seconds.
“I think I can get quicker with my footwork and if I keep long tossing,” said Costa-Ishii, who has a 3.1 grade-point average and plans to major in physical therapy with an eye on working for an MLB club or college.
“I’m happy that I got a scholarship with a four-year school. I don’t have to panic after two years trying to find another school. And with Nick, it’s good to have somebody you know from home, and with Josh two hours away it’s going to be fun.”
Costa-Ishii gave a shout-out to his parents, Mark Ishii and Paul Costa, for steering him in the right direction. He also credited Wong, too.
“Coach Kaha helped me out a lot. He taught me how to hit and talk to coaches and be a good person on and off the field,” Costa-Ishii said.
Dream big
Antony has a 3.7 GPA and plans to major in psychology with an aspiration of becoming a sports psychologist, a growing job trend for professional sports.
“I’ve always liked knowing how people’s minds work, how they think and feel,” he said. “You can connect with people on a different level.”
Iowa is famous for corn. Antony might have to ask his parents Kevin and Laurie to send cans of Spam so he can make Spam musubi. Maybe they need to send rice, too.
“I never thought about going to Iowa for college, but I realized it’s a four-year university, and the academics are good,” Antony said. “It’s a good opportunity to grow as a baseball player and a person.
“Chase is somebody I really admire. Things didn’t happen for him overnight. He had to work hard to get where he is. We’re alike in a way.”
