‘Second Season’ Begins This Week In West Oahu Baseball
For Aiea, Campbell, Pearl City and Waipahu, the second season will begin this week with the OIA Red conference tournament. Also at stake are berths for the Division I state baseball tournament, as the top six OIA finishers will punch their tickets. Here is a look at West’s four teams.
Aiea High School
Regular season record: 5-7 overall (2-4 on the road, 3-3 at home)
Signature wins: Over Waipahu (11-1) March 13; over Leilehua (11-6) on the road March 29
Players to watch: Patrick Villanueva, Daylan Pajimola, Jared Uyeda
What to watch: Na Ali’i could be one of the more dangerous first-round opponents in the OIA tournament. The regular season was one of ups and downs and mini streaks. Big offensive days are a good omen for Aiea.
Campbell High School
Regular season record: 8-4 overall (4-2 at home, 4-2 on the road)
Signature wins: Over Pearl City (3-2) March 16; over Waipahu (2-1) March 30; over Pearl City (5-0) on the road April 10
Players to watch: Jasten Smeigh, Rayven Kahana, Dylan Ramie, Ian Kahaloa
What to watch: Since opening day, no team in the OIA has been more dominant or consistent than the Sabers (11-1), who finished three full games ahead of both Pearl City and Waipahu to run away with the Red West crown. Campbell’s forte has been its pitching and defense. Its nearest competitor in the runs-scored-against statistic is Pearl City with 39.
Pearl City High School
Regular season record: 8-4 (4-2 at home, 4-2 on the road)
Signature wins: Over Waipahu (9-3) April 3; over Mililani (9-6) on the road April 6; over Aiea (5-0) on the road April 13
Players to watch: Sean Milan, Kamalu Neal, Tanner Tokunaga, Kyle Tom
What to watch: With seven wins in their last eight games, the Chargers enter the post-season playing as well as anyone. The feat is made more impressive in that this is a young team overall. The Chargers are hoping to continue upward mobility offensively in the playoffs.
Waipahu High School
Regular season record: 8-4 overall (5-1 at home, 2-3 on the road, 1-0 on neutral ground)
Signature wins: Over Pearl City (3-2) March 9; over Mililani (4-1) on the road March 16; over Aiea (4-1) April 6
Players to watch: Dylan Sugimoto, Josh Maglangit, Justin Padilla, Tyler Enos
What to watch: The Marauders adapted nicely after being promoted to the Red, going 8-4. How well it fares at the plate could go a long way in determining how far they go in post-season. Waipahu is 8-0 when scoring three runs or more. This could be the final go-round for Milton Takenaka, Waipahu’s head coach since 1985, who had put off his retirement for one year after winning the DII state title last May.
