‘Catch The Owls’ Is The Central Oahu Team Mantra

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Dalton Tiggs pockets a fly ball. Photo by Byron Lee, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

There will be eight teams vying for the American Legion League 19-and-under State Baseball Championship next week when the post-season begins, and seven of them will begin with the same mind-set: Catch Mid-Pacific.

The Owls were still unbeaten (18-0) with only two games to go in the regular season late last week and show no signs of peaking. Leilehua coach Lane Watanuki, whose team is playing under the banner Central Oahu this summer, knows Mid-Pacific perhaps as well as anyone. He once spent two weeks coaching under Mid-Pacific coach Dunn Muramaru with a Hawaii-based “Area Code” traveling team that also included fellow assistants Pal and Boy Eldredge.

“I’m still doing a lot of the things I learned from him in those two weeks. If I could watch any coach practice with his team, I would want to watch coach Dunn. He’s unique - and he has a good program. I really admire what he has done and continues to do there. He always produces kids that work hard. They practice hard and execute what they practice, which is what high school baseball is all about.”

Central Oahu is in the midst of a stellar summer in its own right and may pose the biggest challenge to Mid-Pacific, having been in second place with two games to go. Campbell and Pearl City also figure to be in the mix. Central Oahu held a 15-3 mark with two games remaining late last week, having lost to Campbell, Moanalua and aforementioned Mid-Pacific.

While Watanuki was disappointed in his team’s effort in the Campbell and Moanalua encounters, Central Oahu was solid in its lone regular-season meeting with Mid-Pacific, losing by one run. Should Central Oahu maintain its hold on the No. 2 seed, they would likely not see Mid-Pacific until the title game.

“It’s always a challenge to play against them,“Watanuki said of Muramaru.“He knows the game really well. It was a challenge coaching with him, too.”

Central Oahu is made up of recent prep graduates and sophomores-to-be in college from Leilehua, Pearl City, Mililani and Pac-Five.A large portion of the team were together a few years ago under the banner of Na O’Pio, which went to the Mainland in the 16-and-under division under Watanuki.

With familiar faces in the fold, Central Oahu has eliminated a lot of the transition issues that go with assembling all-star teams.

“It was like a big reunion,” Watanuki said.“The kids and parents all get along together.A lot of these kids just seem to play well together. A lot of them have played together when they were younger or played against each other. Coaching them a few years ago was a unique experience.”

On the field, veteran leadership has had its advantages and has allowed the team to stay ahead of schedule.

“Older kids don’t put as much pressure on themselves, especially if they’re down a run, to put it simply. They play loose and to have fun.If we can correct a few bad habits, we’ll be really competitive (next week).

“I told them at the beginning,‘I’m not here to dictate,’” he added.“They should know what they need to do to get better, which is what this team’s all about - getting them ready for college ball.We give them more freedom now that they’re older.”

Pairings for the American Legion League’s post-season tournament were to be finalized over the weekend. Tournament games will be played next week at both Mid-Pacific and Kailua.