A Winning Pitch Will Get A Winning Pitch Will Get
By Jack Danilewicz
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Campbell’s Kia Kapana, Ivan Verbeckmoes, Darrin Alexander and Brian Walsh get some action
at second base during practice. Photo by Byron Lee, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
The Campbell baseball team may have just reached the midway point of their regular season, but in a sense the Sabers are already in the post-season mode.
Over the weekend, they were to play neighborhood rival Kapolei. On Wednesday the Sabers await a visit from Waialua at 4 p.m. before traveling to Nanakuli for a game at 3 p.m. Saturday. The outcome of those three encounters figures to have a huge impact on Campbell’s season.
“The boys understand how important these games are,” said Campbell coach Rory Pico, whose team took a 2-2 record into the weekend. “It’s every coach’s goal to have his team improve every day, and through our four games we’ve seen a lot of improvement. If we keep working (hard) every day, we should be right in the mix.”
The Sabers must finish among the top six teams in the West to make the Oahu Interscholastic Association’s playoffs. The top five finishers in the OIA Tournament earn berths in the Wally Yonamine Foundation State Baseball Tournament, which will take place May 9-12 at Les Murakami Stadium.
Campbell could get an added boost this week if senior pitcher Blayne Dikito can return from an injury suffered in the Sabers’ March 21 loss to Waianae. With Dikito back in the fold, the Sabers will again have a three-player starting rotation including freshman left-hander Allyn OlivaRespicio and junior right-hander Bryan Walsh.
“Both have good composure on the mound, and both compete,” Pico said.“Blayne has been rehab-bing hard. He’s on schedule. Our pitching has been getting a lot better. We’re hitting our spots more and not leaving the ball over the plate.”
In a league as balanced as the West, Pico sees pitching as the difference.
“It always comes down to pitching,” he said.“The top teams all have two or three really good pitchers. The team that pitches well at the end (in the post-season) is usually the team that comes out on top in the West. That’s one of the main things we’re focusing on - getting our pitchers to compete day in and day out.”
Offensively, the Sabers have been hitting their stride as of late, combining for 27 runs in wins over Waipahu and Radford. In the Radford game, the Sabers pounded out 16 hits led by Cameron Howser, who had two doubles and drove in four runs. Kia Kapana scored three times for Campbell. Isaiah Kaaihue and Sebastian Locquiao have also figured big in Campbell’s success.
“Offensively, we’ve been hitting with runners on base - those were the two biggest things in both wins,” Pico said. “Bronson (Ellis Rivera) and Cameron (Howser) have had some big extra base hits to break those games open. One through nine in the lineup, everyone has been contributing. We’re starting to have a better plan at the plate as far as what we want to do and what we want to look for.”
Following Saturday’s game with Nanakuli, the Sabers still have games remaining with Pearl City (April 18), defending OIA champion Aiea (April 21) and Leilehua (April 25). The OIA’s post-season begins May 2.
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