Hurricanes Baseball Welcomes A Turn Of Fortune
By Jack Danilewicz
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Del.icio.usFor the Kapolei baseball team, the evidence of what has been a break-through season has been overwhelming of late.
With wins in four of their last five games heading into last weekend, the Hurricanes officially entered the high-rent district of Hawaii prep baseball, not to mention becoming a factor in the ultra-competitive Oahu Interscholastic Association Western Division.
Along the way, the Hurricanes also stayed true to their motto - TAY - which stands for “turn around year.”
“We’ve been really pleased with our progress - the kids have been getting better and better each week. We’re trying to make this program respectable. We’ve had a lot of kids move into the community who have gone to private schools, and the word was that we didn’t have a program here. That (perception) is disappointing, but it lit a fire under our players and coaches. All of the hard luck of years past is starting to come around.”
Heading into last weekend, when the Hurricanes had a bye, Kapolei had already matched its all-time best win total of five, which was set in the 2003 season. They could improve on that mark this week with games versus Waialua and Nanakuli, teams that were a combined 1-12 as of late last week. Kapolei plays Waialua Wednesday and hosts Nanakuli Saturday. The Hurricanes’ final regular-season encounter is set for April 25 against defending OIA champion Aiea in a game that could figure big in the West race. Kapolei’s signature win to date was a 6-3 victory March 28 over traditional power Waianae. The win was the first ever for the Hurricanes in five years of varsity baseball and should be a key win when seedings for the OIA’s post-season are set next month.
Defense and pitching have carried the Hurricanes to date, but Ebanez was pleased with the momentum his team has gathered at the plate lately. After hitting .280 through their first four games, the Hurricanes warmed up offensively and took a team average of .325 into the weekend. Five of the Hurricanes are batting over .300, led by center fielder Curtis Donald at .529. Seniors Michael Kahalehoe and Aaron Santiago have also figured big for Kapolei. In a recent win over Radford, Kahalehoe had a pair of doubles and a triple, driving in three runs, while Ebanez calls Santiago “our steady man.”
“We’re starting to come around and gain more confidence at the plate,” Ebanez said.“If the bottom of the order can come around, we could make some noise in the playoffs. We’ve been blessed. Everyone has stepped up.”
Junior pitchers Oliver Taoy and Kalani Omoto have led Kapolei’s defensive efforts, with strong play from Donald in center field.
“Waianae really hits the ball, and he was tracking them down and making plays in the outfield,” Ebanez said.
A favorable seed for the OIA playoffs is very much on the Hurricanes’ minds as the regular season draws to a close. The top five finishers from the league earn berths next month in the Wally Yonamine Foundation State Baseball Championships. Kapolei has never gone to a state tournament.
“If we could win out, we’d be in a position to be in a coin flip (for seeding purposes in the OIA’s post-season),” Ebanez said. “All in all, our goal was to get into the playoffs, and the kids have continued to work hard to get there.”
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