Waipahu In Heated Pitch For ALL Playoff Championship

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Coach Milton Takenaka

The adage “on the bubble” has always been associated with college basketball teams hoping to make the NCAA Tournament in March, but it certainly underscores the Waipahu baseball team’s position in the race to make the American Legion League playoffs in the coming weeks.

As of late last week, the Marauders still had games remaining against Aiea, Saint Louis, Punahou, Leilehua and Damien. Waipahu coach Milton Takenaka thinks his team must win “maybe four,” to ensure a spot among the top eight in the league, thereby clinching one of the playoff spots. The Hawaii state champion moves on to the Western Regionals next month.

“The top three or four teams have only two or three losses, and Mid-Pacific is still undefeated,” said Takenaka, whose Marauders had posted an impressive 8-4-1 mark through 13 games. “It’s a make-or-break week for us. For the kids, it’s good to make the playoffs to see what it’s like, and it’s every team’s goal to try to get to the Mainland.”

The Marauders are fielding a combined team this summer with several members from Kamehameha and Pearl City. The additions have proved a good fit, according to Takenaka, who also has several mainstays from his Waipahu team of last spring, which won the OIA Division II title en route to earning a berth in the State Baseball Tournament.

“It’s a good mix - those kids fit in nicely, and everyone gets along.”

The additions also have bolstered an already solid pitching staff with former Kamehameha players David Lee and Tucker Troy in the fold as starters. Recently graduated Waipahu stand-outs Triton Gante and Kaimi Mead also are with the team, giving Takenaka four viable options. Gante is headed to Division II Indiana Tech to play baseball, while Mead will likely play football and baseball at Menlo College in California.

“The pitching has come around. We didn’t know earlier in the season who we would have exactly, so we had to mix and match, but we’re getting better. Tucker is a finesse pitcher with good breaking stuff. David is more of a power pitcher, more of a fastball (thrower).”

Offensively, the Marauders’ summer league team also includes Kamehameha players Makana Ramie and brothers Arlie and Jonathan Johnson. Ramie is the starting shortstop, with Arlie and Jonathan Johnson holding down spots in the outfield and at first base, respectively.

“Slowly the bats have been coming around, and those three have been doing a good job,” said Takenaka, who placed the team batting average at about .270 to date. “We’ve been kind of balanced. Some will hit one game, and someone else will hit the next.”

Takenaka is hoping a return to aluminum bats for the last five games will give his team an added lift at the plate. The ALL allows for only wooden bats for much of the regular season in an effort to promote solid fundamental batting.

“It was good for the kids,” he said of the wood bats. “You don’t see many home runs with the wood bats. You really have to make contact to get the ball out there. Our offense should pick up with the aluminum bats now.”

Should the Marauders make the ALL playoffs, which begin July 20, Takenaka expects his team to likely be without third baseman Sam Chee, who is on the mend from a muscle tear.