Youth Works Wonders On Waipahu Baseball Diamond
By Jack Danilewicz
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Having one of the youngest teams in the OIA White Conference hardly affected Waipahu in the won-loss column last season as it claimed its first overall league title since 1985. And will they be more seasoned this time around?
“I said we were young last year and, actually, we’re young again this year,” laughed Milton Take-naka, who was selected as the West’s Coach of the Year last season after leading Waipahu to a 12-2-2 record as well as a state tournament appearance. “We could start two freshmen and three sophomores at any time.”
The good news for the Marauders is that they have a solid core of leaders back in the fold to help bring along a team heavy with players in transition from JV to varsity, highlighted by senior pitchers Kaimi Haina and Tryton Gante.
“The seniors all want to have a good year,” Takenaka said. “(Success last year) will help us to have four seniors who were All-Conference players. Those kids on the team last year know what it’s like (to play in championship games). For the eight we have brought up, it’s kind of a new thing.”
Haina was OIA Player of the Year in 2008, having gone 3-0 on the mound with an ERA of 0.52 to go with 34 strikeouts against only five walks. His junior season also included a shut-out of Kalaheo that saw him strike out 12, while he also tallied nine strikeouts in a game against Radford during the regular season. At the plate, he also batted .410 for the year.
“Kaimi had a short preseason of only about two-and-a-half weeks because he was in basketball this year, and then he went on a school(-related) trip to Washington, D.C., so he’s not in baseball shape yet,” Takenaka said of Haina, who’s an out-fielder when not on the hill. “But as a senior he’s more focused, and he’s added a little more baseball sense. He realizes he can’t over-power everybody, and he’s mixing up his pitches a little bit.”
Gante drove in the game-tying run in Waipahu’s riveting 4-3 win over Radford last April 28 in the OIA Division II title game and has had a productive preseason. “Triton’s bat has gotten better; he’s had a great preseason hitting the ball,” Takenaka added. Gante also will hold down a spot in the outfield when not pitching.
“The seniors all want to have a good year.”
With the majority of Waipahu’s league games - at least against its West foes - scheduled as part of Saturday doubleheaders, Gante and Haina likely will start those encounters. The Marauders’ pitching staff isn’t limited to the pair, however, as the coach is excited about the underclassmen who will bolster depth within the rotation.
“We knew what we had already in Tryton and Kaimi and some other pitchers, but we’ve had some others come around a bit. Right now, pitching is our strength. Our weakness is that we just need to mature. Errors were a problem in the preseason. We have some young kids still making ‘young’ mistakes. We have a good group of kids. They’ve played some good games in preseason.”
Juniors Ignatius Mackenzie, Sam Chee and Aldrin Padilla also return after earning All-Conference honors in 2008. Chee is a third basemen, while Padilla will hold down a spot at first base. Mackenzie was one of the top newcomers a year ago at catcher for the Marauders after relocating from Samoa.
“It was his first time playing organized baseball, and he was a big surprise. He’s gotten a little better this year as far as taking charge and being a leader out there.”
Waipahu, which opened its season with an 8-3 win over Kahuku last week, was to play McKinley over the weekend before having an open date on Wednesday. The Marauders return to action at 10 a.m. Saturday when they host Waialua in a doubleheader.
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