Mustangs Out To Prove They Belong In Division I Baseball
By Jack Danilewicz
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Following its breakthrough 2008 season, Kalaheo’s baseball team can expect every opponent’s best effort this spring, and its promotion to Division I guarantees a schedule of head-to-head games with some of the state’s top teams.
“Every team will be strong all-around,” said coach Tim Lierman, whose Mustangs were to open their OIA Red East slate over the weekend with a double-header versus neighboring Castle.“There’s no walk in the park on the schedule. We’ll play the underdog role all year long.”
That continues this week when they play games against Kalani, which has long been one of the East’s stronger programs. They face Kalani at 3:30 p.m.Wednesday at Kilauea District Park before playing a “home"game against them at 3 p.m. Saturday at Kailua District Park. The Mustangs went 13-4 last year en route to winning the East and making the state tournament. But they were thin in numbers for much of preseason with five to six projected contributors still on the basketball team, which was in its 19th straight state tournament last week.
That group includes pitchers Richard Preza-Haynes and Aaron Fernandez, who were expected to re-join the baseball team over the weekend or on Monday, depending on their fate in the state tour-ney. The Mustangs aren’t alone in having a scaled-down baseball lineup early on, as Castle, Kailua and Kahuku’s basketball teams all made the state tournament as well. Once he has full access to his roster, Lierman will rely on their pitching. In addition to Preza-Haynes and Fernandez - two of the best at their positions in the OIA’s DII last season - Kalaheo also returns senior lefty Colby Lee.
“They’re all strong,“Lierman said. “We just have to make sure they stay consistent. We never know with them.“Preza-Haynes and Fernandez both are right-handed pitchers who had strong junior seasons. Preza-Haynes also plays shortstop, while Fernandez, mainly a reliever in ‘08, will be at third when not pitching.
“Richard is just a good all-around ballplayer,” Lierman said. “He knows the game quite well - he’s a good base-runner, and he has a good stick (offensively). He’s smooth at shortstop.
“Aaron throws a lot of strikes, and he has a big, nasty, curve. He’s fundamentally sound in the field. Those are two of our top performers from last year, and we expect even more out of them this year.”
Lee played first base last year but will move to center field this season, in addition to pitching.“He has good speed and a strong arm, and his bat is starting to look better. As a pitcher, when he’s on, when he’s getting ahead of the hitters and throwing strikes - he’s tough to hit. He’s sneaky good.”
Lawaika Bator and Justin Pagan will share catcher duties. With the new OIA format of Saturday double-headers, Lierman likes his depth at catcher. “It’s pretty good
to have two,“he said.“One will take the load one game, and the other will play the next game there.”
Lierman’s also high on first baseman Torin Luis, utility player Micah Livingston and second baseman Dylan Schmedling, the team’s lead-off hitter.
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