New OIA Baseball Division Has Mustangs Optimistic
By Jack Danilewicz
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One in a series of prep baseball previews.
As with most teams with a coaching change in the off-season, the 2007 season was one of transition for Kalaheo and then first-year head coach Tim Lierman. Those early days seem a long time gone now, he said.
“Last year was tougher than we thought,“admitted Lierman, whose team finished 3-6-1 in the competitive OIA East Red Conference. “Now we know the kids and they know us, and we’re ready to get after it.”
Off-field developments also have given the Mustangs an added reason to be optimistic. To be sure, the OIA’s separation into Division I and Division II can only be a good thing. In DII, where the Mustangs will compete this season, Kalaheo suddenly finds itself with teams (Kaimuki, Farrington, Kahuku, Waipahu, Radford, Nanakuli and Waialua) it has traditionally fared well against. Considering that, coupled with the return of a roster heavy in young talent, they seem poised to turn the corner this spring.
“They’re excited, and they see the potential for making a good run and getting into the state tournament,” Lierman said.“Our strength is experience. They know the game now, and they’ve jelled as a group. They’re self-motivated.”
Kalaheo closes out its preseason this weekend with an appearance in Maui’s King Kekaulike Pre-Season Tournament before turning its attention to DII play. Those three encounters figure to help Lierman finalize his roster for Kalaheo’s season opener, which begins at 3:30 p.m. March 12 at Kahuku.
“We have a lot of options this year, so it has been tough to see where to play everyone. Last year, we had our regular nine. This year, we have a lot more depth. One through nine (in the batting order), we think we’ll produce pretty well.”
On the mound, the Mustangs may go with Richard Preza-Haynes in their opener. The junior recently joined the team after completing basketball season. Last year, he played varsity, and Lierman is expecting him to benefit from new pitching coach Rich Olsen.
“He’s a very athletic guy,“Lierman said. “He throws hard, and he has good command now. He’s worked hard on his velocity, and he’s probably hitting in the mid- to upper-80s now. He’s also a good hitter who will probably bat in the No. 3 spot (in the batting order). He had a lot of work last year, so we expect good things out of him.”
Defensively, Lierman sees the out-field as a strong one with the return of seniors Alika Kaanapu and Sheldan Kalai.
“I love our outfield,” Lierman said. “Alika is a big kid with a lot of power, and he has good speed. Some of the balls he’s tracked down in preseason have blown us away at times. Sheldan is another good-sized kid who has matured into a very good hitter. He’ll likely play right field. Both are good leaders on and off of the field, and something we lacked last year were real strong leaders.”
The infield is less settled, but no less talented, in Lierman’s view. “We’ll be solid.We have a lot of guys who can play there - it will be a fight to see who plays (regularly). We think we have some toughness on the corners.”
For all their on-the-field improvement, Lierman has also emphasized his team taking the proper mental approach.“They’ll have to stay level-headed,“he said.“They can’t get too down on themselves or too high on themselves.”
The Mustangs will play three of their first four league games on the road. On the heels of their game at Kahuku March 12, they will visit Waipahu March 19 and Farrington March 25 with a home game against Radford March 15 at Aikahi Park.
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