Tuesday, May 19, 1998
Pitching the key
in state tourney
Top seed Mid-Pacific
By Pat Bigold
seems to have the best blend
among the 12 teams
contending
Star-BulletinPitching will likely determine the outcome of the 40th Hawaii High School Athletic Association baseball tournament this week, according to the coach of the two-time defending state champions.
"I think it will come down to that because I don't see any teams with a lot of depth in pitching this year," said Dean Yonamine, Iolani's head coach.
And who has the best staff in the 12-team tournament, which begins tomorrow at Aloha Stadium?
"Mid-Pac, definitely," said Yonamine.
He knows because the Raiders used seven pitchers against the Owls on Thursday while losing the Interscholastic League of Honolulu championship game, 8-3, at Aloha Stadium. Mid-Pacific countered with big left-handed starter Brandon Fujimoto and brought in right-handed reliever Bryan Lee with one out in the fifth to close the win. The Owls' duo scattered six hits.
Mid-Pacific (14-5), the top seed in the state tournament, also has a dependable curveball-throwing right-hander in starter Blake Sing Chow.
The Owls, who won the state title three times under head coach Dunn Muramaru between 1990 and 1992, do not lack offensively, either.
Muramaru has always emphasized the finer details of the game in his coaching -- base-running, bunting, defense -- and that's the kind of game that often wins at Aloha Stadium.
Power hitters often find themselves ineffective in the spacious stadium outfield, so Muramaru is probably glad to see players like his leadoff man, Garrett Kuwahara, stepping up their game.
Kuwahara reached base all four times he came up in the ILH title game. He was hit by three pitches and drew a walk.
And when Kuwahara was on, he stole three bases and scored a pair of runs.
That's not to say the Owls don't have some power. They got two stadium homers in the ILH championship game.
Seeded behind the Owls are Maui Interscholastic League champion Maui, Oahu Interscholastic Association champion Waianae and Big Island Interscholastic Federation champion Waiakea.
Maui finished third last year.
The top seeds all have a bye tomorrow and begin play on Thursday.
Tomorrow, in games beginning at 11:30 a.m., MIL runner-up Baldwin will take on OIA runner-up Roosevelt, followed by Kauai Interscholastic Federation champion Kauai against Kalani, the OIA's fifth seed, at 2 p.m. BIIF runner-up Hilo meets OIA fourth seed Mililani at 4:30 p.m., and ILH runner-up Iolani takes on OIA third-seed Aiea at 7 p.m.
"There is a lot of parity this year," said Yonamine. "Everyone was loaded last year -- us, Kamehameha, Punahou, Pearl City. But this year, the neighbor islands have more seniors. I know Waiakea has a lot of seniors. And I know Baldwin (1995 state champion) is a very good team."
Both Waiakea, which lost in the 1996 state final to Iolani, and Baldwin, which beat Mid-Pacific in the 1995 state final, are teams with strong track records in the state tournament.
Iolani surprised some people by making it back into the state tournament despite being devastated by graduation.
"I think we played a lot better through the second round and the tournament," said Yonamine. "We basically ran out of pitching the last game (the ILH championship)."
Iolani's experienced pitchers, all righties, are juniors Eric Yamamoto and Kainoa Obrey and senior Marvin Wong.
Yamamoto, Wong, catcher Scott Tajima, DH Derek Young and Derek Arimoto are all in their third year and have been on two state championship teams.
"We count on them," said Yonamine, who hopes the five will add stability to Iolani's young lineup.
Sophomores are being used by Iolani in key positions.
Jason Teruya is at second base, Tyler Kimura is at shortstop, Kevin Kam is in right field, Brett Wong, who got the pitching start and the loss against Mid-Pacific last week, is the regular left fielder.
HHSAA state baseball tournament
Tomorrow: Roosevelt vs. Baldwin, 11:30 a.m.; Kauai vs. Kalani, 2 p.m.; Hilo vs. Mililani, 4:30 p.m.; Iolani vs. Aiea, 7 p.m., at Aloha Stadium.
