Punahou Baseball Wins 6th Straight State Title

Maryknoll 3, Kauai 2 DII State Championship Game

David Kawada
Special to Hawaii Digital sports.com

In an interview 2 years ago, I asked Punahou head baseball coach Eric Kadooka which of the 4 consecutive state titles (at the time) was the most meaningful to you.  He gave an answer I expected.

“The first one,”  he said.  “Because no one expected us to win it.”

I will ask him the question again and I am curious about the response.  His Buff N Blu team defeated Kailua 3-2 for their unprecedented 6th straight state title last night at the Wally Yonamine Foundation HHSAA State Baseball Championships at Les Murakami Stadium.  No one expected this year’s team to win.

They barely got into the tournament as the ILH #3 representative by going extra innings to defeat Mid Pac in the ILH Post Season Tournament.  They had a Top 10 ranking more out of respect then performance and sort of backed their way in to the state tournament with an 11-8 record.  Hardly what you call a dominant season.  There seemed to be a ***** in the Blu armour of Punahou and all the other teams were aiming their spears right there.

But a barometer of good coaching and guidance is how well a team improved for the beginning of the season to the end.  Punahou was playing its best baseball at the end, starting with that victory over Mid Pac.

The pitching staff took it up a notch.  Rather, they eleveated their performances into the next stratosphere.

“We need to hit better as a team (team average of .299) in order to be competitive,” said Kadooka.  I don’t think he expected his pitchers to perform as they did.

Jeremy Fujimoto was the Day 1 starter against Campbell with a mediocer 4-4 record and a 3.08 ERA.  He went on to pitch a complete game shutout, allowing only 2 hits and striking out 12.  Punahou wins 2-0.

Marcus Yoshii started game 2 against #1 seed Pearl City.  He had a losing record of 1-3.  Yoshii went 3 innings, was in command and scattered 3 hits and allowed 1 run.  Punahou was ahead 2-1 at the time.  Then freshman Zachary Muenster, called up from the JV, came in the 4th inning.

A family membered mentioned that they thought he would only go in when there was a blowout.   Others wondered why he was coming in at all with the team in the lead and Yoshii pitching well.

Kadooka knew something we did not.  Muenster pitched the remaining 4 innings, allowed only 2 batters to get on base, struck out 3, and allowed no runs.  Buff N Blu wins 3-1.

ILH rival Kamehameha was next in the semi finals.  Pitcher/First baseman Evan Lim got the start with a 4-1 record but only a 4.12 ERA.  This game was a pitcher’s battle all the way as Warrior starter Chris Pascual went toe-to-toe with Lim and reliever Yoshii.  The game would go to extra innings tied at 0 and over 3 1/2 hours.  Fujimoto came on in the 8th inning.  Combined they would allow only 4 hits and no runs.  Punahou got 2 runs in the top of the 9th and Fujimoto shut the Kamehameha bats in the bottom of the inning to get the win.

In the championship game versus Kailua it was simple.  The freshman Muenster got the start.  What is the secret coach Kadooka has known about this kid?  Could he be the first freshamn to start (and win) a state championship game?

The Punahou bats did what they have been doing throughout the tournament – score early as they lead 2-0 after 2 innings. (This is an underlying key toward the teams succes in the tournament).

Muenster had a shut out until the 6th inning as Kailua got their first (and only) 2 runs of the game.  It looked like a rally was starting.

“Our kids are playing so much better now as a team,” said Surfrider head coach Cory Ishigo.

Then the relief tandem of Yoshii (pitched to one batter in the 6th) and Fujimoto finished things off again, allowing no hits or runs and striking out 3. 

It was that kind of tournament for the Buff N Blu.  Timely hitting, pitchers pitching their best performances, and a freshman pitcher who could be on the brink of a most celebrated high school career.

Congratulations are in order.

DIVISION II CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:
Maryknoll d. Kauai, 3-2