In 2012, Kamehameha started a baseball tradition that motivated the next pitcher in line. It also helped the Warriors to annually challenge for the HHSAA Division II state championship.
However, while the Warriors made serious runs for the title, they fell short because they lacked Grade A second-line pitching depth or enough impact bats that could hit good pitching.
That year was also the birth of the program’s senior ace tradition. In 2012, the ace was Kaimana Moike. The next season the senior ace was Kupono Decker. In 2014, Chay Toson took over, and Malu Peralta was the senior ace last season.
This season was different but somewhat similar with Brandyn Lee-Lehano filling the role of senior ace. The emergence of 5-foot-10 freshman left-hander Tai Atkins, a talented ace capable of beating another team’s No. 2 starter, made coach Andy Correa’s pitching matchups much easier.
His game plan was nearly identical to the one Waiakea employed at the Division I state tournament in 2012 with two future pros in left-handers Quintin Torres-Costa (Milwaukee Brewers) and Kodi Medeiros (Brewers).
Torres-Costa fired a six-hitter in a 5-0 win over Castle in the quarterfinals. Medeiros threw a three-hitter in a 2-1 thriller over Pearl City in the semifinals. Then, on short rest, Torres-Costa pitched six innings and Medeiros one frame in a 5-0 no-hitter over Baldwin for Waiakea’s first state title.
On Thursday in the quarterfinals, Lee-Lehano fired a two-hitter in a 14-2 five-inning TKO rout over Kalaheo. On Friday, Atkins set a Division II state record with 13 strikeouts in a 9-1 win over St. Francis in the semifinals. He pitched 6 2/3 innings, and Daylen Calicdan recorded the final out.
Kamehameha’s quest for its first state championship was completed with a 5-4 victory over Kapolei in eight innings on Saturday night at Wong Stadium.
Calicdan pitched 4 2/3 innings of one-run relief for the victory. Lee-Lehano did his part, on short rest, with 3 1/3 innings and left with the score tied 3-3.
“Daylen knew this was his shot, and he kept us pumped up,” catcher DallasJ Duarte said. “His curveball was on, and he could throw that for strikes. I’m nothing but proud of him.”
The Warriors will look a little different next season, though they return a nice nucleus.
The athletic Duarte, who can stop any team’s running game with his strong arm, is just a sophomore, as well as outfielder Kyran Kai. First baseman Kolbie Kinzie, shortstop Jai Cabatbat, and outfielder Kegan Miura are juniors.
Duarte, the No. 2 hitter, and Cabatbat, the No. 5 batter, will be the main offensive threats next season. Though he’s just 5 feet 8 and currently has a slender frame, Duarte, a natural pull hitter, cranks the ball deep and hard because of his exceptional bat speed.
“We’ve got 18 guys returning, but it’ll be tough to replace a special group of seniors,” Correa said. “We’ve already talked to the team about working hard. We’ve worked hard through the whole year, and it paid off in the end. This experience will help us in the future. We know how hard it is to win a state title, and we can appreciate it. The one thing we learned is you need three days’ worth of pitching.”
Tai’s turn
Next season, Kamehameha’s senior ace tradition will be snapped. Atkins will step into the role of No. 1 starter with the graduation of Lee-Lehano. The other senior starters are second baseman Calicdan, third baseman Makana Aiona, outfielder Baron Victorino, and Kaylen Cabatu-Gapusan, a part-time infielder/designated hitter.
Sophomore right-hander Justyce Ishii, the No. 3 pitcher, will likely be promoted to the No. 2 spot. Correa will throw out a number of arms during the next BIIF season to find his bullpen depth, a key because Calicdan also doubled as a sinkerball closer.
Calicdan and Aiona provided fundamentally sound defense. Both have excellent range, strong arms and, most important, solid footwork to always get themselves in proper throwing position.
Both were also impact bats. Calicdan, the No. 3 hitter, had the best plate discipline on the team, comfortable hitting with two strikes, while cleanup hitter Aiona offered the most power and was a consistent line-drive hitting threat. The stocky 6-4 Lee-Lehano was a DH and another big bat.
Despite the loss of a senior ace in Lee-Lehano, two impact bats in Calicdan and Aiona, and two valuable parts in Victorino and Cabatu-Gapusan, Correa can take a bit of comfort, knowing one thing is guaranteed.
At least, the Warriors don’t have to worry about an ace because Atkins has that position covered for the next three years.