Kailua will try to run rampant on base paths That there would be pressure was inevitable. State tournaments are the most visible stage in prep sports. But Kaua’i High School’s quarterfinal opponent in the 2001 Wally Yonamine Foundation State Baseball
Kailua will try to run rampant on base paths
That there would be pressure was inevitable. State tournaments are the most visible stage in prep sports.
But Kaua’i High School’s quarterfinal opponent in the 2001 Wally Yonamine Foundation State Baseball Championship is going to apply more pressure than normal.
“They’re a pretty good hitting team,” Red Raiders coach Kenneth Mizuo said. “And they’ve been running people like crazy over there on Oahu.”
Kaua’i will face Oahu Interscholastic Association champion Kailua Friday at 6 p.m. at Hans L’Orange Park in Waipahu. The Surfriders finished their season 10-2 and ranked No. 4 in the state.
Listening to Mizuo, one would think the Surfriders will look to turn the game into a track meet.
“They get on base and then you have to be really aware of them because they will steal,” Mizuo said. “A team that runs will run.”
That will put the onus on Kaua’i’s pitchers and catcher Kwinton Estacio to be aware of Kailua’s speed. Though Mizuo said it will be a game-time decision, odds are Friday’s pitcher will be senior Mark Rodrigues.
“Whoever is on the mound will have to keep Kailua’s baserunners honest by not falling into a predictable pattern. He’s going to have to throw to first and step off the mound. And he’s going to have to come to the plate with different speed, just keep switching it up.”
At the same time, however, Mizuo said his team has to go with what got them to this point.
“We can’t switch things too much,” the coach said. “We have to go with what we know.”
That will likely be Rodrigues (3-0) and his 1.35 ERA. The left-hander led the Kaua’i Interscholastic Federation with 29 strike outs in 22 innings pitched. His last outing was Tuesday, when he threw six-plus innings in a 6-2 defeat of Waimea. But his fastball fell from a zippy 80 MPH to around 71 or 72 just before Kaua’i coaches replaced him with right-hander Levi Rapozo.
“Mark was fine, just slowing down a little,” Mizuo said. “We wanted to save some zip for Friday.”
Should Rodrigues lose zip against Kailua, the rest of Red Raiders’ pitching staff has proven equally proficient.
“This is the kind of year when we’d be fine in a longer tournament,” Mizuo said. “We have a lot of good pitchers.”
Rapozo, Scott Oshima and Alec Reichle all have wins for Kaua’i this year.
As for who will face the Red Raiders’ line-up, trying to attain that information proved difficult. If he’s ready to go, however, look for Surfriders junior Kamaile Santos to take the hill. The right-hander struck out 11 on Monday to beat Moanaluna in the OIA title game.
Whoever takes the mound for Kailua will have to be sharp. Kaua’i is hitting .318 as a team, and is led by second baseman Scott Serizawa’s .523 average.
“What we’ll really need is to get hits with runners in scoring position,” Mizuo said. “That’s what our difficulty has been this season.”
The Red Raiders averaged just under six runs a game in the KIF, and got a total of 29 RBI on the season. Seven of those belonged to left-fielder Scott Oshima. Shortstop Kamanu Grace managed a league-high four triples for the season.
Should everything come together, Mizuo sees his team as able to give Kailua a good game, at a minimum.
“Kaua’i High has done quite well in past state tournaments,” Mizuo said. “It really wouldn’t be an upset for us to go over there and win some games.
“What’s too bad is that it’s one loss and you’re out. The kids really like to play, so not having the consolation bracket may make this less fun. It just means we have to go out and win.”
The Red Raiders ascended to the state semifinal in 1999, then lost the KIF championship to Kapa’a last year.
The Skinny
– What: State Baseball Tournament
– Who: Kaua’i vs. Kailua (OIA Champs)
– When: Friday at 6 p.m.
– Where: Hans L’Orange Field, Waipahu
– Radio: AM 720
