TGI Sports Editor A team of 18-and-under boys turned last week’s Baseball in Paradise tournament on Oahu into their own little oasis. Facing talented teams from California and other Hawaiian islands, the Kaua’i boys stood tall, winning the championship on
TGI Sports Editor
A team of 18-and-under boys turned last week’s Baseball in Paradise tournament on Oahu into their own little oasis.
Facing talented teams from California and other Hawaiian islands, the Kaua’i boys stood tall, winning the championship on Sunday with a 7-5 victory over the Southern California Knights.
Kaua’i finished the five-day tournament 8-0.
“It was a total team effort,” head coach Darin Miyake said. “Our kids hit really well. That was the key. But we also got some clutch performances from our pitchers.”
Proof of that, Miyake said, came in Kaua’i’s final four games, when he got four complete-game performances from four different pitchers.
When it counted most, Royce Rapozo, Levi Rapozo, Allen Mundon and Mark Rodrigues went the distance.
The most impressive of those performances went to Mundon, a 2000 graduate of Kapa’a, who fired all 12 innings of a 9-8 semi-final victory over California-Irvine.
“He was a workhorse in that game,” Miyake said. “He also hit two home runs in the game.”
Including the game-winner. Mundon also hit a home run in the championship game. His three dingers led the tournament.
“I didn’t know I’d be able to play so well after being out of the game for a year,” Mundon said. “I was happy about it.”
Rodrigues, the 2001 Kaua’i Interscholastic Federation player of the year, threw the championship game.
“Mark played well,” Miyake said. “All our kids played well.
“We took 15 kids over and they all played and all contributed.”
It was Miyake’s first experience with coaching the 18-and-under all-star team.
“I’ve been helping out the last couple of years,” the coach said. “This year they asked me to take over. It was easy. These guys practically coached themselves.”
Team members include Kalani Miyashiro, Gabriel Rebb, Kamanu Grace, Casey Oketani, Jason Koga, Sean Tamura, Rodney Baptiste, Mark Rodrigues, Royce Rapozo, Allen Mundon, Levi Rapozo, Robert Merkel, Kwinton Estacio, Kaili Panui, and Kane Kinimaka-Aranio.
