Brevin Ako doesn’t know who he’ll be playing for, but that didn’t stop him Saturday. Ako was one of a number of young baseball players who turned out for a morning clinic hosted by Hank Ibia, the coaching staff and
Brevin Ako doesn’t know who he’ll be playing for, but that didn’t stop him Saturday.
Ako was one of a number of young baseball players who turned out for a morning clinic hosted by Hank Ibia, the coaching staff and players of the Kaua‘i High School baseball team.
“It’s a community thing,” Ibia said earlier in the week when discussing the annual event which precedes the Red-and-Black game. “A lot of the players on the team came up through the community programs, and the younger players look up to them, so this is where they can give back by teaching the young ones.”
Ako, who still doesn’t know who he’ll be playing for since his Bronco season doesn’t start until March 3, said the clinic was really good.
“They teach you what to do when you play at the different bases, and I learned some new stuff, too,” Ako said. “The clinic was pretty good.”
For the Red Raiders, the annual clinic and Red-and-Black game symbolizes the end of a long workout leading to the start of the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation baseball season.
“We start on March 8 by hosting the Kapa‘a Warriors in a double-header,” Ibia said.
But leading up to the Saturday event, the Red Raider baseball program was involved in upgrading the Vidinha Stadium facility where its home games are played.
Starting almost on the heels of the 2007 season, Kaua‘i players, parents and volunteers rolled up sleeves and got behind heavy equipment to install a sprinkler system in the outfield, redo the entire infield, and even overflowed to the spectator area outside the infield fence where new turf replaced the gravel and ruts leading into and out of the dugouts.
The work was done in conjunction with personnel from the county’s Parks and Recreation Department.
The facelift was completed in time for the Americans of Japanese Ancestry baseball league to open its season, and marked the end of long weekends of toil in broiling sun and soaking rain.
And rain also served as a blessing to the project as sprinkles came down shortly after the team, split into Red and Black squads, took the field following the youth clinic.
Joshua Watten, who plays for the Lihu‘e Baseball League Yankees, was with Ako as both youngsters were trying to clear the drains in the parking lot.
“My favorite player is Travis Koga,” said Watten, whose older brother Mark was spending some time in one of the dugouts. “He’s a catcher like my brother Mark. He’s good because he can pitch fast, too.”
Both of the aspiring players said they hadn’t thought of becoming Red Raiders yet, but they attend the Kaua‘i High School games when they can, the rest of their time being devoted to playing for their own teams.
Ibia said prior to the March 8 game, Kaua‘i High School will be traveling to O‘ahu to play in the 16-team Mid-Pac Tournament.
“We open up against Iolani this Wednesday,” Ibia said. “From there, it’s winner playing winner, loser playing loser in a tournament format.”
Following that, Ibia said the Red Raiders will also be in action at the Waimea High School tournament starting Feb. 28.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com
