‘We’re ready’

LIHUE — The stakes may be higher, but everything else has remained the same.

That’s to say, calm and collected.

Kauai Interscholastic Federation baseball champion Kauai High School flew to Oahu Tuesday evening for the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division II state tournament. The team held its final practice at Vidinha Stadium prior to boarding. 

Despite the pressure of playing in a championship tourney, the Red Raiders seemed as composed as they did all regular season.

“We try to stay as relaxed as possible … baseball comes easy to us when we’re having fun,” said Red Raiders junior Cal Koga. “We’re ready for whatever comes up there. We worked hard.”

Kauai’s first match will be at 7 p.m. today against No. 4 seed Molokai of Maui at Han L’Orange Field in Waipahu. The Red Raiders are unseeded in the tournament.

Though being unseeded hasn’t changed how the team has prepared, it motivates the team to perform well, Koga added.

“It just shows that we have to prove something out there,” he said. “We want to show them that KIF is just as good as any other (league) … We have to work hard and make Kauai proud.”

The team, which finished the KIF season 9-3, has prepared the same way leading up to the tournament as they did all year, head coach Greg Killeen said.

“(Practices have been) the same as they always have,” Killeen said, “The kids are focused. They’re really excited about states.”

Killeen said his players are at a good state mentally and he’s looking forward to seeing how his team sizes up with the competition from neighboring islands.

Red Raiders senior first baseman and pitcher Nick Vallatini said this will be his second time at the HHSAA tournament. He was a freshman the last time he went.

“I didn’t play much (last time) … I’m just looking forward to playing,” he said.

Vallatini added the team is focused and wants to represent Kauai well.

“I think we’re ready. We just got to go up there and perform,” Vallatini said. “(Being seeded) doesn’t really matter just as long as we prove that we can play up there.”

Killeen said he tries to not put too much pressure on his players as they’ve prepared. He hopes they don’t make the moment bigger than it is.

“It’s still a ball game. Just go out there and do the same thing they’ve been doing all year,” he said. “Not trying to change and be different that what we really are.”

All of Kauai’s players showed up to practice with bleached hair. Koga said they did it to bond closer together.

“It’s just a team thing … Just have fun. That’s the main thing. Just have fun with each other,” he said.