MILs baseball prowess proven once again | News, Sports, Jobs
Baldwin High School’s Levi Maddela accepts the runner-up trophy after the Bears’ 5-4 loss to Kamehameha Kapalama in the Division I state championship game Friday night at Les Murakami Stadium. ANDREW LEE photos
With six state titles, 12 state championship game appearances and 21 final four finishes, the Baldwin High School baseball team is the lead act for the Maui Interscholastic League in postseason performance.
The Bears fell short in the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA state championship game last week, losing by one run in the final for the second straight year, but they appear to be fully prepared to make another run next season.
They started thinking about it moments after their 5-4, walk-off loss to Kamehameha Kapalama on Friday night at the University of Hawaii’s Les Murakami Stadium.
“It definitely hurt the next day, you know, just to see our kids with tears in their eyes hits hard,” Baldwin coach Craig Okita said Tuesday. “Now that it is a couple days removed, you look back and I can say I’m really proud of our boys and our team.”
A state final appearance seemed like an unlikely possibility when the Bears stumbled through a 1-6-1 preseason slate before winning their 12th straight MIL pennant with a 12-2 mark.
Baldwin and Kamehameha Kapalama players exchange handshakes after the state championship game Friday.
“We came a long way, nobody had us in the state championship game, that’s for sure,” Okita said. “There were a lot of guys doubting us if we’d win the MIL, so to take the MIL and to get back to that state final, looking back now, it definitely was an accomplishment.”
Starters Levi Maddela and Kuhio Aloy are on their way to college baseball careers at UH and Brigham Young, respectively, and fellow senior starter Bryson Nakamoto will play at NCAA Division II St. Martin’s in Lacey, Wash., after graduating next week.
The 2023 senior class missed the 2020 and 2021 seasons due to COVID, but these Bears rebounded to make two straight state title game appearances.
Okita said Nakamoto is a prime example of “coming to Baldwin and being a grinder” as he has chosen to play college baseball.
“What he does in college is beyond our control, but I’d like to think he has what he needs to succeed at that level,” Okita said.
Baldwin’s Christian Dominno gestures after getting on base Friday. Dominno and teammates Bryson Nakamoto and Kuhio Aloy were named to the state all-tournament team.
Playing at the NCAA D-I level is not easy for any player, but Okita has high hopes for Aloy and Maddela.
According to Baldwin team statistics, Maddela hit .364 with four doubles and a home run in MIL play to go along with 10 innings pitched with 12 strikeouts and a 3.60 ERA. Aloy hit .306 with four doubles in MIL play before going 6 for 8 with two runs, two RBIs and two doubles at state.
“Those two guys, very talented,” Okita said. “We’ve tried our best to prepare them as best we could for the next level. That D-I jump is a huge jump. … I wish them both well and it’s not going to be easy. ‘It’s not going to be easy,’ that’s what I keep telling them. You’ve got to put in the work and dedicate yourself.
“I believe that we have tried to ingrain the hard work, the ethics and all of that. If they can merge that with their talent, and balance that with being a student-athlete, I think they’ll do fine. Balancing all of that and putting it together, that’s a hard step to take for anybody. I’m hoping those guys can put it together, they definitely have the talent.”
The Bears return their other seven starters — including designated hitter Jaren Pascual — from the state championship game and No. 1 pitcher Kade Fujioka, an 8-2 winner over Leilehua in the state quarterfinals. Several others are in line to contribute next season.
Bears coach Craig Okita is introduced before Friday’s game.
Infielders Nakamoto and Aloy, and outfielder Christian Dominno were all selected to the all-tournament team at state last week.
Fujioka was 5-0 with a save, 19 strikeouts and 0.27 ERA in 33 1/3 innings on the mound in MIL play before going six innings and allowing just one earned run against Leilehua. The next night, he drove in the eventual winning run as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning of the Bears’ 2-1 state semifinal win over Mililani.
Okita pointed to the rigors of the MIL as solid preparation for teams going to the state tournament. Kamehameha Maui emerged from the league tournament to grab the league’s second berth while ending previously No. 1-ranked Maui High’s season in the process.
The Warriors advanced to the state quarterfinals with a 2-0 win over Kailua.
“Our league has definitely gotten better, it definitely has,” Okita said. “And I’ve seen it from when I rejoined Baldwin in 2016. I’ve seen our league just take steps forward. It’s good where it prepares us for the state tournament, the three-game series and all that stuff, but it’s going to be a dogfight every year from here on out from what I have seen.
“Those dominating years are behind us — 2018 and 2019, at Baldwin we had really good teams. When I hand in my all-star vote, my ballot, there’s a lot of non-Baldwin guys on there and deservedly so.”
Shane Dudoit, who guided the Bears to the 2018 state crown, enjoyed his first season as the Warriors’ coach and echoed Okita’s thoughts on the MIL’s prowess at the Division I level. Baldwin won the 2016 state crown under Jon Viela and Maui High won the 2017 state title under Chase Corniel.
The three-game series that the MIL plays each week of the regular season is a major reason for the success.
“I think the proof is in the pudding, bruddah,” Dudoit said. “State championship finals, winning it in ’18, ’17 and ’16. I think the way the schedule is set up really helps get our pitchers ready. I think that really helps set us up and I am still baffled that these other leagues haven’t gone to it.”
The Warriors say goodbye to just three seniors: ace pitcher Raige Velez, who plans to attend St. Martin’s with Nakamoto; first baseman Japheth Joaquin; and outfielder Laiku Wong.
“The three seniors, their biggest asset to this team was their leadership,” Dudoit said.
Dudoit said he got a boost during the state tournament with a visit to the hospital to see his former coach at Molokai High School, Ken Nakayama, who is recovering from an undisclosed medical issue at Queen’s Medical Center.
Nakayama led the Farmers to D-I state titles in 1999 and 2000. Now, his former player Dudoit is a scout for the Texas Rangers organization.
“I love the game of baseball, baseball has been very good to me,” Dudoit said. “I got to go see Coach Nakayama. … When I went there before our Kapalama game (a 4-1 loss in the state quarterfinals), he was sitting up, talking story.
“It’s something I grew up with, playing baseball. … What he taught me and what my dad taught me has given me reason to stay around the game.”
* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com.
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