Mayor Declares Today “Baldwin High School Bears Baseball Day”

Baldwin bears. Photo credit: County of Maui.

Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa officially proclaimed today as “Baldwin High School Bears Baseball Day,” in honor of the school’s boys baseball team once again becoming state champions this year.

An official Maui County proclamation was presented to members of the boy’s baseball team this afternoon during a lunch assembly on campus.

The proclamation mentions outstanding senior members by name including: catcher Taje Akaka; pitcher Kawena Alo-Kaonohi; shortstop Haloa Dudoit and centerfielder Nawai Ah Yen, as well as head coach Jon Viela, who as a student-player was a part of the 1984 Baldwin Bears State Championship team.

“The Bears boys baseball program has a longstanding tradition of excellence on Maui, and now the rest of the state knows this as well,” said Mayor Alan Arakawa. “Last year it was Lahainaluna’s boys and girls wrestlers both taking state champs and now this.

“Our student athletes prove time and time again that they are the best, which is just another reason that Maui is Nō Ka ʻOi.”

With the Bears fifth win they now have the most D-1 baseball state championships among all the neighbor island high school baseball teams, and have the third most overall wins, tied with Mid-Pacific (5 wins) and behind Iolani (6 wins) and Punahou (13 wins).