Kamehameha Maui wins first MIL baseball title since 2009 with 8-0 victory over Baldwin

WAILUKU — On a raucous and blustery Tuesday night at Maehara Stadium in front of an overflow crowd of more than 2,000 fans, the Kamehameha Schools Maui baseball team ended a 16-year championship drought.

The Warriors had a chance to win the second Maui Interscholastic League championship in school history on Saturday, but let a three-run lead evaporate in the final two innings.

They left nothing in doubt on Tuesday, capitalizing on solid pitching and numerous opportunities, to nail down the school’s first title since 2009 with an 8-0 triumph over Baldwin High.

Junior left-hander Kanoa Arakawa pitched six strong innings, allowing two hits, striking out three and walking four. The Warriors also took advantage of six walks, two hit batsmen and four errors by the Bears.

Kamehameha Maui is in the state tournament for the first time since 2023 when it went as the MIL runner-up.

“Our past two seasons didn’t really end the way we wanted,” Arakawa said after finishing his night after 99 pitches. “So it’s just, it’s just really good to have this win. This year we just made a lot of adjustments, just blended together more as a team. And that’s really helped us tremendously throughout the season.”

As MIL champions, the Warriors (12-3) will start the 12-team Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA Division I state tournament at Maehara Stadium in the quarterfinals on May 8. As MIL runners-up, the Bears (12-3) will start the event on May 7 in the first round. 

Tuesday’s winner-take-all league championship game became necessary when Baldwin came back from a 4-1 deficit to beat Kamehameha Maui 6-4 in the MIL tournament championship game.

The Warriors won the MIL regular season with a 10-2 record, which included winning two of three games against Baldwin. Tuesday’s win gave the Warriors a 3-2 lead in the five games the two teams have played this season.

Arakawa did not allow a runner to reach third base until the sixth inning when Jevon Raboy made it there after a groundout by Koltyn Sergent for the second out of the inning. Arakawa ended the two-on, two-out threat when Kamehameha Maui’s Kaleb Mathias made a diving catch in right field on a line drive by pinch hitter Devyn Rosaga.

The Warriors took a quick 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning on just one hit, three walks and two hit batsmen.

After Kai Kang struck out, Bransyn Hong walked, took second base on a fielder’s choice and went to third on a balk. Freshman Raecen Velez singled home Hong for a 1-0 lead.

Duke Aloy was hit by a pitch and Kamahao Akima walked to load the bases. Mathias was hit by a pitch to make it 2-0 and Zaiyah Madamba-Barozzo walked to push the lead to 3-0. 

Teyvan Kahalewai, the No. 9 hitter, led off the top of the fourth for Kamehameha Maui with a single to right field and took second on an error by Baldwin right fielder Kyne Fujioka. Kahalewai scored to make it 4-0 when Baldwin pitcher Jayden Perry-Waikiki fielded Kai Kang’s bunt but overthrew first base for the Bears’ third error.

Mathias singled to center to lead off the top of the fifth for Kamehameha Maui. One out later, Kahalewai singled to left field. Mathias appeared to stop at third base, but was awarded home to make it 5-0 when interference was called on Baldwin third baseman Raboy. Kahalewai was thrown out trying to steal second base and Kang struck out to end the inning.

Kamehameha Maui had baserunners in each of the first six innings.

Aloy drove in the sixth run of the night for the Warriors with a sharp single to left field in the sixth inning. Akima was the only batter with more than one hit, going 2-for-4, including an RBI single to right field to make it 7-0. Another Bears error allowed another run to score, pushing the score to 8-0.

Senior catcher Aloy, who will play collegiately at Simpson University in Redding, Calif., next season, said Arakawa was sharp all night before yielding to Hong to pitch the final inning in relief.

“Oh, his stuff was on it,” Aloy said of Arakawa. “Every time, fastball, curve, cutter, change, it’s always good. He’s able to locate his spots well.”

The Warriors are going to the state tournament for the sixth time — they have been to state tournaments as MIL runners-up in 2007, 2011, 2018 and 2023.

Baldwin has been to the last three state championship games and won 12 straight MIL titles from 2010 to 2023 before Maui High won the league title last year. The Bears and Sabers were declared co-state champions a year ago when the championship game was rained out tied 2-2 in the third inning. It was the first time in state history that two teams from the same Neighbor Island league had met in a Division I state championship game.

This Kamehameha Maui team has 11 seniors, while Baldwin has six. 

The Warriors’ title is the fifth MIL championship for Kamehameha Maui coach Shane Dudoit — he has done done so with three different teams: St. Anthony (2007), Baldwin (2017, 1018, 2019), and now Kamehameha Maui. Dudoit’s 2018 Baldwin team won the state title.

“I’ve coached a bunch of great teams,” Dudoit said. “This is up there, one of the best teams that I’ve coached. Great kids. We’re gonna lose a bunch of seniors, so we got some work to do from here on out. I was very excited when we were able to clinch. … I’m looking forward to to the state tournament. I’m looking forward to the competition.”

Baldwin coach Craig Okita said the Warriors deserved to win on Tuesday.

“We expected a tough game and they came out and they executed. They pitched well,” Okita said. “They played flawless defense until that last inning and they didn’t walk a whole lot of guys and they beat us. They beat us in every facet of the game. It’s one of those things, … I liked our chances going in, but we didn’t pitch. We gave up a lot of free bases and we made a lot of errors again tonight.

“So, hats off to them. They deserve it, but hopefully we can fix this, turn this around and have a better showing at states.”

After the disappointing loss Saturday, Dudoit was greeted by the Baldwin team after the handshake line was complete between the teams. It was a clear indication of how close the teams in the MIL are. Dudoit noted Tuesday that he and Okita are close friends.

“At the end of the day, we’re all friends,” Dudoit said on Saturday. “We’re all here for the right reasons, out here to help the kids and do the best we can.”

KS Maui    300113.  0—8.   7.   1

Baldwin.   000000.  0—0.   2.   4

Kanoa Arakawa, Bransyn Hong (7) and Duke Aloy; Jayden Perry-Waikiki, Kip Watanabe (4), Justice Wakamatsu (6), Logan Bolduc (7) and Kai Watanabe, Brayden Nakamoto (7). W—Arakawa. L—Perry-Waikiki.