Monday Morning MIL: Ho’opi’i-Tuionetoa making a run towards MLB for White Sox

Anthony Ho’opi’i-Tuionetoa — known as “Bubba” to his friends — is aware that he stands on the edge of history for Maui.

The 24-year-old right-handed pitcher out of Baldwin High School is currently pitching for the Glendale Desert Dogs in the Arizona Fall League, a winter league where top prospects are sent for extra work. Ho’opi’i-Tuionetoa finished the regular season at Triple-A Charlotte in the Chicago White Sox organization, one step away from becoming just the fifth major leaguer from Maui.

“Obviously that is in the back of your head, I’m sure it is for everybody that gets up to this level, but I try not to worry about it because it’s right there, you’re at the forefront of it,” Ho’opi’i-Tuionetoa said. “I think that if I handle what I gotta handle down here, be where my feet are at and I think the rest will take care of itself.”

Ho’opi’i-Tuionetoa, a 2018 Baldwin High School graduate, said one of the priorities is helping to hold the door open for Maui players coming up behind him. He was a key cog on the Bears’ state title team in 2018 when he was the No. 1 high school recruit in the state his senior year.

He played on Central East Maui Little League teams in two Senior League (15-16) World Series, in Maine in 2016 and South Carolina in 2017.

“I credit a lot of reason as to why I’m here to where I’m from,” Ho’opi’i-Tuionetoa said. “I had that little bit where I was blessed enough to be scouted and then brought that attention to the island. I think that is one thing that people from back home deserve, a lot of people that play baseball. They don’t get the exposure they probably should, but I take a lot of pride in it.

“I think about it honestly to this day, like I’m from Maui. … It’s awesome to be from there — I bleed Maui. That’s what made me.”

He watched the Central East Maui Little League team’s run to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., in August.

“It shows that Maui does have talent, even at that young age, and those things carry on for those young kids and I think that’s awesome,” Ho’opi’i-Tuionetoa said. “It’s a proud thing to say that I’m from there. I wore that (team name) across my chest the same way they did. It seems so long ago, but realistically it really wasn’t.”

Ho’opi’i-Tuionetoa has a 3.82 earned run average in 115 career minor league games with 22 saves and 177 strikeouts in 136 2/3 innings. His career began with the Texas Rangers organization when he was drafted in the 30th round in 2019 out of Pierce Community College in Puyallup, Wash.

He started the 2024 season at Double-A Frisco, a Rangers affiliate, and did not allow a run in 10 appearances. 

On May 8, the Rangers traded him to the White Sox for left fielder Robbie Grossman. He was assigned to the Double-A Birmingham Barons, a White Sox affiliate, on the same day as the trade and had a 3.24 ERA there before his call-up to Charlotte on Aug. 20, nine days after his 24th birthday. He had a 13.50 ERA there in just nine appearances, but his recent assignment to the Arizona Fall League shows that he is high on the White Sox priority list.

“That was the hardest part, going from one organization for five some years … to come to here and readjust,” Ho’opi’i-Tuionetoa said. “As soon as I got used to a new uniform, new organization, it made it better for me because I was able to get better with this new organization. It was early on in the year, so I just had to get familiar with some things.

“I think I was able to handle things better and it helped me progress throughout the year. Day by day, honestly, there’s always something you can work on and get better at.”

He was an organizational All-Star for the Rangers in 2022 and an Arizona Fall League Rising Star last season when he pitched for the Surprise Saguaros. He is enjoying his time in the White Sox organization.

“I think that’s a big thing, they want me around and they want me to get better, so they’re doing their absolute best to give me all those little things, giving me all the help that they can, helping me progress as a pitcher,” Ho’opi’i-Tuionetoa said.

“It’s a good spot to be in and I enjoy it here and I hope to be part of the future here.”

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MIL Football: Kamehameha Maui seeded No. 1 in Division II, Lahainaluna seeded No. 4 in Division I

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Maui Interscholastic League football champions Kamehameha Schools Maui (Division II) and Lahainaluna (Division I) were seeded No. 1 and No. 4, respectively, in the state tournament coming up later this month.

The Warriors (7-3 overall) were the only team in the MIL to beat all other five teams and were seeded No. 1 in D-II — on Nov. 23 in the state semifinals they will host the Roosevelt-Kamehameha Hawaii game that is set to be played Nov. 16. The state final is set for 4 p.m. Nov. 30 at Mililani High School.

KSM lost in the D-II state finals in 2021 and 2023.

In Division I, the No. 4 Lunas (6-4) will host Leilehua at 7 p.m. on Nov. 16 at Sue Cooley Stadium.

HJI’s “Monday Morning MIL” columns appear weekly on Monday mornings with updates on local sports in the Maui Interscholastic League and elsewhere around Maui County. Please send column ideas — anything having to do with sports in Maui County — as well as results and photos to rob@hjinow.org.