Top-ranked Saint Louis will take on No. 3 Kamehameha at the halfway point of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division I season at Ala Wai Field Saturday afternoon. Sylvia Lee | SL

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Tom Perkins' long-term plans for the Kamehameha baseball team are coming together nicely.

In year three under Perkins, the longtime intermediate coach at the Kapalama campus, the Warriors find themselves in first place in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division I standings at the midpoint of the 15-game first round schedule.

"I think the team is coming along well," Perkins said. "We're not quite where we want to be yet, but the kids have been working hard. They've been putting in a lot of time and we just come back every single day and try to do a little better."

Kamehameha (7-1), the No. 3 team in this week's ScoringLive/Hawaiian Electric Baseball Power Rankings, is riding a seven-game win streak coming into Saturday's afternoon showdown against Saint Louis at Ala Wai Field.

The top-ranked Crusaders (6-2) rebounded from a 2-0 loss to No. 4 Punahou Tuesday with an 8-3 win over Iolani Thursday.

"Every game is just so important in the ILH so after struggling offensively on Tuesday, our goal was just to be better in our approach (Thursday)," Saint Louis coach George Gusman said. "That was the immediate goal."

Tuesday's loss to the Buffanblu was the first time the Crusaders were shut out this season, and their lowest run total since their 2-1 win over the Warriors in both teams' season-opener three weeks ago.

That was also the last time Kamehameha lost a game.

Gusman believes the Warriors are the top team in the state.

"You've got to play very, very well on your side. You've got to pitch well and play defense to have a chance and it's no different (Saturday)," Gusman said. "They have very, very good pitchers so we'll have our work cut out for us."

The Warriors have one of the state's top prep prospects in senior pitcher Hunter Breault. The 6-foot-2 right-hander is 2-1 with a 1.45 ERA in five appearances this season.

"He's very compassionate about the sport and about what he does and the efforts that he puts into it," Perkins said. "He's taken a couple of the younger pitchers and taken them under his wing. He's trying to get them to see what he's done and to try and get them to be a little more vigilant and take it a little more seriously from now, rather than wait until later."

Breault went the distance in Thursday's 4-2 win over No. 10 Mid-Pacific. He struck out four, walked one and allowed four hits in the 93 pitches he threw.

Perkins also praised the quiet leadership that senior Dylan Salcedo has provided from behind the plate.

"He's one of our more effective, but quiet leaders. He's a man of very few words, but more of a leader by example," Perkins said of Salcedo, who has five hits and as many RBI in his last five games.

"He just does what needs to be done. Every now and then he'll make a comment to somebody to try to pick them up or focus, especially with the pitchers, so he's done a great job."

Perkins, who long served as the intermediate coach prior to taking over the varsity squad, said the team has a cohesiveness that it has built over the years.

"The kids are understanding what we're trying to do and not questioning so much why we're doing this or why we're doing that, but putting their trust and faith into the plan that we have for the game and to to the team, because every single person on the team has an important role to play," Perkins said. "Whether you're a starter or not a starter, it's an important role and we're trying to put all the right pieces in the right places and we're getting there. The kids are starting to see the fruits of their labor and their patience is paying off. I think we're in a good place right now."

The Crusaders, meanwhile, have been led by senior shortstop Keith Torres, who is batting .462 on the year.

"He's been just outstanding for us at the top of the lineup," Gusman said of Torres.

"We've played pretty good. I think defensively I'm very pleased. We're not as gifted, pitching-wise, and we're not as deep as Kamehameha, but offensively, if we can do what we did (Thursday), maybe it will be interesting (Saturday), but pressure does crazy things to kids, so hopefully the pressure will be in our favor," Gusman said.

Torres has hit safely in five consecutive games and has paired hits in Saint Louis' last four contests.

"Saint Louis is tough; they've got a bunch of bats that they swing well," Perkins said. "DJ Stephens in centerfield does a great job out there and (Torres) is a real spark plug over there that keeps everything going and is a good bat and quick on the bases. They've got a lot of energy on that team so we're just focusing on the things that we can do better every game and try to improve on that and hopefully that will help us in every game that we go through."

Gusman said he expects to start either lefty Dawson Yamaguchi or ace Chase Meilleur.

Kamehameha is expected to start junior right-hander Lii Pontes, Perkins said.

First pitch between the Warriors and the Crusaders is scheduled for 3 p.m.