Hawaiian Electric Game of the Week
Sabers, Marauders to face off under the lights




There were a lot of zeroes put up the last time the Campbell and Waipahu baseball teams faced off.

Ace Markus Ramos tossed six innings of two-hit ball with eight strikeouts against two walks and the Sabers made a single run in the second inning of that game stand up in the 1-0 win over the visiting Marauders less than two weeks ago.

If that game was any indication, Saturday's rematch will likely be tightly-contested as well.

Campbell (7-0) and Waipahu (4-4) will meet in the nightcap of an Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I doubleheader at Patsy T. Mink Central Oahu Regional Park.

The Sabers are sitting pretty with two weeks left in the regular season. They are only remaining unbeaten in the league and ascended to No. 4 in this week's ScoringLive/Hawaiian Electric Power Rankings.

"We're 7-0, but we could easily be 2-5 or 1-6 with a bad bounce here or there, a changed call here or there, but so far it's been good," Campbell coach Rory Pico said. "The season so far has been very challenging for us."

With its win over Aiea last Saturday, Campbell clinched a spot in the 12-team league tournament and heads into this weekend with a 3 1/2-game lead on a triumvirate of teams — which includes Waipahu — in a logjam at 4-4.

The Sabers needed 10 innings to fend off Na Alii and came away with their second one-run win in a span of five days.

"I think it's good when you play in close games learn to deal with the pressures of what comes with it and the adversity that comes with it," Pico said. "It helps teams to build confidence and not to play tight under pressure. I think those were very good games for our team and it helped us to grow up a little bit."

Pico complimented his seniors, namely third baseman Justin Fernandez (.471 BA, 8 runs), catcher Todd Takahama (7 RBI, 3 BB), outfielder Shane Shimizu (.333 BA, 5 SB) and Ramos (3-0, 1.11 ERA).

"Anytime you look at a team you tend to look at its leaders and seniors and we've had a bunch of senior leaders that have kind of taken charge and they do a good job of holding each other accountable during games and practices and making sure that we compete from first pitch to last pitch," Pico said.

Despite an unblemished record, it hasn't come easily. Pico said finding the right place for each piece of the puzzle has been a work in progress.

"I think we've had contributions from different players in different games and some of the younger guys have stepped up, too," Pico said. "We've had to move guys around this year and some of them are playing in those positions for the first time in their career. I think that's why we kind of struggled in the preseason. They were trying to feel it out, but I think we're settled in a little more now and getting more comfortable at those positions."

Overcoming adversity is nothing new for Waipahu, which underwent a mid-season coaching change for the second straight season.

Longtime coach Milton Takenaka has filled in on an interim role — just as he did last year, when the Marauders made a run to the semifinals of the OIA tournament and the quarterfinals of the state tourney.

"We just tell the kids we've got to move on and we've just got to keep on playing," Takenaka said.

Takenaka retired as Waipahu's baseball coach after 29 seasons in 2014. He led the Marauders to league titles in 1985, 2009 and 2012. He works on campus was part of the school's security staff and was also a familiar face around both the JV and varsity baseball programs after stepping down three years ago.

"I'm there practically every day," Takenaka said. "I think it does help that most of the kids know who I am and most of the varsity kids were still playing when I was coaching last a couple year ago, so I don't think the transition has been that difficult."

The Marauders opened the regular season by winning two of their first three games, but have gone 2-3 since, including shut outs against Campbell and Leilehua in their most recent losses.

In Wednesday's 2-0 loss to the Mules, Waipahu was limited to just two hits.

"We should have a better record, but pitching and defensively we've been all right. Offensively we've been struggling a little bit, but it's just a matter of time until we breakout, so we're fine with where we're at right now," Takenaka said. "We have three or four kids, sophomores, that are starting and are up from the JV, so it's a learning experience for them."

The Marauders have six sophomore and six freshmen on their roster.

"After the JV season I told them that they have to step up and get ready for the varsity level," Takenaka said. "They're coming along good. With more time they'll get a little bit more mature, but we tell them every day that everybody went through that and that it's not JV anymore, it's varsity, so they've got to play up."

Senior Kobie Russell (2-2, 2.17 ERA) will be the starting pitcher for Waipahu Saturday.

As of early Friday afternoon, Pico said he had not yet decided on a starting pitcher. He said that while junior Jamin Kalaola (3-0, 1.00 ERA) is due up in the rotation, he is looking to develop a third starter for the postseason.

"We've only started two guys all season, so now that we've clinched a spot in the playoffs and we had a bye, so we had time to prep other guys, too," Pico said. "We're trying to get other guys ready because if we want to make a run in the playoffs, we'll need multiple pitchers — especially with the new pitch-count rules."

The game between the fourth-ranked Sabers (7-0) and Marauders (4-4) is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and will follow an Eastern Division matchup featuring Moanalua and Castle at 3:30 p.m.



Reach Kalani Takase at [email protected].




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