By KEVIN JAKAHI
By KEVIN JAKAHI
Tribune-Herald sports writer
It was a short stay for TJ Yasuhara and Chico State at the NCAA Division II College World Series.
The Wildcats were eliminated 6-5 on Monday, giving up two runs in the ninth inning to Minnesota State, at Cary, N.C., in the eight-team, double-elimination tournament.
In the opener, West Chester ace Joe Gunkel fired a one-hitter in a 4-0 win over Chico State on Saturday, giving up a pinch-hit single to Abel Alcantar in the ninth inning.
Yasuhara, Chico State’s leadoff hitter and a 2008 Waiakea graduate, batted 0 for 3 against Gunkel, who walked two and struck out two. The senior shortstop was hit by a pitch, his 20th bean of the season.
He didn’t play in the game against Minnesota State, which snuffed out a late ninth-inning rally with the tying run on third and two out, registering a game-ending strikeout.
Yasuhara finished his final collegiate season with a .262 batting average, 21 RBIs and a .408 on-base percentage. His 20 hit by pitches were second on the team.
The Wildcats (40-19) won their fifth straight California Collegiate Athletic Association regular-season title, and captured the NCAA West Regional to reach the World Series for the eighth time in the last 16 years.
It’s the second time Yasuhara has fallen short of winning a World Series title.
He was on the Hilo All-Star Senior League (ages 15-16) team in 2007 — along with Kolten Wong and Blake Amaral — that lost to Venezuela 5-4 in the semifinals.
However, he is the first player from Hilo to reach the Senior League and College World Series.
Baseball
• Ohlone (Fremont, Calif.) College right-hander Sheldon Shishido (’09 Waiakea) was named to the California Community College Baseball Coaches Association all-conference second team as a relief pitcher.
In his sophomore season, Shishido had a 1-0 record with one save and a 3.21 ERA in 28 innings over 17 games. He allowed 26 hits and four walks and struck out 13.
The Renegades went 28-14, including 20-4 in their conference. They lost in the super-regionals to Consumnes River College, the eventual state champion.
This summer Shishido was invited to play for the Orange County Pioneers of the California Collegiate League, rated as one of the top summer leagues behind the Cape Cod, Alaskan and NY-Penn League.
• Softball
Pacific Lutheran freshman catcher Kylee Oshiro, formerly of Hilo, was on the Lutes’ Division III championship team, which blanked defending champion Linfield 3-0 for the title last Monday at Salem, Va.
Oshiro, who didn’t play in the championship, batted .346 in 26 at-bats as the back-up. The starting catcher is Katie Lowery, a sophomore, who hit .295 in 180 at-bats.