One of the busier weekends on the Big Island Interscholastic Federation calender begins Friday with a busy day of baseball.
Of the eight BIIF spring sports, only golf is taking the next two days off, and it tees off again Tuesday.
While the baseball playoffs begin Friday, team championships will be handed out in tennis and judo on Saturday.
In addition, there will be a playoff atmosphere surrounding UH-Hilo softball, and Vulcans baseball plays its penultimate home series as well.
Next weekend actually promises to be even busier, but first things first:
BIIF baseball
In the second year of the BIIF’s best-of-three semifinal format, four noon doubleheaders are on tap Friday, and at least two of the matchups are a surprise.
Hilo (5-4) and Waiakea (8-1) are meeting in the Division I semifinals for the first time since Kamehameha dropped down to Division I before the 2010 season. Waiakea already owns a berth at the HHSAA tournament and is well-armed for doubleheaders with right-handers Caleb Freitas-Field and Makoa Andres.
If the Warriors end their rival’s season it will open up a golden opportunity for either Keaau (6-3) or Kealakehe (6-3), neither has been to states.
Of the four semifinals, the Waveriders and Cougars are as likely as any to extend to a Game 3, which would be at 1 p.m. Saturday. Kealakehe is hosting by virtue of a 5-4, walk-off victory March 28 against Keaau, which is the kind of game the Waveriders have been winning all season.
The Cougars offer an interesting lefty-right combo in pitchers Justin Quesada and Keian Kanetani, but both will be challenged by Markus Degrate in the middle of Kealakehe’s order.
In Division II, Kohala (3-6) got back to the postseason by being competitive against every team team that doesn’t have the nickname Warriors. But the Cowboys slumped late and lost home-field advantage to Konawaena (3-5-1), which is looking to get back to states after a year’s absence.
On paper, Hawaii Prep (3-6) and Kamehameha (8-1) are the biggest mismatch. The Warriors won the regular-season meeting 15-0, but Ka Makani won their last two to get in the postseason.
BIIF tennis
Waiakea and Kohala tried to complete the playoff picture ahead the team semifinals and finals, but rain struck at the Warriors’ courts for the second consecutive day.
Play will pick up Friday at Mauna Kea Resort, with the Waiakea girls leading 2-1 and the boys tied 2-2.
Six teams await Saturday at Holua Resort in Keauhou. The top-seeded Hawaii Prep boys and Konawaena girls are both unbeaten and have strength at the top of their lineup and depth all around.
If the Waiakea girls hold on Friday, they would face second-seeded HPA in the semis, leaving Kealakehe to play the Wildcats.
The boys winner Friday draws Ka Makani, while Kealakehe and Konawaena play in the other semifinal.
BIIF softball
Kamehameha (8-0) and Keaau (6-2) were postponed by rain for the second consecutive day Thursday, and they’ll try again Tuesday. A Warriors’ victory would likely mean both state berths in Division I would be up for grabs at BIIFs.
Waiakea (6-3) needs to beat Honokaa and Saturday and hope for another Cougars loss to grab the top seed.
The Division II playoff matchups are set, but Kohala’s trip to Kamehameha on Saturday could be a potential BIIF championship preview.
BIIF judo
The team championships are at Konawaena for the second consecutive season, starting at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.
Waiakea is the four-time boys champion, while the Hilo girls dethroned Kamehameha last year.
Judging by depth, the Vikings and Warriors and their full rosters will be the teams to beat this time around.
BIIF track and field
The sport has a healthy regular season this year with eight qualifiers, and the second trip to Keaau High (2 p.m. field start/3 p.m. track) is No. 6.
Hawaii Prep’s Emma Taylor and Kealakehe’s Nicole Cristobal enter ranked No. 1 in the state in their events.
Taylor ran the 100 hurdles in 15.35 last week on Maui, while Cristobal reached 35 feet, 11 inches in the triple jump April 4.
BIIF volleyball
With a week still to go in the regular season, Konawaena travels to play Waiakea on Saturday and needs a victory to stay on the heels of first-place Ka’u in Division II.
The Warriors, meanwhile, are in a three-way tie with Hilo and Kealakehe for second in Division I. But because Waiakea’s victory against the Vikings came in five sets, it could lose the head-to-head tiebreaker and have to face unbeaten Kamehameha in the semifinals.
Kohala visits Christian Liberty on Saturday with a chance bolster its D-II playoff prospects.
BIIF water polo
Hawaii Prep hosts an abbreviated schedule, taking on Hilo (0-8) at 9 a.m., and with a win Ka Makani would equal Kamehameha with a 9-1 record and deny the Warriors an automatic state berth.
The Vikings and Kealakehe conclude the regular season at 11:30 a.m.
UH-Hilo softball
The Vulcans (28-16, 17-10 Pacific West Conference) are where they need to be after debuting with the No. 8 rank in Wednesday’s West Region poll.
The next step is to take care of business at home in a noon doubleheader Saturday against Chaminade (10-34, 9-19).
UH-Hilo baseball
The Vulcans (7-30, 4-22 PacWest) and Hawaii Pacific (18-19, 11-15) meet in a six-game series for the second consecutive weekend, but the scene shifts to Wong Stadium for doubleheaders Friday ( 3 p.m.), Saturday (10 a.m.) and Sunday (noon).
UH-Hilo beat the Sharks only once last weekend, but it did receive three strong pitching performances and has the hot bat of senior Sam Kim, who’s hitting .347.
Konawaena graduates Ryan Torres-Torioka, a sophomore infielder who’s batting .323, and right-hander Dorian Rivera make their homecomings.
