For Mason Hirata and his friends, it’s their turn to swing away and try to add to the Hilo Broncos’ PONY Baseball legacy.
The task at hand for this year’s 11- and 12-year-old all-star team is different from the past six in that none of those swings will take place at Walter Victor Stadium.
Instead, Hilo hits the road Saturday to take on West Hawaii Island in a best-of-three island championship series that starts with an 11:30 a.m. doubleheader at Waimea Baseball Field.
The sectional champ advances to the state PONY tournament, where a Hilo team has advanced to the title game the past six summers, grabbing regional titles in 2011 then three straight from 2013-15.
“I think they are aware of what has happened and the past (Bronco) success,” Gregg Hirata, this year’s Hilo coach, said.
Some of his players, including youngest son Mason, have made waves in their own right with Shon Malani-coached teams that have advanced to the Pinto World Series and the Mustang 9s regional on the mainland, as well as with Malani’s club team, Hui Aumakua.
“They have all-star experience and I think we’re pretty well-rounded,” Gregg Hirata said. “We have pretty good hitting and decent pitching.
“Just a good group of kids and parents.”
West Hawaii is coached by Andrew Akau, who guided Waimea a runner-up finish Monday at the Kona PONY Memorial Day Tournament.
‘That’s a good team,” Malani said.
Should a Game 3 be necessary, it’s scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Sunday. All of the PONY state tournament this season will be held on Oahu.
Once a summer hotbed, this marks the first time in a number of years that Hilo won’t host a sectional or regional. All four of those Hilo Bronco state titles came in tournaments held at the friendly confines of Walter Victor – Gregg Hirata’s middle son, Devon, who just finished his sophomore season at Waiakea, was a member of the 2014 champ.
“There is no better place to host,” the elder Hirata said of Walter Victor.
While he’ll have a chance to watch a second son reach for Bronco glory, his oldest son, Trevor, chose a different path to success, claiming three consecutive BIIF golf titles at Waiakea. He recently finished his freshman season at UH-Manoa.
• The only other Big Island-hosted tourney on tap is a three-team Mustang (9-10) sectional June 10-11 at Old Kona Airport Park that features two clubs from Hilo as well as West Hawaii Island. Malani’s Hilo entrant already has three state titles to its credit (two Pintos, one Mustang 9).
Little League
Little League gets into full playoff swing in early July with at least four tournaments on tap in Hilo:
• Districts (ages 8-10), June 30, TBA, and July 1-4, Walter Victor.
• Districts (ages 10-12), July 1-5, Walter Victor.
• Districts (13-14), July 1-3, Walter Victor.
• States (15-16), July 7-10, Wong Stadium.
• Dates and sites for softball tournaments have yet to be announced.
