The Big Island Wood Bat Academy league is getting ready to play ball.
Under hitting coach Kaha Wong’s umbrella, the BIWBA league starts Saturday, featuring teams from Hilo, Waiakea, Kamehameha, Hawaii Prep, Kealakehe, and a combined Honokaa and Konawaena squad.
The league is not sponsored by the BIIF but has the league’s players who will use their school’s name and follow BIIF rules, aluminum bats and seven innings for example. The BIWBA is following state coronavirus protocols, and fans will not be allowed.
Hilo coach Baba Lancaster was appreciative of his old pal, Wong.
“I’m grateful,” he said. “At least the kids can play after they had two years of nothing to do. Kaha making this league is good for the kids, especially the seniors.”
Kelden Ogawa is one senior who’ll be in for a surprise. Lancaster hasn’t had a chance to inform Ogawa about the league yet.
“Today (Monday) we finally practiced on a field,” he said. “The boys were rusty, but I liked what I saw. It was Kelden’s first practice in three months. We practiced at Carvalho Park and finally did field work.”
The Vikings followed the alternating-year tradition and won the BIIF title in 2019. They tied for third at the HHSAA Division I tournament on Maui.
Since 2012, Waiakea and Hilo have taken turns capturing the BIIF crown. Both the Warriors and Vikings had power-packed lineups for a 2020 season that was cut short by the pandemic. Waiakea had Kalai Rosario, who’s now with the Minnesota Twins’ organization, Safea Villaruz-Mauai (UH Manoa), Stone Miyao (UH Manoa), Ty Honda (UHH) and Rysen Ross (UHH). Hilo featured Ocean Gabonia (New York Yankees) and Maui Ahuna (Kansas).
Lancaster noted that Wong’s league came right in the nick of time.
“We were going to try and do something,” he said. “We were going to do scrimmages, but Kaha came up with the league at the perfect time.”
It was business as usual for Kamehameha in 2019. The Warriors seized their eighth straight BIIF Division II crown and tied for third at states.
That roster featured Tai Atkins (UH Manoa) and Zakaia Michaels (HPU). After two years, Hanalei Warren is the only senior on the roster.
“He just came back from Arizona, where he was playing in a tournament,” Kamehameha coach Andy Correa said. “We’re looking at about six games, so he’ll be looking forward to getting some games in. The kids will enjoy it, getting out but it will be different. It’ll benefit the kids. They just want to go out and play again.”
Like everybody, the Warriors have had to deal with Hilo’s wet weather.
“We started practice a month ago,” Correa said. “We had five practices, and it rained every day. We practiced today (Monday), the first time in three weeks. But everybody is in the same boat. Most of us will rely on the kids who have played in the wood bat league.
“We’ll make it work. It’ll be interesting baseball. That’s for sure.”
There are two games scheduled Saturday at HPA, one a junior varsity tilt and the other between Honokaa and Ka Makani. On April 10 at Honokaa, Kealakehe plays Hilo and Honokaa faces Waiakea.
To view the schedule, visit https://sites.google.com/view/biwba/home