KS-Hawai’i Earns Top Seed in State DII Baseball Tourney

Kamehameha-Hawai’i poses for a championship picture after defeating Konawaena on Saturday. Photo courtesy: KS-Hawai’i athletics.

Kamehameha-Hawai’i will have the “home island” advantage in its quest to win an elusive state baseball championship.

The top seed in next week’s Wally Yonamine Foundation/Hawai’i High School Athletic Association Division II State Baseball Championship went to Kamehameha-Hawai’i, the regular season and overall champion in the Big Island Interscholastic Federation.

Kamehameha-Hawai’i has gone winless in three appearances in the state title game, last losing to Maryknoll in 2014 by the score of 4-0. A year earlier, the Warriors were trounced by Maryknoll 14-0, and in 2010, Kamehameha-Hawai’i lost a 9-0 lead and fell 11-10 to Waimea out of the Kauai Interscholastic Federation.

Kalaheo will be the first opponent for Kamehameha-Hawai’i. Both teams will meet at 7 p.m. at Francis Wong Stadium in Hilo. The winner will face either St. Francis or fourth-seeded Moloka’i. Both teams play at 4:30 p.m.

BIIF runner-up Konawaena was placed on the opposite side of the bracket. The Wildcats will face Oahu Interscholastic Association champion Kapolei, the tournament’s third-seeded squad, at 2 p.m. on Thursday. The winner of that game will face the winner of second-seeded Kauai and Radford, which gets underway at 11 a.m.

The championship game will be played on Saturday night at 7 p.m. It will be broadcast on ESPN Radio stations AM 850 in Hilo, AM 790 in Kona, ESPNHawaii.com, and the ESPN Radio app.

Wally Yonamine Foundation/Hawai’i High School Athletic Association Division II State Baseball Tournament schedule

All games at Francis Wong Stadium

Thursday, May 5

Radford vs. #2 Kaua’i – 11:30 a.m.

Konawaena vs. #3 Kapolei – 2:00 p.m. (ESPNHawaii.com)

St. Francis vs. #4 Moloka’i – 4:30 p.m. (ESPNHawaii.com and ESPNMaui.com)

Kalaheo vs. #1 Kamehameha-Hawai’i – 7:00 p.m. (ESPNHawaii.com)

Friday, May 6

Kaua’i/Radford loser vs. Konawaena/Kapolei loser – 11:15 a.m.

Kalaheo/Kamehameha-Hawai’i loser vs. St. Francis/Moloka’i loser – 1:45 p.m.

Kaua’i/Radford winner vs. Konawaena/Kapolei winner – 4:15 p.m.

Kalaheo/Kamehameha-Hawai’i winner vs. St. Francis/Moloka’i winner – 7 p.m. (ESPNHawaii.com)

Saturday, May 7

Fifth place game – 1:30 p.m.

Third place game – 4 p.m.

Championship game – 7 p.m. (ESPNHawaii.com)