Hawaii's top amateur draft prospect, a Mississippi team ranked nationally in 1996, and a California sectional champion are all featured in the 17th Dick Kitamura Preseason Prep Baseball Tournament, which opens tomorrow. Top talent in Kitamura tourney
By Pat Bigold
Star-BulletinIn openers at 3:30 p.m., Mid-Pacific hosts Waimea, Punahou takes on New Hope High (Miss.) at Ala Wai Field, Damien meets Marin Catholic (Calif.) at Joey DeSa Field, and Kamehameha is at Moanalua.
Kamehameha's Dane Sardinha, a catcher ranked as the No. 4 high school prospect by Baseball America, will be in the lineup for the Warriors despite a sore wrist and a sore shoulder.
He said he hurt his wrist when he fell down playing touch football and then hurt the shoulder throwing the baseball.
Instead of his familiar position behind the plate, Sardinha has been playing first base and designated hitter while his minor injuries heal.
The 6-foot, 200-pound Sardinha, who could go in the first or second round of the draft, said he has narrowed his college options to Pepperdine and Miami.
New Hope went 43-0 last year to win the Mississippi state title and was ranked No. 12 in the nation by USA Today.
The team has two draft prospects in right-handed pitcher Jeff Hunter and catcher/third baseman Robert Shelton.
New Hope will go up against two outstanding Hawaii seniors who have signed letters of intent with major college programs: first baseman Scooter Martines (Texas Tech) and right-handed pitcher Justin Wayne (Stanford).
Marin Catholic of Fairfax, Calif., which has a top prospect in third baseman John Jacobs, was the North Coast Section California II-A champion.
Nate Adams, who tended goal for the state championship Iolani soccer team, is the first Hawaii soccer player to be named to the Parade All-American High School Boys Soccer Team in the 19-year history of the selections. IOLANI GOALIE HONORED
Steven Grace, who earlier this year signed a letter of intent to play offensive line for the University of Arizona, became the state high school heavyweight wrestling champion last weekend in leading Kamehameha to its first state team title. WINNING WITH GRACE
An intriguing aspect of Grace's win was that he got it against St. Louis junior defensive lineman Sam Taulealea.
During the Interscholastic League of Honolulu football season, Grace twice lined up at center against Taulealea, who played nose guard in the Crusaders' five-man front.
"He has real strong legs," said Grace, who won three of the four matches he had with Taulealea during the wrestling season.
The Warriors dethroned Iolani, which was seeking its 11th state title but finished third.
McKinley, which finished second with three champions - 125-pounder Troy Fujiyama, 152-pounder Keola Kalama and 160-pounder Imi Richardson - got a little scare the morning of the semifinals.
"Keola suffered a shoulder pull while wrestling ILH champion Vail Minn and he couldn't raise his arm Saturday morning," said McKinley head coach Chris Johnson.
