Nanakuli forfeits its last 2 baseball games after grades come in
After three of its 10 players were placed on academic probation, the Nanakuli varsity baseball team has forfeited its final two games of the season. The decision affects last night's game against Radford and Saturday's contest against Kapolei.
Coach Joshua DeFreitas made the move after the players were placed on a two-week probationary period once the third quarter grades were released on Monday. According to Glenn Nitta, the Oahu Interscholastic Association's baseball coordinator, all student-athletes who receive an "F" grade, or accumulate a grade-point average of less than 2.0 are put on probation.
The Golden Hawks, who posted a league-worst 0-8 record prior to the forfeited games, had the opportunity to finish out the schedule, but DeFreitas chose not to elevate the six players remaining on the JV team so they can compete at that level next year.
The Nanakuli varsity baseball team has forfeited the remaining two games on its schedule, coach Joshua DeFreitas said yesterday.
The Golden Hawks held a league-worst 0-8 mark in the Oahu Interscholastic Association's Western Division prior to the forfeited games. They had 10 players on both the varsity and JV squads, but a recent third-quarter grade check rendered three varsity and four JV players ineligible.
DeFreitas decided to not elevate the eligible JV players to the varsity because they could not drop back down next season, leaving no other choice but to forfeit the games against Radford last night and Kapolei on Saturday.
"Baseball's not as strong on our side of the island, and most (experienced) players are in Waianae," DeFreitas said. "We have (just enough) players, just not the discipline. They were kind of down (when I addressed the team) because they were looking forward to finishing out the year."
According to OIA baseball coordinator Glenn Nitta, the third quarter grades were released on Monday, and any student-athlete with at least one "F" in a core-subject class, or a cumulative grade-point average of less than 2.0 was put on a two-week probationary period. Even if the players were to boost their grades, the season would be over by the time the probationary period is completed.
Prior to encountering the academic problems, DeFreitas had a hard enough time fielding a team. In addition to three members of the varsity program who were playing their first organized baseball this year, he brought on two members of the varsity softball team -- Jamie DeGuzman and Lynze Wakinekona -- to play second and first base.
"They held us up," said DeFreitas of DeGuzman, a senior in her second year on the team, and Wakinekona, a junior.
DeFreitas hopes the Nanakuli area's increasing interest in Little League and other baseball programs aimed at youngsters will help develop the talent and interest in one day playing for the high school.
"Through this experience, we are trying to get in the community and make ties with (youth) programs," he said. "We're hanging in there."