For the first time since 1995, a team other than Molokai or Iolani will win the state high school baseball championship. Field wide open
Star-Bulletin staff
in state tournamentsAnd two-time defending girls basketball champ Kamehameha must win tonight just to have a chance to keep its crown.
The Hawaii High School Athletic Association announced the seedings for this weekend's baseball and girls basketball state tournaments yesterday, with several schools noticeable by their absence.
The tournaments -- normally 12-team events -- were scaled back to eight teams in the aftermath of the state teachers' strike. The new format left several perennial state title contenders out of the picture. Among them, Molokai, winner of the last two baseball titles, and Iolani, which won the three.championships prior to that.
The Kamehameha girls basketball team battles Iolani at 7 tonight at McCabe gym for a chance to continue its chase for a third straight championship.
Interscholastic League of Honolulu champions Mid-Pacific and Punahou are the top seeds for the baseball and girls basketball fields, respectively, while the rest of the berths will be decided by Wednesday. Both state tournaments start Friday.
Just one matchup is set for the first round of the state baseball tournament. Baldwin (10-1), the Maui Interscholastic League champion, will face St. Joseph's, the Big Island Interscholastic Federation runner-up, at 8:30 p.m. Friday at Hans L'Orange Park. The rest of the pairings will be determined by the outcome of tonight's Oahu Interscholastic Association third-place and championship games, and tomorrow's Kauai Interscholastic Federation title game.
Today's OIA doubleheader at Hans L'Orange starts with Kaiser facing Pearl City for third place at 4:30 p.m. The title contest between Kailua and Moanalua follows. Kauai and Waimea will meet tomorrow for the KIF title.
The rest of the state tournament lineup includes Mid-Pacific (15-3) taking on the OIA third-place team at 6 p.m. Friday in the first game of a doubleheader at Aloha Stadium. Waiakea (8-0), the BIIF champion, faces the OIA runner-up in the second game. The OIA and KIF champions meet in the 6 p.m. contest at Hans L'Orange.
The girls basketball picture is more cloudy. Punahou (12-1) and MIL champ Baldwin (11-0) are the only teams officially invited to the state tournament. Both teams are keeping a close eye on the OIA tournament, as Punahou faces the OIA third-place team at 7 p.m. Friday, while Baldwin will battle the runner-up at 8:30. Both games will be played at Kekuhaupio Gym.
The other first-round games will be played at McKinley gym, and will feature the OIA champion taking on the KIF champion at 7 p.m. and the BIIF champ taking on either Kamehameha (12-2) or Iolani (9-4) at 8:30.
The KIF championship game between Kauai (3-1) and Waimea (3-2) and the BIIF title contest between Honokaa (6-0) and Konawaena (5-1) will be played tomorrow.
The OIA will hold its semifinals tomorrow as well. Aiea (10-0) hosts Roosevelt (9-3), while Leilehua (9-1) travels to Kalaheo (11-0). The championship and third-place games are set for Wednesday at the Stan Sheriff Center.
State tourneys
Baseball
First round, Friday
At Aloha Stadium>> Mid-Pacific vs. Kaiser or Pearl City, 6 p.m.
>> Waiakea vs. Kailua or Moanalua, 8:30 p.m.At Hans L'Orange Park
>> Kailua or Moanalua vs. Kauai or Waimea, 6 p.m.
>> Baldwin vs. St. Joseph's, 8:30 p.m.
Girls basketball
First round, Friday
At McKinley>> OIA champion vs. KIF champion, 7 p.m.
>> BIIF champion vs. ILH No. 2, 8:30 p.m.At Kekuhaupio Gym
>> Punahou vs. OIA No. 3, 7 p.m.
>> Baldwin vs. OIA No. 2, 8:30 p.m.
Hawaii School Web Sites