Sunday, June 17, 2001

[ PREP BASEBALL ]

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West Oahu stocked
with Best of the West

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By Jason Kaneshiro
jkaneshiro@starbulletin.com

After battling each other for the state championship this spring, many of Hawaii's high school baseball stars will play for state pride this summer in the Best of the West Tournament.

Four Hawaii teams, made primarily of high school seniors and college freshmen, will join squads from Southern California, Washington, Maryland and Arizona in the 10-team field.

The week-long baseball fest opens June 25 and runs through July 1. This year's event marks the 10th anniversary of the 19-and-under age group tournament.

Games will be played at Aloha Stadium and Ala Wai Field.

West Oahu, coached by Ivan Yamasaki, returns to defend its tournament title led by several members of Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion and state tournament runner-up Mid-Pacific.

The West Oahu roster includes Owls pitchers Ricky Bauer and Ryan Basco, second baseman Isaac Omura, shortstop Dane Marcouiller and outfielders Kyle Yanabu and Kevin Kahn. Also taking the field for West Oahu will be Molokai pitcher Keahi Rawlins and Maui infielder Royce Fukuroku.

Leeward makes its fifth appearance in the tournament, while the Hawaiian Roughriders and a team known simply as Hawaii will make their first.

Southern California will be represented by the California Knights and Western All-Stars. Desert Mountain and Saguaro make up the Arizona contingent and Yakima will bring some of Washington's best to the islands.

The Baseball Factory, based in Ellicot City, Md., will feature select players from across the country.

Schuman rookie of year

Alex Schuman, a freshman at Maryknoll High School, was named Rookie of the Year following his performance at the Hawaii High School Rodeo Association's state championship at Parker Ranch on the Big Island.

Schuman won the boys cutting and calf roping competitions. He also placed third in team roping and bullriding en route to being named the all-around and Hawaii's Own reserve champion.

Seariders to nationals

In its first year of existence, the Waianae High School surfing team has already won a state championship. The team is now preparing to take on the nation's best at the United States Surfing Federation Amateur Surfing Championships July 9-15 in Oceanside, Calif.

The aptly named Seariders will compete against squads from California, Texas, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina in bodyboarding, shortboarding and longboarding. Members of the team are captain Miku Uemura, Mio Uemura, Chantel Navarro, Kainalu Froiseth, Francis Savea, Jericho Kahoonei-Leedy and Sunsea Ferguson.

Waianae qualified for the national championships by winning all three of its Hawaii Amateur Surfing Association meets this year, beating teams from Roosevelt and Kalaheo for the state title.

Tsutsumi picks Dana

Castle High wrestler Brian Tsutsumi Jr. has signed a letter of intent to attend Dana College in Nebraska.

Tsutsumi finished second in the 130-pound division at the state championships in February. His only loss of the season came against St. Louis' Travis Lee in the state finals.

Dunnings to Jr. Olympics

Kalihi's Glenn Dunnings, a Farrington High junior, will compete at the U.S. Junior Olympic boxing nationals beginning Tuesday in Marquette, Mich. Dunnings, a member of the Hawaii Warriors Boxing Club, is in the 139-pound weight class.

2 heading to Santa Clara

Iolani School graduate Mark Oda and Punahou School graduate Grant Allison have signed letters of intent to play water polo at Santa Clara (Calif.) University.

Broncos coach Steve Hanson said he expects Oda, a driver, and Allison, a utility player, to contribute immediately.