Maui All Stars capture AJA state championship
Tournament MVP Edison Sakata of Maui bats during the AJA state tournament last weekend at Les Murakami Stadium in Honolulu. Maui defeated Oahu 11-7 on Sunday to claim its fourth title in 86 editions of the championship. Stephen Kato photos
Maui’s Jarin Hayase delivers a pitch during a 5-1 win over Kauai in the semifinals Saturday.
Maui players pose for photos after their championship win Sunday at Les Murakami Stadium.
Tournament MVP Edison Sakata of Maui bats during the AJA state tournament last weekend at Les Murakami Stadium in Honolulu. Maui defeated Oahu 11-7 on Sunday to claim its fourth title in 86 editions of the championship. Stephen Kato photos
Maui’s Jarin Hayase delivers a pitch during a 5-1 win over Kauai in the semifinals Saturday.
Maui players pose for photos after their championship win Sunday at Les Murakami Stadium.
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The Maui News
For just the fourth time in 86 tournaments, the Maui AJA All Stars won the Hawaii State AJA Baseball Championship Tournament title with an 11-7 win over Oahu on Sunday at Les Murakami Stadium in Honolulu.
The Maui team, which featured 13 players from regular-season champion Happy Hour on its 22-player roster, reached the championship game with a 5-1 win over Kauai on Saturday. The Maui team was filled with numerous former Maui Interscholastic League All-Stars, many of whom were college standouts as well.
Former Baldwin High School standout Brock Shishido fired a complete-game 11-hitter in the championship game. Shishido was The Maui News MIL Boy Athlete of the Year in 2009-10.
Edison Sakata, the Maui AJA Most Valuable Player in the regular season for Happy Hour, led the Valley Isle nine in the championship game at the plate along with Bryant Nakagawa.
Sakata was 3 for 6 with a double and two runs, while Nakagawa was 3 for 4 with three RBIs. Ceejay Santos and Mo Lau Hee each had two hits and scored twice in the title game for Maui -- Santos also had a triple and two RBIs.
In the win over Kauai, Jarin Hayase went the nine-inning distance on the mound to pick up the win. He allowed 11 hits. Sakata and Lau Hee were each 2 for 5 at the plate in the Kauai game.
Sakata also earned MVP honors for the state tournament.
Maui's other state titles came in 2008, a team that was made up mostly of Daimyo players; 1988, when it was led by Kahului; and 1961 when Puunene had the most players on the roster.
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At Murakami Stadium, Oahu
Semifinals
Saturday's Result
• MAUI 5, KAUAI 1
Kauai 100 000 000--1 11 1
Maui 400 001 00x--5 8 1
Travis Shigeta and Theron Shigematsu; Jarin Hayase and Bryant Nakagawa. W--Hayase. L--Shigeta. 2B--Kauai, Shigematsu.
Leading hitters--Kauai, Christian Largo 3-4; Shigeta 2-4, RBI; Shigematsu 2-4; D.J. Lacaden 2-5. Maui, Edison Sakata 2-5; Mo Lau Hee 2-5.
Championship
Sunday's Result
• MAUI 11, OAHU 7
Maui 300 340 010--11 14 0
Oahu 011 000 311-- 7 11 2
Brock Shishido and Bryant Nakagawa; Eric Awaya, Reece Kiriu (4), Shaun Kiriu (5), Seamus Yoneshige (6)Skyler Yamamoto (7), J.R. Bunda (9) and Colin Sakamoto, Trey Saito (5). W--Shishido. L--Awaya. 2B--Maui, Edison Sakata. 3B--Maui, Ceejay Santos.
Leading hitters--Maui, Sakata 3-5, 2 runs; Nakagawa 3-4, 3 RBIs; Santos 2-4, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Mo Lau Hee 2-3, 2 runs, RBI. Oahu, Ivan Fujii 3-3, 2 runs, RBI; Bryson Nakamura 3-5; Brent Sakurai 2-5, run.