It’s taken nearly a decade, but the Mid-Pacific Owls are perched and prepared to seize a state baseball crown.

Despite a rough beginning, Brent Sakurai tossed a four-hitter as the second-seeded Owls edged third-seeded Campbell 2-1 under overcast skies at Iron Maehara Stadium on Friday.

The win propelled ILH champion Mid-Pacific (13-4) into the Division I championship game of the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA Baseball State Championships, where the Owls will face Mililani, an 8-6 winner over Hilo in Friday’s late game. It’s MPI’s first trip to the final since 2004, when Punahou began a run of seven state titles in a row. MPI last won the state crown in 2002, defeating Kamehameha.

"We worked all season for this and we finally get our opportunity. It was hard the last two years, going out in the quarterfinals," Sakurai said. "We had to stay healthy this year. We were sick last year (during the state tourney)."

Sakurai and his fellow seniors were freshman the last time the Owls reached the semifinal round. On Friday, he wasn’t overly confident in warmups, and he hit batters to start the first and second innings, and walked the leadoff man in the third.

"I just threw what my catcher (Marcus Doi) called. I had trust in him and our team," said Sakurai, who normally starts at third base.

He was efficient, throwing just 70 pitches for the game. He struck out six and walked none, outdueling Campbell sophomore Ian Kahaloa, who threw a four-hitter with three strikeouts and three walks.

"Sakurai kept us off balance. He mixed speeds well and he’s a fiery, competitive guy," Campbell coach Rory Pico said. "He spotted his pitches well, moving balls away and in."

Owls coach Dunn Muramaru was satisfied.

"I like exactly what we did tonight. Brent pitched well," he said. "We have a good idea what we have to do. The kids understand. We’ve got one more game. We’ll see."

MPI broke the ice in the bottom of the fourth, when Bryce Asao golfed a low fastball into right field for a single, scoring courtesy runner Bryce Nagata from third base. On the same play, right fielder Brannon Okinaka muffed the ball, allowing Asao to advance to second.

"I had two strikes and I just wanted to make contact, so I wouldn’t strike out," Asao said.

After Sakurai singled, MPI had runners at the corners when Muramaru, the third-base coach, called for a delayed steal. Courtesy runner Ryan Murata danced off first base and drew the throw from home plate to second base. In the ensuing rundown, first baseman Rayven Kahana dropped a throw from shortstop Dylan Ramie, permitting Asao to score from third to give the Owls a 2-0 lead.

"Usually I get pinch-run for," Asao added.

The Sabers finally got to Sakurai in the top of the sixth. Dewayne Sprinkel led off with a single and Alii Pedrina followed with a chopper that went over the head of MPI third baseman Tyler Yamaguchi for another single. After a sacrifice bunt by Okinaka, Jasten Smeigh’s sacrifice fly to center brought Sprinkel home. With Pedrina at third, however, Sakurai struck out Kahana to end the inning.

MPI had a scoring opportunity in the bottom of the sixth. Doi was at second base when Asao ripped a single to center, where Pedrina rifled a bullet on the fly to catcher Tryzen Patricio to nab Doi about 5 feet from home plate.