The University of Hawaii baseball team’s future is an eight-minute drive away.
Right-handed pitcher Zac Tenn is the second ‘Iolani School player to accept a 2022 offer from the Rainbow Warriors. Tenn will join shortstop Tate Shimao, who is widely regarded as the state’s top 2022 prospect.
Tenn said his decision stems from “a really great relationship with the coaches.”
He added: “I felt it was an opportunity to play at home and in front of my family. It was a chance I really couldn’t pass on.”
This fall, the 6-foot-1 Tenn has pitched with success in several tournaments in Arizona. At the Arizona Junior Fall Classic in October, Tenn’s fastball was clocked at 87 mph.
In youth leagues, Tenn began to develop a change-up. “I’m super comfortable with the grip,” Tenn said.
Under pitching coach Ashkon Kuhaulua’s guidance, Tenn has added a curveball and slider to his repertoire. “Playing catch with (the slider) a lot made me more comfortable with the grip,” Tenn said. “I got the pitch down, and I can throw it whenever I want now.”
Tenn said he grew up playing several sports. He is a forward on ‘Iolani’s basketball team. But he has the most success in baseball. The first time he pitched in a game was in a Mustang league. He pitched an inning, striking out the side.
“I really started to like baseball,” said Tenn, who appreciates the art of pitching, “I guess I get to be in the moment. You get to control the game, and what the batters do, which is good. Which is what I like.”
Tenn said he grew up attending UH baseball games. As a youth, he would go down to the field for postgame autographs from the ’Bows.
“I thought the world of them,” Tenn said. “To be able to be in that spot (in 2022), and have younger kids down here look up to us, is super cool.”
Tenn said he looks forward to remaining as Shimao’s teammate after high school. “I get to play with him another three or four years,” Tenn said.
In pledging to UH, Tenn is passing up offers from other schools “I felt it was the right time to commit to Hawaii,” he said. “It was an opportunity I wanted to take, and have it done already.”
