State softball tournament opens Monday with ‘Iolani, Kapolei as top seeds

Some things in life are best when they are surprises.

Others are just as simple as Mother’s Day with a small circle.

“It’s just being around my mom,” Kapolei interim coach Enson Queypo said on Sunday afternoon. “She’s 75 years old. Just being here with my family is what’s important to me. Being a coach, sometimes it’s hard, but days like this, you take a step back and enjoy your family.”

Kapolei is one of the many pleasant surprises this softball season. The Hurricanes have arrived as the second seed in this week’s Datahouse/HHSAA Softball Division I State Championships that begin today. The D-I bracket, led by top-seeded defending champion ‘Iolani, begins at noon at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

“We’re trying to keep it really basic, get our practices in, and it’s really good that we’re not having to wait until Wednesday,” Queypo said. “We gave them (last week) Monday off to let them restart their brains a little. I think we’re ready to go.”

‘Iolani continuously evolved after each loss in the rough-and-tumble ILH to emerge as the top team.

“We’re not peaking, but we’re playing well. You don’t want to peak too fast, but be consistent,” Raiders coach Benny Agbayani said. “The girls did well. We did what we needed to do with runners in scoring positions and everything fell into our favor.”

The D-II bracket begins on Wednesday at Patsy Mink Field in Kahului. Hawaii Prep, which stormed through the BIIF with a perfect 8-0 mark, is the top seed.

‘Iolani eked out the D-I top seed after outlasting a shark’s tank of competition in the ILH. The Raiders are 21-4 overall, including two playoff wins over Maryknoll to capture the league crown.

In the Star-Advertiser Top 10, the Raiders shared the No. 1 ranking with OIA champion Kapolei (14-4-1). MIL champion Baldwin (15-2-1) is seeded third and BIIF champion Kealakehe (5-0) is fourth.

All four seeded teams have a bye until Tuesday’s quarterfinal round.

Today, Hilo and Kaiser lead off the tourney at noon, followed by Maui and Campbell at 2:30 p.m., Mililani and Kalani at 5 p.m., and Maryknoll and Leilehua at 7:30 p.m.

“I know Maui is scrappy. Coach (Napa) Kaupe (Maui co-head coach) and coach Shag (Hermosura of Campbell) are good coaches and will get their teams ready. Shag is always in the state tournament and he knows how to get them ready,” Agbayani said. “It’s who gets the lucky breaks and who plays well.”

The Vikings or Cougars will have the challenge of facing fire-hot Kapolei ace Jerzie Liana. It was debatable whether Kapolei was deserving of a higher seed. In the end, the HHSAA seeding committee, as usual, relied on historical data.

“To me, it really doesn’t matter being the top seed or not,” Queypo said. “I think they have it right. ‘Iolani is the defending champions if you look back before the pandemic. To be the champ, you have to beat the champ. I do think we have a legitimate shot this year.”

The D-II bracket starts on Wednesday with Honokaa and Aiea at noon, followed by Kamehameha-Hawaii and Kaimuki at 2:15 p.m., Nanakuli and Waimea at 4:30 p.m., and Lanai against Waialua at 7 p.m.

Top seed HPA will play the Nanakuli-Waimea winner on Thursday. ILH champion and fourth seed Pac-Five will take on the Lanai-Waialua winner. Second seed Kapaa will play Honokaa or Aiea, and third seed Waipahu will face KS-Hawaii or Kaimuki.