Athletes from Hawaii schools earn honors

Six baseball players playing for schools in Hawaii claimed spots on the All-Pacific West Conference baseball team, which was announced on Monday.

Hawaii Pacific second baseman Nicholas Jio and Hawaii Hilo designated hitter Joseph Gallagher led the way with first-team selections.

Jio, a sophomore, played in all 44 games, starting in 43. He led the Sharks with 55 hits and 33 runs scored while batting .346. His batting average was ranked second on the team and placed him in the top three among PacWest infielders. He was second on the team with 25 RBIs, while collecting seven doubles, two triples and two inside-the-park home runs.

Gallagher, who transferred to Hawaii Hilo from Hawaii Pacific, made a big impact as the clean-up hitter for his new squad. He averaged .348, racking up 57 hits, 13 doubles, one triple and six home runs. He also drove in 39 runs. Gallagher had 17 multi-hit games, including a season-best five hits against his former team.

Hawaii Pacific’s D.J. Stephens earned a second-team selection, while Casey Yamauchi (Hawaii Hilo), Cole Kashimoto (Hawaii Pacific) and Jack O’Brien (Hawaii Pacific) earned third-team honors.