Kansas star and Hilo alum Maui Ahuna enters transfer portal

Hilo High alumnus Maui Ahuna, who completed his second season at Kansas over the weekend, confirmed to the Star-Advertiser on Tuesday he is entering the transfer portal.

Ahuna, who started 53 of 55 games for the Jayhawks during his sophomore season, led the team with a .396 batting average, finishing with 16 doubles, four triples, eight home runs and 48 RBIs with 42 runs scored. He also led Kansas with 13 stolen bases in 17 attempts.

Kansas finished the season 20-35 and 4-20 in Big 12 play. Coach Ritch Price announced his retirement after the final game of the season Sunday against Texas after 20 years leading the Jayhawks.

“It was emotional those last couple of games,” Ahuna said Tuesday night. “With Coach retiring and everything, I’m just going to see my options.”

Price recruited Hawaii hard during his time at Kansas, signing players out of high school including ‘Iolani’s Wally Marciel, Mililani’s Kaimana Souza-Paaluhi, Punahou’s Ka’iana Eldredge and Michael Suiter, Mid-Pacific’s Justin Protacio and Campbell’s Robert Kahana among others.

Ahuna, whose .396 batting average this season is the highest by a KU player since 1997, is regarded as a top draft prospect for 2023.

D1baseball.com ranks him as the No. 36 prospect in the 2023 draft class and Baseball America had him as the No. 4 MLB Draft prospect in the Big 12.

He’s currently home in Hilo waiting to figure out his summer plans. If he doesn’t make the Team USA Collegiate National Team roster, he said he will play for the Falmouth Commodores in the Cape Cod League.