Saint Louis grabs D-I baseball title over Waiakea

WAILUKU >> Achy all over, but primed for the big lights.

The Saint Louis Crusaders captured their first baseball state title since 2014 as Lincoln Pang hurled a three-hitter and his team played error-free defense in a 5-0 win over Waiakea on Saturday night at Iron Maehara Stadium.

“I just came in the game with the right mentality. In the (pre-game) pen, I was spotting the fastball,” Pang said. “I battled through and I loved that my teammates had my back the whole way through, and we came out on top. It’s a dream come true.”

Saint Louis, the third-place team from the ILH, finished 20-8-1 overall. It is the first state crown under coach Benny Agbayani, who celebrated with a long hug with his son, senior shortstop Bruin Agbayani. When he was the softball coach at ‘Iolani, he coached his daughters and the Raiders to a state championship.

“I didn’t do it. The kids did it. All we can do is prepare them,” Coach Agbayani said. “I think a lot of people counted us out, but these kids believed in themselves and they did it.”

Saint Louis had hitting prowess all season, but the defense and pitching rose to a new level with each week.

“Coach Danny (Lee) and coach Trey Yukumoto, they’ve been working with that infield, trying to make them the best they can be. They just work hard,” Coach Agbayani said. “We don’t even practice on a regular baseball field. We practice on a football field.”

The Crusaders caught their coach by surprise, drenching him with a Gatorade shower after the game.

“I got to coach my daughters to a state championship, and I told my son, call your sisters up and tell them you won a state championship, too,” he said.

Bruin is set to play for Michigan next year, but is also projected to be a high MLB draft pick.

“It’s a heck of a job by Lincoln. All our tournament pitchers stepped up,” Bruin Agbayani said.

Waiakea came into the final extremely hot after knocking out Kaiser and Baldwin. Zian Wery threw five innings of very effective relief, but the Warriors couldn’t get their bats going.

“Saint Louis played well. They’re a great team, well coached. Hat’s off to them. Nothing but respect for their program,” Waiakea coach Chris Honda said.

Waiakea (12-5-2) returns a bulk of pitching next season.

Pang got into a jam in the top of the first. Teysen Tamiya singled and Ivor Brooks walked, and with two outs and the runners at third and second, Clemson Julian’s comebacker caromed off Pang and Agbayani, the shortstop, made the hustle play. His throw to first ended the inning.

Despite a rare strikeout of Agbayani, Saint Louis got on the scoreboard against Waiakea pitcher Jerrell Alston. Kahanu Martinez led off with a walk and stole second base as Agbayani swung and missed at strike three. With Mana Heffernan at the plate, Martinez stole third base. Heffernan then lined a single to center, plating Martinez for a 1-0 lead.

Alston was deliberate and fanned Deagan Kawahakui for the second out, but Chase Sutherland’s opposite-field single to right brought Heffernan home from second base for a 2-0 Saint Louis lead.

After Laakea Correa walked, the bases were loaded, but Alston retired Drake Kenoi on an infield fly to end the inning.

In the bottom of the fifth, Bruin Agbayani led off with a single, Heffernan singled on a bunt and Ka‘ili Kane loaded the bases with an infield single. Kawahakui’s groundout to first allowed Agbayani to score for a 3-0 lead.

The Crusaders tacked two more runs in the sixth on an RBI single by Kahanu Martinez and an RBI triple by Agbayani.

Iron was unkind for hometown teams in Friday’s semifinals as both MIL entries succumbed. Saint Louis ousted MIL champion Kamehameha-Maui, 6-1, and Waiakea eliminated MIL runner-up Baldwin, 1-0.

Like Waiakea, Saint Louis owns two state-championship trophies. The first was in 1974, a 4-2 win over Aiea. The second was in 2014, a 10-0 victory over Mililani.

Waiakea won state crowns in 2012 and ’22.

The last time Waiakea and Saint Louis met in the state tournament was in the 2022 semifinal round at Iron Maehara. The Warriors won, 5-4, then edged top seed Baldwin, 3-2, for their second state championship.

Prior to that, they met in the opening round of the 2019 state tourney and Waiakea prevailed, 9-4.

In 2014, unseeded Saint Louis blanked Waiakea, 2-0, in the quarterfinals. The Crusaders went on to capture the state title at Les Murakami Stadium.

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At Iron Maehara Stadium

Saturday

Consolation

G15: Kamehameha-Hawaii 5, Kailua 3,

6 inn.

Fifth Place

G16: Kamehameha 11, Mililani 2

Third Place

G17: Kamehameha-Maui 7, Baldwin 4

Final

G18: Saint Louis 5, Waiakea 0