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SPORTS
Tyanna Misha
Kaaialii: Carreira:
Pearl City Mililani
Pitcher Pitcher
By Paul Honda
phonda@staradvertiser.com
T
echnique, strategy and
the cerebral connection
are crucial elements for
any state championship
team.
For three-peat titlist Camp-
bell, the X-factor was strength.
Brute, physical strength the
kind that leads to superior en-
durance for ace pitcher Dani
Cervantes, and immense power
at the plate for Jocelyn Alo. In-
telligence on and off the dia-
mond was another major asset.
Theyre good students, so
easy to coach. They pick up
things fast, longtime coach Mi-
chael Shag Hermosura said.
The individual results were
mind-bending for each senior as
they led an otherwise young Sa-
bers squad to a third straight
state crown. The panel of
coaches and media voted Alo as
the Star-Advertiser All-State posi-
tion player of the year. Cervantes
was voted pitcher of the year as
the Campbell batterymates were
selected to top honors for the
second season in a row.
Alo has been a risk-taker with
a taste for big challenges. She
transferred from Kahuku, where
she already won a state crown
as a wrestler. She sat out one
season and became possibly the
most feared batter in Hawaii
high school softball history. She
was walked 46 times, almost all
with practically intentional pur-
poses, and when she saw
strikes, she clubbed five home
runs during regular and postsea-
son play.
The right-handed-hitting slug-
ger produced 12 home runs and
27 RBIs, batting .571 with a 1.441
slugging percentage. She also
had an on-base percentage
above .800 and threw out nearly
40 percent of baserunners at-
tempting to steal.
Jocelyn is in a league of her
own, Mililani coach Rose Anto-
nio said. Shes very humble,
and yes, I was very surprised
(other teams) pitched to her.
Shell hurt you. The whole
Campbell team peaked at the
right time.
Alo has signed with Okla-
homa, which just repeated as
national champion. Two visits
to the Norman campus pro-
vided all the insight she needed.
Some people think its small
because its Oklahoma and
country, but its huge. I saw
them when they play at home
and the stands are always
packed. They had to add more
stands, she said.
Alo is not lacking for confi-
dence, not after spending sum-
mers on the continent hitting
against premier pitchers. It
Cieana Ashley
Curran: Salausa:
Campbell Leilehua
Outfield Outfield
SECOND TEAM
Pos. Name School Yr.
P Kahilu McNicoll Maryknoll Jr.
P Poamai Tuli Aiea Sr.
P Kaena Nistal Leilehua Jr.
C Markie Okamoto Mililani Sr.
1B Kenedi Lopes Iolani Sr.
2B Trinity Favela Campbell Jr.
3B Sammie Ofoia St. Francis Jr.
SS Darian Obara Pearl City Sr.
OF Tausani Tavale Kamehameha Fr.
OF Jaeda McFarland Pearl City Fr.
OF Macy Uyehara Iolani Sr.
U/DP Alana Cobb-Adams Kamehameha Sr.
U/DP Chloe Domingo Campbell Jr.
( ALL-STATE SOFTBALL )
Dallas Maya Merilis Nawai
Millwood: Yoshiura: Rivera: Kaupe:
Kamehameha Mililani Mililani Maui
First base Second base Third base Shortstop
comes with the territory. One
story goes that when she took
THE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR POSSESSED
batting practice one afternoon,
everything came to a halt. Even
the baseball team dropped ev-
POWER POISE
erything to stand near the soft-
ball outfield as she swatted a ball
beyond both the left-field soft-
ball fence AND the fence that
separates the diamond from the
football field. Thats roughly 300
feet from home plate.
When I watch Oklahoma, I
think next year thats going to
be me. A lot of pitchers there
Jocelyn Alo, below left, and Dani Cervantes Ive faced before in travel ball,
were named the Star-Advertisers top All-State said Alo, who bench presses
players for the second year in a row. 220 pounds.
While Kahukus and wres-
PHOTOS BY DENNIS ODA /
DODA@STARADVERTISER.COM
tlings loss was Campbell
softballs gain, Cervantes was
plugging away diligently. This
season, with the young
lineup struggling to produce
runs Hermosura moved
Alo to the leadoff and No. 2
slots out of desperation, re-
ally Cervantes kept her team
close in the wickedly tough OIA
West. She went 13-4 with a mi-
nuscule 1.05 ERA, 140 strikeouts
in 106 innings with just 57 hits
and 26 walks issued.
She carried Campbell
throughout the season, Antonio
said. If it wasnt for her pitching,
it would have been a different
story. Pitchers can get stronger
as the season progresses.
There were losses to resur-
gent Pearl City by 1-0, 1-0 and
2-1 scores, including a late-in-
ning defeat on senior day that
left Cervantes teary, but tough.
Her resilience held up, and
when Campbells bats woke up
in the postseason, Cervantes
grew even stronger.
Her one-hit, 11-strikeout shut-
out in a 2-0 win over Mililani
capped another sensational sea-
son. So much of it was sheer grit
and trust in her teammates, but
there was also some mid-ses-
sion mastery that few wouldve
expected. Cervantes, who will
pitch at UH Hilo next season,
FIRST TEAM developed a killer drop pitch,
completing her arsenal.
Pos. Name School Yr. W-L Miscellaneous Statistics She learned to throw the
P Dani Cervantes Campbell Sr. 13-4 1.05 ERA, 106.2 IP, 57 H, 140 SO, 26 BB drop during season against Mili-
P Tyanna Kaaialii Pearl City Sr. 13-5 2.59 ERA, 121.2 IP, 122 SO. Batted .300 lani the first time. Its actually a
P Misha Carreira Mililani Sr. 14-3 2.84 ERA, 121 IP, 95 H, 105 SO, 63 BB shorter stride with a release
Pos. Name School Yr. BA Miscellaneous Statistics from the hip. Palm the ball
C Jocelyn Alo Campbell Sr. .414 11 RBIs, 5 HR, 46 BB, .773 OBP, 1.069 SLG down, said Hermosura, who
1B Dallas Millwood Kamehameha Jr. .528 29 RBIs, 22 R, 4 HR, .609 OBP, .981 SLG was a pitcher in the long-gone
2B Maya Yoshiura Mililani Sr. .352 2 HR, 16 RBIs, 17 R, .417 OBP, .574 SLG mens fast-pitch softball
3B Merilis Rivera Mililani Sr. .413 6 HR, 32 RBIs, 17 R, .464 OBP, .746 SLG leagues. I learned it from my fa-
SS Nawai Kaupe Maui Sr. .536 11 HR, 23 RBIs, 25 R, .649 OBP, 1.357 SLG ther in law, Porky Behic.
OF Cieana Curran Campbell Sr. .404 17 RBIs, 21 R, 6 HR, 10 SB, .500 OBP Hermosura, who has seen his
OF Ashley Salausa Leilehua Sr. .567 19 RBIs, 19 R, 6 HR, .612 OBP, .983 SLG teams endure adversity only to
OF Nohea Hee Maryknoll Jr. .407 4 HR, 17 RBIs, 13 R, .478 OBP, .695 SLG surge to state titles, was voted
U/DP Kanoe Tanigawa Maryknoll Jr. .414 5 HR, 20 RBIs, 23 R, .461 OBP, .757 SLG coach of the year. He credited
U/DP Maiah Motta Kamehameha Fr. .451 7 HR, 24 RBIs, 12 R, .500 OBP, .902 SLG his staff and senior leaders.
They took the team by the
>> Position player of the year: Jocelyn Alo, Campbell hands. They pulled the team to-
>> Pitcher of the year: Dani Cervantes, Campbell gether. Youre struggling to find
>> Coach of the year: Michael Hermosura, Campbell ways to compete with a young
team, and they were great lead-
ers. Im going to miss em.
Nohea Kanoe Maiah Michael
Hee: Tanigawa: Motta: Hermosura:
Maryknoll Maryknoll Kamehameha Campbell
Outfield Utility/Designated player Utility/Designated player Coach of the Year
THIRD TEAM HONORABLE MENTION
Pos. Name School Yr. Reilyenne Nahulu, Leilehua
PITCHERS CATCHERS SHORTSTOPS
P Mari Foster Roosevelt Jr. Gianna Araki, Leilehua
P Sadie Kapaku-You Kapolei Sr. Cira Bartolotti, Maui Kai Barrett, Iolani Maya Nakamura, Roosevelt Saree-ann Kekahuna, Baldwin
P Kamryn Kamakaiwi Leilehua Jr. Halee Sweat, Waiakea Chantelle Shimabukuro, Aiea Hilari Balenti, Moanalua
Jaeda Cabunoc, Roosevelt FIRST BASE Kylie Carganilla, Farrington
C Kyler Stephens Kamehameha Jr. Sierrah Kupihea, St. Francis OUTFIELDERS Sasha Tanoue-Kekona, Baldwin
1B Shannon Pascua-Stanton Mililani Sr. Skye Ah Yat, St. Francis
Jade Behic, Campbell Joerdan Lovell, St. Francis Desiree Chang, Kailua
2B Cheyne Obara Pearl City Jr. Cherise Horita, Kalani SECOND BASE Johnacy Mackwelung,
3B DAsha Saiki Punahou So. Brooke Baptiste, UTILITY/DP Waiakea
Kamehameha-Hawaii Logan Carlos, Maryknoll
SS Tarah Aniya Mililani Sr. Lea Hanawahine, Mid-Pacific
Shaylann Grace, Konawaena
OF Alesia Ranches Campbell So. Mikayla Kekoa, Kohala THIRD BASE Aleia Agbayani, Iolani
OF Kamalei Labasan Maryknoll Sr. Kylie Tasaki, Pearl City
Kailee Mahelona, St. Francis
OF Noel Saunders Pearl City Jr. Aliya Harmon, Baldwin
Danika Stewart, Roosevelt
Brandee Chinen, Waiakea
U/DP Ashlynn Okamoto Iolani Sr. Skylar Thomas, Waiakea
U/DP Dyani Cummings-Lani Kailua Jr.