Baseball players tapped for team

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

Seventeen of Hawai'i's top high school baseball players will represent the state in the prestigious Carson City Classic from July 1-7 in Carson City, Nev.

The team, called Hawai'i All Select, is composed of players who will be playing high school baseball next spring. In its fourth year, the team is sponsored by the Wally Yonamine Foundation and coached by Dean Sato, the head coach at St. Louis.

"This all-star team is different, because it's hand-picked after doing background checks on the player's GPA, SAT scores and attitude, not just talent," Sato said. "Attitude is the most important. All of these kids would be qualified academically to play at Division I schools."

Iolani has four players on the team: Kila Ka'aihue, Kala Ka'aihue, Tyler McCready and Rich Olsen. St. Louis also has four: Grandon Costa, Guy McDowell, Aaron Sato, Brandon Sato. Mid-Pacific has three: Troy Hanzawa, Matt Inouye and Isaac Omura. Punahou has two: Chad Moriyama and Matt Oda.

The other players are Cruz Hatanaka (Maryknoll), Gainor Nitta (Mililani), Geoffrey Say (Moanalua) and Dana Yamashita (Waiakea).

The tournament will include 12 teams from across the nation, including some teams with junior college players. Sato said scouts from every major league team will be attending, as will many major college recruiters.

"It's good to showcase our players," Sato said. "In past years, we had (Kamehameha's) Paki Lum get an offer from USC and also Kainoa Obrey (Iolani, Brigham Young). That's how (St. Louis') Brandon League got his offer from Pepperdine."

Sato said the team has struggled in past tournaments, but he's encouraged by last week's 10-run win over the Hawai'i Island Movers.

Sato added that on the team's way back home, it will stop in Los Angeles to attend a Dodgers-Mariners interleague game. He said Dodgers pitcher Mike Fetters, an Iolani graduate, is arranging for the team to be introduced on the field.