Ruth did everything, and more

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

Kamehameha's Keoni Ruth, the ILH's Player of the Year, batted .556, had a 1.063 slugging percentage and excelled at shortstop. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

A leadoff batter with a .605 on-base percentage and 1.063 slugging average, plus a 10-for-10 success rate in stolen bases.

A shortstop who covers a wide area and fields with a feather-soft glove while completing throws with pinpoint accuracy.

Kamehameha senior Keoni Ruth was all these things, and that's one reason why he was named the Interscholastic League of Honolulu's Player of the Year in a vote of league coaches.

The other main reason was his leadership in helping the Warriors go 16-3 and capture their second straight ILH title.

Ruth is joined on the all-star first team by teammates Nick Freitas, Isaac Kamai and Matt Morgado.

Freitas, a sophomore outfielder, batted .425 with two home runs and 17 RBIs despite being bothered by a back injury early in the season.

Kamai, a senior left-hander, went 10-1 with a 2.26 ERA. Morgado batted .365 with three doubles, two triples, a home run and 16 RBIs.

Others making the first team are Mid-Pacific first baseman Keven Whalen, Punahou second baseman Michael Lam, Mid-Pacific third baseman Jonathan Hee, Punahou outfielder Mark Veneri, Mid-Pacific outfielder Ryan Leong, Iolani catcher Kala Ka'aihue, Mid-Pacific pitcher Harrison Kuroda and MPI utility player Grant Yamaguchi.

Whalen, a senior repeat selection, batted .388. Lam, a junior, hit .377. Hee, a senior who made the first team as a utility player last year, batted .426.

Leong, a senior, hit .368 and Veneri, a junior, batted .375. Ka'aihue batted .408, had a rifle arm behind the plate and might have been the league's most feared slugger.

Kuroda, a junior, went 6-4 with a 3.08 ERA and held together an erratic staff.

Yamaguchi, a senior, batted .346 and pitched as a starter and reliever.

Kamehameha's Vern Ramie is Coach of the Year for the second straight season. The Warriors won the regular season and went 4-0 in the postseason tournament.

Correction: Reid Saito's name was inadvertently omitted from the list of Iolani School's honorable mention selections. Also, Mid-Pacific Institute baseball player Justin Kashiwaeda was inadvertently left out of the honorable mention listing provided by the Interscholastic League of Honolulu.