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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, March 18, 2009

HOMEGROWN REPORT
Seki follows coaching footsteps of late father

By Kalani Takase
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Shoreline Community College, with 11 of its 28 players from Hawai'i, will take a 10-0 record into a tournament this weekend.

Courtesy photo

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Baseball is in Steve Seki's blood. It has been since the day he was born.

Seki, the head baseball coach at Shoreline Community College in north Seattle, learned the game from his late father and longtime Pearl City High coach, Mel Seki, who died last year.

Mel Seki impacted hundreds of players during his 15 seasons at the helm of the Chargers' program while son Steve — despite being in Washington state — is also attracting many local players to his program.

"I just know that there are a lot of good players back home and there's only three schools to go to (to play baseball)," Seki said. "We're here if the (junior college) route is something for them."

Shoreline's roster of 28 players includes 11 from Hawai'i — pitchers JJ Iwane ('Aiea '08), Jordan Buster (Kaua'i '08) and Cody Aquino ('Aiea '07); infielders Tyler Abasial ('Aiea '08), Jordan Casarez (Pearl City '08), Jordan Agcaoili (Maui '08) and Travis Shigeta (Kapa'a '08); and outfielders Troy Kashiwabara (Kalani '08), Christian Marquez (Campbell '08), Isaac Moises (Word of Life '08) and Bryson Nakamura (Pearl City '08).

The Dolphins compete in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges, which is made up of schools from Oregon, Washington and Canada.

"I guess through word of mouth, kids go back home and hopefully they had a good enough experience to say some positive things about our program," said Seki, who noted he usually returns home each spring to watch the state tournament. "Typically, the Hawai'i kids have done well in our program."

Apparently, this is a typical year.

Aquino, one of just five sophomores on the team — and the only one amongst the Hawai'i contigent — is the ace of the pitching staff.

"Cody normally starts game one," Seki said. "(The pitchers) are all on pitch counts right now so they're not going real deep into games, but he's pitched well enough to win all three starts."

Aquino is 2-0 with a 2.10 ERA and holding opposing batters to a .176 batting average.

"It's a tough spot to be in," Aquino said of being the game one starter. "We like to set a good tempo and usually if you win the first game, you have that confidence that just keeps on rolling and you work off of that, so I have to just to get it started."

Aquino and the Dolphins opened the season with a doubleheader sweep of Pierce on Feb. 28 and the confidence hasn't stopped growing. Shoreline is 10-0 heading into this weekend's Yakima Tournament.

"The whole team is working harder this year than we did last year," Aquino said. "At the beginning of the year all of us made a commitment to put everything we had into this season and there's just been something between everybody that just clicks."

Seki said his team's ability to win close games have been the difference so far.

"Last year we really struggled, we lost a ton of one-run games and it was pretty rough last year," he said. "But our record didn't indicate the kind of team we were. We were a much better team than that and this year it shows. Now we're winning close games."

A few of the players — Nakamura and Casarez — played for Pearl City.

"I have a couple kids that played for my dad and there's a special connection to them," Seki said, "but at the same time, I feel that I have that with all kids from Hawai'i."

Aquino, for one, appreciates the local favor the group brings to the team.

"It kind of feels like home actually," Aquino said. "Being on the field with the Hawai'i guys — guys we usually play against back home — it's pretty special and it's working out right now."

It's a feeling shared by their coach.

"I try to make them feel at home here ... and they do the same for me," Seki said.

MORE BASEBALL

  • Brigham Young senior first baseman Kasey Ko (Punahou '05 of Kailua) hit an RBI single in yesterday's 6-5 victory over Cal State Northridge. In a weekend series against Utah, he batted 4 for 11 with a double, three RBIs and a walk as the Cougars took two of three.

  • Point Loma Nazarene senior outfielder Kaohi Downing (Punahou '05 of Honolulu) batted 6 for 13 in wins last week over Vanguard and Master's College (twice). Batting in the leadoff spot, Downing hit his seventh and eighth home runs of the season with six RBIs and four runs scored.

  • Colorado School of Mines sophomore Nick Wong (Roosevelt '07 of Honolulu) batted 3 for 4 with his first homer of the season in a 16-6 loss to CSU-Pueblo Sunday. Wong, who also had a sacrifice fly, drove in three runs. He leads the team in batting average (.347) and RBIs (14).

    SOFTBALL

  • Purdue junior third baseman Liane Horiuchi (Kamehameha '05 of Wahiawa) went 5 for 13 in four games at last weekend's Florida Atlantic Tournament in Boca Raton, Fla. She had a homer, double, three RBIs and drew two walks as the Boilermakers went 1-3 at the tournament.

  • New Mexico State sophomore first baseman Hoku Nohara (Kamehameha '07 of Waimanalo) went 6 for 17 with a triple, six RBIs and two runs scored in five games at last weekend's San Diego State Tournament. Freshman outfielder/pinch runner Shaleese Javillo (Kamehameha '08 of Kapa'a) had an RBI and scored in an 11-0 win over Miami (Ohio).

  • Southern Utah sophomore first baseman Shannon Lum (St. Francis '07 of Kane'ohe) went 5 for 13 with four runs scored in a weekend series against North Dakota State. Lum hit her third home run of the season in Saturday's series finale, a 5-4 win for the Thunderbirds.

    WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

  • UNLV freshman wing Jamie Smith ('Iolani '08 of Kailua) had 18 points, 11 rebounds and two assists in a 84-75 win over TCU in the Mountain West Conference Tournament quarterfinal round last Wednesday. She had nine points, 10 rebounds, three assists and a block in Thursday's 71-63 semifinal loss to San Diego State. Last week Smith was named MWC Freshman of the Year — the first in program history — and honorable mention all-conference.

  • Cal State Northridge sophomore forward Analee Viena-Lota (Kamehameha '07 of Honolulu) scored a game-high 21 points in a 64-56 win over UC Davis last Wednesday in the Big West Conference Tournament in Anaheim, Calif. She also had five rebounds, two steals and one assist.

  • Holy Names (Calif.) sophomore guard Jamie-Leigh Ronolo (Moanalua '07 of Honolulu) scored eight points in Thursday's NCAA Division II Championship Tournament first-round game, but the Hawks dropped a 93-72 decision to Sterling (Kan.). Senior guard Chelsie Kadota (Roosevelt '05 of Honolulu) had seven points, freshman forward Britni Ronolo (Moanalua '08 of Honolulu) had five and junior guard Larisa Nakasone (Roosevelt '05 of Honolulu) added four points and six assists.

    MEN'S VOLLEYBALL

  • UC San Diego junior outside hitter Will Ehrman (Punahou '06 of Honolulu) had 13 kills, six digs and three aces in a four-set win over Hawai'i Friday. In Saturday's five-set win over the Warriors, Ehrman went for 14 kills, eight digs, one ace and was in on six blocks for the Tritons.

  • Lindenwood (Mo.) senior outside hitter Devin Shiroma (Damien '05 of Honolulu) had 13 kills, eight digs and two aces in a five-set win over Park (Mo.) last Wednesday. Senior libero Ryan Gonzales (Mililani '03) had a game-high 22 digs for the Park.

    SWIMMING & DIVING

  • Florida State junior diver Aleia Monden (St. Andrew's '06 of Mililani) placed 17th in the 1-meter event at the NCAA Zone-B Championships at Knoxville, Tenn. last week. She scored 490.25 points.

    TENNIS

  • Mikey Lim (Punahou '06 of Honolulu), a junior playing for Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, won his No. 3 singles match 7-6(4), 2-6 and 10-8 in a 5-4 loss to Emory Friday.

  • UC Irvine senior Heidi Kaloi (Kamehameha '05 of Wahiawa) won twice in a match again Nevada Saturday. Kaloi won 6-1, 6-0 at No. 6 singles and 8-5 as part of the Anteaters' No. 1 doubles team.

  • Cal State Northridge sophomore Brooke Doane (Kamehameha '07 of 'Ewa Beach) won twice in a match against Pacific Sunday. Doane won 6-1, 6-3 at No. 3 singles and 8-4 as part of the Matadors' No. 1 doubles team.

  • DePauw (Ill.) sophomore Janelle Arita (Punahou '07 of Mililani) won her No. 1 singles match, 6-2, 6-1, Saturday in a match against Grand Valley State. Earlier in the day, Arita helped the Tigers' No. 2 doubles team win, 8-4, in a match against California (Pa.).

  • Pacific (Ore.) swept all three doubles matches in Sunday's 7-2 win over George Fox. The No. 1 doubles team of Cat Goya (St. Andrew's '08 of Kane'ohe) and Megan Yoshimoto (Mililani '08) won 8-0, the No. 2 doubles team of Dayna Wong (Waiakea '06 of Hilo) and Jamie Yoshino (Kaiser '06 of Honolulu) won 8-4 and the No. 3 doubles team of Stephanie Velligas (Kamehameha '07 of Waimanalo) and Dawn Greene (Mid-Pacific '07 of Mililani) won 8-4. Goya, Yoshimoto and Velligas also won their singles matches.

    GOLF

  • Puget Sound sophomore Natalie Nakamine (Roosevelt '07 of Pearl City) won medalist honors at last weekend's Pacific Invitational at the par-72 Pumpkin Ridge Golf Course in North Plains, Ore. Nakamine shot an 88 to win by one stroke. Pacific sophomore Valerie Kitamori (Waiakea '07 of Hilo) shot a 94 to finish fourth while junior Jasmine Ching (Waiakea '06 of Hilo) was sixth (97) and sophomore Tami Park (Waiakea '07 of Hilo) tied for 31st (109).

    WRESTLING

  • Yakima Valley Community College (Wash.) freshman Monique Dilliner (Kailua '07) defeated Simon Frasier's Taylor Dick, 7-3, in the 159-pound championship final at Saturday's National Collegiate Wrestling Association Women's Championships in Hampton, Va. Pacific (Ore.) freshman Caronne Rozet (Kamehameha-Maui '08 of Pukalani) took second in the 121-pound division.

    RIFLERY

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology freshman Nigel Kojimoto (Punahou '08 of Honolulu) placed sixth at the Mid-Atlantic Conference Championships earlier this month. Kojimoto recorded a team-best 557 in smallbore. MIT finished second to Penn State.

  • Texas Christian junior Simone Riford (Punahou '06 of Kane'ohe) earned her third All-America distinction after helping the Horned Frogs to a fifth-place finish at last weekend's NCAA Championships in Fort Worth, Texas. Riford earned second team Smallbore All-America honors. Nevada junior Heather Horn (Punahou '06 of Kailua) also competed in the event.

    COMMITMENTS

  • Elissa Ji, a Maryknoll senior, and Kelly Chang, a Hawai'i Baptist senior, have given verbal commitments to play women's volleyball at Nevada-Reno next season. Also, 'Iolani senior I'ishah-Moahnea Keli'ikoa committed to Towson (Md.) while Sacred Hearts senior Macy Mitravich will compete for Bryant (R.I.). All four are members of the Jammers Volleyball Club and coached by Debby Yee.

    Reach Kalani Takase at ktakase@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2404.

    SEND US PHOTOS

    If you know of any athletes deserving recognition, give us their names, high schools and graduation years, colleges and sports. Photos are also welcome. E-mail us at ktakase@honoluluadvertiser.com or contact Kalani Takase at 535-2404.

    Reach Kalani Takase at ktakase@honoluluadvertiser.com.

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