Iolana Akau waited a little longer than he wanted to hear his name called.
Now, UH fans will have to wait to see what the talented catching prospect will decide.
Draftees with local ties
| Pos. |
Name |
School |
Rd. |
Team |
| LHP |
Blake Taylor* |
Dana Hills (Calif.) High |
2 |
Pirates |
| INF |
Kean Wong* |
Waiakea High |
4 |
Rays |
| INF |
Isiah Kiner-Falefa |
Mid-Pacific Institute |
4 |
Rangers |
| 1B |
Jake Bauers* |
Marina (Calif.) High |
7 |
Padres |
| 1B |
David Denson** |
South Hills (Calif.) High |
15 |
Brewers |
| C |
Iolana Akau* |
Saint Louis School |
20 |
Athletics |
| OF |
Marcus Doi* |
Mid-Pacific Institute |
25 |
Cubs |
| OF |
Ben McQuown |
Campbell (N.C.) (Waianae) |
30 |
Athletics |
| 3B |
Kale Sumner |
Hawaii Pacific (Kailua) |
32 |
Yankees |
| RHP |
Akoni Arriaga |
Baldwin High |
35 |
Blue Jays |
| INF |
Mark Kariovitis |
Maui High |
39 |
D’backs |
*UH signee
**UH verbal commit
|
Akau was one of seven players with local ties selected on the final day of the 2013 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Saturday when the Oakland Athletics took him in the 20th round, with the 611th overall pick.
The recent Saint Louis graduate was the fifth of six University of Hawaii commits taken in the draft.
Waiakea’s Kean Wong has already agreed to terms with the Tampa Bay Rays and left-hander Blake Taylor is expected to sign with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Akau will have until July 12 to make his decision but says it could come in the next week or two.
"I don’t know quite yet what I’m going to do. It’s still early in the process," Akau said Saturday. "It was just a relief to find out I’d be a part of the A’s organization. We’ll talk with them and then I’ll sit down with my family and make a decision."
Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso, who is on the mainland recruiting, has multiple recruits who will decide over the next month whether to go to college or sign with their pro teams.
Mid-Pacific’s Marcus Doi, drafted as an outfielder, was taken in the 25th round (No. 738) by the Chicago Cubs.
Marina (Calif). High first baseman Jake Bauers was taken in the seventh round on Friday.
"We’re in a situation where we’re capable of being much better with these guys," said Trapasso, who is coming off his worst season since taking over the program in 2002.
"I’m comfortable in saying that ‘Lana and Marcus feel very confident about coming to school and starting their college education.
"They understand that it’d be a mistake to sign. They need to go to school because they’ll get three years stronger, three years wiser, they’ll have a great experience at UH and parlay that into the same thing Kolten (Wong) did as a possible first-day draft because they have that talent. They will be great college players."
Bauers and first baseman David Denson of South Hills (Calif.) High, who has orally committed to UH and was selected in the 15th round (No. 452) by the Milwaukee Brewers, will likely make their decisions closer to the deadline.
Outfielder Ben McQuown, who just completed his senior season at Campbell (N.C.) University, became the first Waianae alumnus drafted since 2002 when the Athletics took him in the 30th round (No. 911).
McQuown hit .329 and led all Division I players in the country with 54 stolen bases. He hit 11 doubles, four triples and four home runs and scored 65 runs.
Hawaii Pacific had a player selected for the second year in a row when Kale Sumner, a 2009 Kailua graduate, was taken by the New York Yankees in round 32 (No. 974).
Maui is home to the final two players selected. Baldwin right-hander Akoni Arriaga was picked by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 35th round (No. 1,045). Shortstop Mark Kariovitis of Maui High, who has signed with Oregon, was taken by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 39th round (No. 1,170).
Not a single University of Hawaii player was taken for the first time since 2000.
