Williamsport, Pa. >> Honolulu sits on the cusp of advancing into Saturday’s United States Championship game at the 2022 Little League World Series.
The Honolulu boys have continued to live up to the billing as one of the tournament’s elite teams. Pitching and hitting have come in droves for Honolulu, with an expert level mastery of management for both.
“Our coaches are great at watching our pitch counts,” Jaron Lancaster said. “They make sure we are available to pitch another game against another great team.”
Honolulu will play Nolensville, Tenn. (Southeast Region champion) today at 9 a.m., with a trip to the U.S. Championship game on the line. Let’s take a look at what is in front of Honolulu.
Tennessee boasts a deep pitching staff that has limited the opposition in all three of its games. The experience is there too, as the team has played an extra game just like Honolulu.
“Most people aren’t giving us a chance against Hawaii,” Tennessee coach Randy Huth said. “Obviously they are a good team. They are extremely well coached.”
Tennessee opened with a 5-3 win over New England champ Middleboro, Mass., before taking out Santa Clara, Utah, (Mountain Region) 11-2 and Hagerstown, Ind., (Great Lakes) 5-2 in seven innings to advance to today’s game. The team has an outstanding lineup that boasts one of the tournament’s top hitters in Jake Rhodes.
Honolulu got to the U.S. semifinal by beating Bonney Lake, Wash., (Northwest) 11-1, Massapequa, N.Y., (Metro) 12-0 and Pearland, Texas, (Southwest) 6-0
“There’s a high expectation for them,” Huth said of Honolulu. “They’ve done a lot of things that are highlight material. There’s a lot of pressure for them to continue to do that. Maybe they aren’t beatable, but just maybe they are.”
Despite having the offense, Honolulu will have the pitching to counter, as every arm will once again be available. Plus, manager Gerald Oda will make his return to the team.
“The minute he was in COVID protocol it put a lot of stress on me,” Keith Oda said. “There’s so much responsibility that goes into being the manager. Managing one thing is hard, and then there is the offense and the defense. Substitution rules can get really difficult.”
Honolulu lost Mikah Noda for Monday’s game due to health protocol, which put Keith Oda in a more difficult position. Hawaii dropped down to 12 kids, which means each substitute had to play three innings and bat at least once in the game.
Luckily for Keith Oda, the team eased the stress with another strong start.
“It was actually kind of relaxing knowing I have no control and could enjoy the games as a spectator,” Gerald Oda said. “The kids played well and the coaches did a great job. I just couldn’t be prouder of the kids.”
Gerald Oda will have a firsthand look at the team today, when the Honolulu boys will be looking for another fast start against Tennessee.
It has become a signature move in each of Honolulu Little League’s three games at the LLWS. A big part of those quick starts has been Kekoa Payanal.
“A leadoff hitter is supposed to read the pitches and start the team off strong,” Payanal said. “Even if you strike out you need to tell the next batter what the pitches are like, where he likes to pitch, and his rhythm.”
Payanal’s early success has led to early run support for the pitching staff, which has been nearly unhittable in three World Series games. Teams have collectively posted just two hits against Honolulu’s pitchers.
“Pitching in front of the crowd has been really exciting,” Cohen Sakamoto said. “My catcher Kaeo (Nouchi) always settles me down and gets me focused. Especially when I’m having a tough time.”
Nouchi, who has caught in all three of Honolulu’s games, has been a little more proactive in his approach to calming the pitchers. With only two hits surrendered in three games, the pitchers’ dominance has shown Nouchi’s magic words have worked.
Another boost will be the return of Gerald Oda, who works closely with the pitchers.
“Whenever I’m in a tight situation or feel my mechanics are off, he’ll always correct me,” Sakamoto said. “Since I didn’t have him there, I had to be mature and make those corrections myself. My catcher really helped me with that.”
The players have stepped up in Oda’s absence, as have his coaches, Keith Oda and Willis Kato. The pair have managed the players well, navigating large crowds, the pressure of winning, and representing Hawaii as a whole.
What should be a difficult challenge, handling the expectations of being one of the tournament favorites and representing the Aloha spirit, the kids have met head on. They’ve even excelled at times, supporting other players and always being respectful of the fans and umpires.
“We’re off to a great start, but the tournament isn’t over yet,” Lancaster said. “The fact we have those three games under our belt gives us a lot of confidence. It really shows the other teams what we can do.”
What Honolulu has done is capture the world’s attention with dominant pitching and outstanding hitting that make it one of the favorites moving forward.
