JAMM AQUINO/JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
Hawaii outfielder Kamana Nahaku (25) hits an RBI single against the Wichita St. Shockers during the seventh inning of an NCAA baseball game, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, in Honolulu.
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Following a breakout weekend, University of Hawaii outfielder Kamana Nahaku was named the Big West Conference’s Field Player of the Week on Monday.
Nahuku homered in each of the three games against Cal State Northridge this weekend. He tied a school record with three home runs on Sunday, including a two-run drive that capped the Rainbow Warriors’ 10-run ninth inning in a 14-10 victory.
Nahaku’s surge began with a hit in a 2-1 victory over UC Davis on March 24. The next night, he went 3-for-6, including the game-tying, run-scoring single in the ninth in a 9-8 victory over Hawaii Hilo. Nahaku hit 6-for-10 with five home runs, including the go-ahead grand slam on Saturday, and drove in 11 runs against CSUN this weekend.
UH coach Rich Hill described Nahaku’s weekend as “one of the greatest performances as a Rainbow in this storied history.”
Of Sunday’s three-homer game, Nahaku said: “It’s just a special moment for me. I’m glad I was able to share it with my teammates.”
Hill said Nahaku was recruited primarily for his speed and defense. “We never saw the power coming until this summer,” Hill said of Nahaku, who played for the Victoria HarbourCats of the West Coast League. “He hit a couple long home runs for Victoria. That (power) just showed up.”
Nahaku, who grew up in Auburn, Wash., said: “In my first two years (at Tacoma Community College), I only had two home runs. Something started working in Canada this summer, and I’m happy I could carry it over into a ’Bows uniform.”
