The gauntlet takes no prisoners, which is just fine with the Kamehameha Warriors.
Kamehameha collected eight out of 10 first-place votes from the panel of coaches and media to remain at No. 1 in the Star-Advertiser Baseball Top 10. The Warriors (24-5 overall) have been at the top of the rankings all season.
The road has been unforgiving for all eight teams in the ILH. Six of them have been in the Top 10.
At 10-1 in ILH play with three games remaining, Kamehameha’s magic number is 2. Any combination of Warriors wins and Saint Louis losses adding up to two will seal a state berth for Kamehameha.
Kamehameha could outright take the ILH second round top seed and state berth with two wins. Second-place Saint Louis (8-3) would need to win its remaining three games and hope Kamehameha loses at least once.
The ILH has three state-tournament berths, but only the regular-season winner (round one) is rewarded with an automatic spot. The other two spots will be determined in the league’s brutal double-elimination playoffs (round two).
Mililani (19-6, 8-0 OIA) and Kamehameha-Maui (13-3-1, 8-1 MIL) received one first-place vote apiece. No. 2 Mililani closes out the OIA regular season against Pearl City (Wednesday) and Campbell (next week). The Trojans have already clinched the top seed in the West, which comes with an opening-round bye in the playoffs.
The OIA does not reward top seeds with automatic state berths.
Kamehameha-Maui has been a revelation in a league that had co-state champions, Baldwin and Maui, last season. The Warriors began the season ranked No. 10, then dropped out of the rankings for two weeks.
After going 18 days without a game, Kamehameha-Maui took two of three games from Baldwin, returning to the Top 10 at No. 8. The Warriors then swept Lahainaluna in three games, and last week, swept Maui with three more wins: 3-0, 3-2 (8 innings) and 17-6.
Saint Louis beat Punahou, Damien and Maryknoll, extending its win streak to six games. However, the Crusaders (13-5-1, 8-3 ILH) dropped one notch to No. 4.
Punahou returned to the rankings for the first time since March 10. The Buffanblu (10-7-1, 5-5-1 ILH) opened the year tied with Kamehameha-Maui at No. 10, but fell out of the rankings after opening the season with three losses. Punahou is 5-2-1 since then.
Star-Advertiser Baseball Top 10
Monday, Apr. 7, 2025
Rank School (1st) (record) Pts LW
1. Kamehameha (24-5, 10-1 ILH) (8) 98 1
> def. Pac-Five, 16-0, 6 inn.
> next: vs. Damien, Tuesday, Apr. 8, 3:30 p.m., CORP
2. Mililani (19-6, 8-0 OIA) (1) 89 2
> won at Waipahu, 16-2, 5 inn.
> next: vs. Pearl City, Wednesday, Apr. 9, 5:30 p.m., Hans
3. KS-Maui (13-3-1, 8-1) (1) 75 4-t
> def. Maui, 17-6, 6 inn.
> next: vs. King Kekaulike, Thursday, Apr. 10, 3:30 p.m., Iron
4. Saint Louis (13-5-1, 8-3 ILH) 73 3
> def. Maryknoll, 9-2
> next: vs. Mid-Pacific, Tuesday, Apr. 8, 3:30 p.m., Hans
5. KS-Hawaii (12-0-2, 6-0-1 BIIF) 60 4-t
> won at Waiakea, 4-2
> next: vs. Keaau, Tuesday, Apr. 8, 3 p.m.
6. Kaiser (14-4, 7-1 OIA) 40 8
> def. Kailua, 2-1
> next: vs. Moanalua, Wednesday, Apr. 9, 3 p.m.
7. Baldwin (10-7-1, 7-2 MIL) 36 6
> def. Lahainaluna, 9-1
> next: vs. Maui, Thursday, Apr. 10, 5:30 p.m., Iron
8. Punahou (10-7-1, 5-5-1 ILH) 25 NR
> def. Damien, 5-1
> next: vs. Maryknoll, Tuesday, Apr. 8, 3:30 p.m., Goeas
9. ‘Iolani (13-10-1, 4-6-1 ILH) 13 9-t
> won at Mid-Pacific, 6-2
> next: vs. Pac-Five, Tuesday, Apr. 8, 3 p.m., Ala Wai
10. Kailua (7-9-1, 5-3 OIA) 11 9
> lost at Kaiser, 2-1
> next: at Roosevelt, Wednesday, Apr. 9, 3 p.m.
No longer in Top 10: Maui (No. 7), Damien (No. 10).
Also receiving votes: Maui 9, Waiakea 8, Damien 6, Moanalua 5, Waianae 2.
