Mana Wahine: Hawaii Softball shortstop Milan Ah Yat

HONOLULU – Being a successful athlete in the Ah Yat family is nothing new.

University of Hawai’i junior shortstop Milan Ah Yat is the daughter of a former pro baseball player, the niece of a University of Montana athletics Hall of Famer and granddaughter of a Linfield University athletics Hall of Famer.

As if her high school resume didn’t already speak for itself, Ah Yat has continued that line of success in athletics after enjoying a strong first season back in the islands in 2025, earning All-Big West honorable mention recognition after starting all 53 games for the Rainbow Wahine and hitting .277 with five home runs, seven doubles and 28 runs batted in.

She was even better in clutch moments, delivering a trio of walk-off hits over the course of her sophomore campaign, including a two-run homer against Utah Tech in the bottom of the eighth inning to finish the 2025 Spring Fling on a high note for Hawai’i.

Ah Yat credits her dad for her pursuit of softball at a higher level. The daughter of former University of Hawai’i baseball left-handed pitcher and Pittsburgh Pirates minor leaguer Paul Ah Yat, the junior can’t remember many times that she had the ability to play on a diamond that her father wasn’t pushing her to use it.

“My dad had me playing tee ball since I could pick up a bat,” said Ah Yat, who is the middle of three siblings. “Naturally, my dad just wanted to put me in baseball. So, I played baseball until middle school, and I took a break … I joined the high school softball team at UH Lab, the Pac-Five team, and finally after that, I got more into [focusing on] softball.”

That focus helped her to an elite prep career on the diamond, leading Pac-Five to the ILH Division II title as a junior and the Division II HHSAA state championship as a senior while winning league Player of the Year honors in both seasons.

Playing for the Pac-Five program brought a variety of challenges that were a bit unusual for many high school athletes. Made up of players from a variety of schools, Ah Yat and her teammates made a habit of carpooling to the different fields that were available for the group to practice at each day.

With different girls coming from all over with a variety of differing day-to-day activities, Ah Yat tried to help bring the team closer together in the limited time that they got with each other and got to develop her leadership skills all throughout her high school career.

The four-year letterwinner in softball recalled that goal going smoothest in her high school junior and senior seasons, not-so-coincidentally the two best seasons that the team enjoyed on the diamond in her tenure.

“Having all of those girls there with me definitely contributed to my individual success as well,” Ah Yat said of teammates from high school. “Having all of that support and everyone being one [was so important].”

Ah Yat spent her college freshman season away from the islands, originally committing to Loyola Marymount (CA) with eyes on an experience away from Hawai’i. The year was an enjoyable experience for Ah Yat, who spoke glowingly of her time at the school, but saw the two-time ILH Player of the Year appear in a muted role with just 17 games played and nine starts.

After sitting down with her family, Ah Yat decided a change of scenery – sort of – was needed.

“We just talked about what I needed the next year and came to the conclusion that I needed to be home with my family,” said Ah Yat. “Coming home was just what God had planned for me as well, so I think all glory to Him. And thanks to my dad for helping lead me on the right way and keep me in the right mindset the whole time.”

The move paid dividends quickly as Ah Yat earned a starting job after transferring to the University of Hawai’i, helping the Rainbow Wahine to a 33-20 season and a semifinal appearance in the Big West Tournament. The 33 wins by UH were the most in a single season since 2019 when the Rainbow Wahine went 33-16.

“I’m really grateful for Coach Bob [Coolen], especially for allowing me to come home and getting an opportunity to play,” Ah Yat said about the legendary UH coach who retired at the end of the 2025 season. “Just him having faith in me to get out there and prove myself and show that I can do it, and then the fans backing me up behind that … I can’t ask for anything better.”

Ah Yat returns to a talented but different Hawai’i roster in 2026, under new leadership for the first time in over 30 years as first-year head coach Panita Thanatharn takes over at the helm for the Rainbow Wahine. Despite graduations and changing regimes, the excitement remains the same as Opening Day approaching for Ah Yat and her teammates.

“Don’t forget to come out to our first game,” A smiling Ah Yat responded when asked about any message to the fans before the season. “Our first tournament, February 5-7. Our games are free … Thank you for all your support during this season and in the past, we’re really grateful and we see the impact you make on us and our program. We’re just trying to do our best for you guys and grow.”

Hawai’i begins the Thanatharn era on Thursday, February 5 against Seattle University on the first day of the Bank of Hawai’i Paradise Classic. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. HT at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.