HPU Softball Building Culture, Connection Entering Year Two Under Alex Takemura

Hawai‘i Pacific University softball is entering its second season under head coach Alex Takemura with a clearer identity and an emphasis on building a program that extends beyond wins and losses.

Takemura joined Sharks Weekly alongside Makayla Pagampao and transfer Jewels Hanawahine to discuss the direction of the program, the importance of team culture and what he learned during his first season leading the Sharks.

For Hanawahine, the upcoming season represents a homecoming. The Kamehameha-Kapālama alum spent three years at New Mexico before deciding she wanted to return to Hawai‘i and play in front of family, including grandparents who had not been able to watch her compete on the continent.

Her first conversation with Takemura helped make HPU the right fit.

“My first call with Coach Alex was kinda what sold me,” Hanawaine said, pointing to the family-oriented environment Takemura described.

That environment has become a major focus for Takemura as he blends returning players, transfers and newcomers from in and out of state. He wants players to understand their responsibility to their teammates, school and community while creating a college experience that develops them beyond softball.

That approach is also reflected in recruiting.

After arriving late in the cycle before his first season, Takemura had a full offseason to shape the roster this time around. HPU brought in 15 players — 10 freshmen and five through the transfer portal — with attitude, effort, grit and fit among the biggest priorities.

Pagampao, meanwhile, provides continuity as a returning Shark. Takemura praised her growth and the leadership role she can play with younger teammates, while Hanawaine brings Division I experience and quickly emerged as another leader within the program.

As Year 2 approaches, Takemura says the overall vision hasn’t changed. What has changed is his ability to communicate that vision, lean on his coaching staff and incorporate feedback from his players.

The goal is to continue building an HPU softball program connected not only to one another, but to the Hawai‘i community it represents.