Hawaii-ties a plenty for the Saint Martin’s University baseball team

Hawaii-ties a plenty for the Saint Martin’s University baseball team

Mar 5, 2026

Hawaii-ties a plenty for the Saint Martin’s University baseball team

Kamehameha-Maui alum Bransyn Hong is the Saint Martin’s starting shortstop as a true freshman. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

The Saint Martin’s University baseball team has a distinctly local feel — if you’re from Hawai‘i.

Half of the Saints’ 40-man roster is made up of players from the islands, giving the program based in Lacey, Washington a strong Hawai‘i presence as it opens Great Northwest Athletic Conference play against Montana State Billings this weekend.

Freshman shortstop Bransyn Hong, a Kamehameha Schools Maui graduate, has been one of the early standouts. Hong leads the Saints in runs scored with 15 and is tied for the team lead with 12 RBIs heading into conference play.

Despite being a true freshman, Hong has already secured the starting shortstop role.

“It’s actually one of the reasons why I came here,” Hong said of the program’s Hawai‘i ties. “There’s 40 kids on the roster right now, and then 20 of them are from Hawai‘i. Definitely the connection is there for me and that’s why I came here to Saint Martin’s.”

For many of the island players, that shared background has helped ease the transition of playing college baseball thousands of miles from home.

Mililani graduate Zen Staszkow said having so many Hawai‘i teammates helps when homesickness sets in.

“Definitely it helps with being homesick,” Staszkow said.

Homecoming in Hawai‘i

Earlier this season, the Saints made their second trip to the islands in three years, playing doubleheaders against Hawai‘i Pacific University and Chaminade University of Honolulu.

The games were played at Hans L’Orange Park in Waipahu, giving the Hawai‘i players a chance to perform in front of family and friends.

For Staszkow, a junior infielder, it marked his second time returning home with the Saints.

“It means a lot playing in front of your family,” Staszkow said. “Everybody gets to come and just play ball.”

Zen Staszkow heads to the plate against Chaminade. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

The trip also provided a chance to enjoy a few comforts from home.

Staszkow said one highlight was eating bentos and spending time with family after the games in Waipahu. Hong said one of his favorite parts of the visit was getting fresh poke.

“The fish is a lot better here than back in Lacey,” Hong said.

Hong added that several family members traveled from Maui to watch him play.

“My entire immediate family, my grandma, my grandpa, my cousins, uncles, aunties all flew over just to come see me play,” Hong said. “It feels great.”

Leilehua alum Blaze Wong started a game against Chaminade when the Saints visited Hawai’i. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

Island players shine during Hawai‘i trip

The Hawai‘i contingent made its presence felt during the Saints’ series in the islands.

Staszkow, a Mililani High School alum, recorded the team’s lone hit in the first game against Hawai‘i Pacific.

In a 3-1 victory over HPU in the second game, ‘Iolani School graduate Cole Yonamine delivered a two-RBI double. Hong also added a hit and scored a run, while Staszkow chipped in with another hit.

In a 4-2 loss to Chaminade, Hong went 3-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base. Yonamine finished 2-for-4 with an RBI, driving in Hong. Leilehua High School alum Blaze Wong also made the start on the mound, while Kelton Tom contributed a hit as the designated hitter.

In the second game against the Silverswords, ‘Iolani School graduate Rylen Miyazaki went 1-for-1 as a pinch hitter, while Staszkow added another hit.

‘Iolani graduate Cole Yonamine stands behind the plate in a non-conference game against Chaminade. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

Hawai‘i players contributing across the roster

Island players have been key contributors for the Saints in multiple areas heading into conference play.

Hong continues to lead the team in runs scored and is tied for the most RBIs.

Wong owns the team’s best pitching record at 3-1 in five starts with 26 innings pitched. Baldwin graduates Bryson Nakamoto and Kip Watanabe, along with Kamehameha-Maui alum Raige Velez, have also seen action on the mound.

‘Iolani’s Tyler Young tossed a scoreless inning with two strikeouts earlier this season.

At the plate, freshman Dillon Andres from Kamehameha Schools-Kapālama has logged 37 at-bats and is among the Saints’ home run hitters this season playing third base. Tom, a senior from Kamehameha-Maui, has also provided power with a home run and a double.

Miyazaki enters conference play batting .400, while Yonamine has contributed both behind the plate and in the outfield.

Freshman Zion Ishikawa from ‘Aiea High School scored his first collegiate run against Bushnell on Feb. 14, and ‘Iolani’s Ethan Akagi recorded his first collegiate stolen base against Cal State East Bay on March 1.

With half the roster hailing from the islands, the Saints’ clubhouse carries a strong Hawai‘i influence — something players say makes being far from home a little easier.

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HPU completes series sweep over Jessup with 9-6 comeback win

HPU completes series sweep over Jessup with 9-6 comeback win

Mar 3, 2026

HPU completes series sweep over Jessup with 9-6 comeback win

The HPU dugout greets Ethan Murakoshi (8) after his solo home run in the seventh inning gave the Sharks the lead for good. | Photo: Daniel Fujita

WAIPAHU — This was a momentum-shifting weekend.

The Hawai’i Pacific University baseball team completed a four-game PacWest series sweep over Jessup with a 9-6 win at Hans L’Orange Park Monday night.

It was a much-needed stretch of victories for the Sharks (8-9). HPU was coming off its first road trip of the season where it loss six in a row and went 2-7.

“We’ve been talking about since day one. Our goal is just to get better every week,” said HPU fifth-year coach Dane Fujinaka. “I thought our guys did a really good job throughout the series after getting punched in the mouth a few times, being able to respond back.”

Adversity struck the Sharks early in game four of the series when the Warriors (9-8) jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the top of the first inning — but HPU rallied to score runs in five of its final six innings on a series-high 16 hits to complete the sweep.

Fujinaka credited associated head coach Richard Higa for getting the Sharks ready to perform at the plate.

“He comes up with all the reports so hitters aren’t going int the box blind, without a plan. I thought they executed the plan really well against all their arms. I think when we do that, we’re a pretty exciting offense to watch,” Fujinaka said.

Jessup had a pair of homers to take a 2-0 lead in the first and a 5-4 lead in the fifth, but it was HPU’s Ethan Murakoshi who had the clutch home run of the night with a shot over the left-centerfield fence on the first pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Sharks the lead for good, 7-6.

Murakoshi also added an RBI single in the eighth and came home for the final run of the game for the final point total.

“That was unbelievable,” Fujinaka said of Murakoshi’s go-ahead blast. “It might be the biggest hit in his career so far. He’s come a long way from last year, from a maturity standpoint, from a confidence standpoint. For him to be able to get one in that situation, he’s going to be a big-time player.”

Three different players had three hits for HPU on Monday night. Leadoff hitter Kan Taguchi went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Five-hole hitter and catcher Blake Helsper drove in the most runs with three RBIs, including a 2 RBI single that gave HPU a 6-5 lead in the sixth inning. Christian Perez was the last Shark with three hits, going 3-for-5.

Left-handed pitcher Garrett Sinfield earned the win on the mound in the series finale against Jessup. | Photo: Daniel Fujita

Noah Meaux recorded his second save in three night for the Sharks on Monday. He helped get the first out in the top of the eighth before moving to right field, then retook the mound in the ninth and ended the game on a swinging strikeout with the bases loaded.

The Sharks started the series with a 10-6 victory on Saturday night when they opened game one with a 4-1 lead after the first inning and a 9-4 lead after the third.

The Sharks started the series with a 10-6 victory on Saturday night when they opened game one with a 4-1 lead after the first inning and a 9-4 lead after the third.

Jayden Gabrillo (3-2) was the winning pitcher in the series-opener with five innings pitched while adding a RBI double and two runs scored. He also played the hero in the first game of a double-header on Sunday with a pinch-hit RBI single in a 3-2 walk-off victory.

All smiles for Jayden Gabrillo Sunday afternoon as he played the hero in a 3-2 walk-off win. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

Game three of the series saw the Sharks come away with 13-8 victory. They scored in their first five innings of that game, which included 10 runs combined in the third and fourth innings.

HPU takes on Azusa Pacific next to continue conference play. The first game of the series is Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

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No matter the job, HPU Baseball’s Jayden Gabrillo puts forth best effort

No matter the job, HPU Baseball’s Jayden Gabrillo puts forth best effort

Feb 28, 2026

No matter the job, HPU Baseball’s Jayden Gabrillo puts forth best effort

Jayden Gabrillo throws a pitch to plate during his freshman season with the HPU Sharks baseball team. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

Jayden Gabrillo wears many hats for the Hawai’i Pacific University baseball team.

With the ability to pitch, be in the field or swing at the plate, the Ewa Beach-native is a complete player.

In the Sharks’ most recent series against Concordia University-Irvine, Gabrillo showed that he was capable of delivering a complete game.

Gabrillo is coming off a career-high pitching performance that earned him PacWest Pitcher of the Week honors. To help HPU earn a much-needed series split on its first road trip of the season, Gabrillo had a complete-game win with seven strikeouts while allowing just two hits and giving up one run and one walk on 87 pitches in a 6-1 win on Feb. 18.

The nine-inning effort marked the program’s first complete game since April 28, 2023, when Andrew Hauck struck out nine in a 5-1 victory over University of Hawai’i-Hilo.

At 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds, Gabrillo is not the typical workhorse starter. But as a true sophomore, he has earned the trust of his coaching staff in high-leverage situations.

That trust began in an unlikely way.

During opening weekend of the 2025 season, Gabrillo did not see the field. Instead, his responsibility was collecting bats at home plate after hitters reached base — a task he approached with urgency.

“Coach Dane always preaches about being the best in your job in whatever you do whether it be like picking up baseballs or doing laundry just doing the best job you can do and that will carry onto our baseball team and win games,” Gabrillo said.

HPU coach Dane Fujinaka and his staff took notice. The following weekend, Gabrillo made his first pitching start. By season’s end, he had appeared in 17 games as a freshman in 2025, with the Sharks winning 10 of those contests.

“We had a couple of banged up guys so I had to step up and my teammates had my back the whole time so they made it easy for me to go in and do my job, luckily I just did really good,” Gabrillo said.

Among his freshman highlights were two innings of relief against Division I University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, when he struck out three and allowed one hit without a walk. He recorded a season-high six strikeouts against Vanguard and Chaminade and started the Sharks’ first game of the PacWest tournament.

All smiles for Jayden Gabrillo (left) after not giving up run against the Rainbow Warriors in a 2025 contest. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

“Jayden has been improving from day one of his freshman year,” Fujinaka said. “Really happy about the work he’s put in over the last year and a half. He’s gotten a lot stronger and most importantly matured into a pitcher who we feel like can fill different roles for us. I see him starting or closing — and when he’s not doing one of those, he’s the guy we go to in big spots. Pitching late in the postseason last year is really going to help him for what’s to come.”

Gabrillo also delivered at the plate in a key moment last season. In a 14-inning road win over Jessup, he entered as a pinch hitter in the top of the 14th and lined a leadoff single to left field — his first collegiate hit. He later scored the go-ahead run in a 10-8 victory.

He has continued to contribute in multiple ways as a sophomore. Gabrillo earned the pitching win in Fujinaka’s 100th career victory earlier this year, tossing 3 1/3 innings with three strikeouts. He played second base in a 2-0 win over St. Martin’s and later that day threw 4 1/3 scoreless innings of relief, allowing one hit and striking out five. In the Sharks’ first win of the CUI series, he split time at second base and recorded his first hit and run of the season.

The addition of pitching coach Zachary Swanson in the offseason has aided his development.

“Jayden’s development since September has been exceptional,” Swanson said. “From improving his arm care routines to his upgraded pitch arsenal, he’s continued to take massive steps in getting better every day.”

Gabrillo was sharp from the outset in his complete game against CUI. He struck out the side looking or swinging in multiple innings and allowed only two hits, the last coming on a bunt single in the fourth. The Golden Eagles did not record another hit the rest of the game.

“The stuff is there,” Swanson said. “It’s special to see him executing his plan. Those kind of outings, the whole pitching staff feels and rides the energy of an outing like that.”

Jayden Gabrillo plays in the field at second base during Sharks’ 2026 opening-weekend. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

For Gabrillo, performing at a high level carries added meaning.

“I always loved representing and playing for Hawai’i,” he said. “One of the main reasons why I came here was to represent Hawai’i and also to play in front of my family so they can see every game — and when we go out and play on the mainland it’s just even more special representing Hawai’i.”

The Sharks return home this weekend for their PacWest home opener, hosting Jessup in a four-game series from Saturday through Monday. First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m at Hans L’Orange Park in Waipahu.

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Hawaii handles BYU in first match back at SSC in over a month

Hawaii handles BYU in first match back at SSC in over a month

Feb 26, 2026

Hawaii handles BYU in first match back at SSC in over a month

The Rainbow Warriors celebrate after defeating BYU in four sets. | Photo: Rayden Aoki

MANOA — Home sweet home.

Playing its first match at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center in more than a month, the University of Hawaiʻi men’s volleyball team defeated BYU in four sets Wednesday night before a crowd of 4,800.

Set scores were 27-25, 23-25, 25-17, 25-18.

The third-ranked Rainbow Warriors (13-1) extended their winning streak to 10 matches while snapping the sixth-ranked Cougars’ nine-match win streak.

“It was great. Stan Sheriff is the best gym you can play in America definitely, and playing here as a Hawaiʻi team is even better,” said junior outside hitter Louis Sakanoko.

The two teams will conclude their series Friday night. The two-match series was not on the schedule at the start of the year, but was created after the cancellation of the NIL Tournament in California earlier this month. A portion of ticket proceeds from the series will go directly toward the universities’ NIL initiatives, supporting efforts to recruit and retain players.

“I had so much fun,” Sakanoko said. “Thank you to all the fans for coming. The attendance was pretty crazy for a last-minute game, so really, really happy to be here.”

Sakanoko’s comfort on the Rainbow Warriors’ home court was on full display on the penultimate point of the first set when he put down a reverse attack behind his head while facing away from the net.

“It’s Louis being Louis,” Hawaiʻi coach Charlie Wade said.

Sakanoko said it happened in the flow of the moment.

“We don’t even really practice that. Just in the moment, that’s the only thing I could find to score, so I tried. And I know Charlie doesn’t like that, so I better score when I do that or I’m in trouble.”

This play resulted in a Hawai’i kill by Louis Sakanoko (23). | Photo: Rayden Aoki

Sakanoko was one of three Rainbow Warriors to finish with double-digit kills, recording 15 as Hawaiʻi hit .451 as a team in the win. Sophomore opposite Kainoa Wade led the team with 16 kills, while sophomore outside hitter Adrien Roure hit .500 and finished with 14 kills.

“Tonight everyone was really efficient,” Sakanoko said. “I think the more spread out the offense is, the better for us because it’s one or two blockers maximum, so it’s always really nice.”

Middle blocker Jordan Trevell also hit .636 without an error and had seven kills on 11 swings. Setter Tread Rosenthal recorded 46 assists and added three kills, while libero Quintin Greenidge also contributed a point.

Hawaiʻi dropped the second set by the minimum two points but responded by winning the third set by its largest margin of the match.

Greenidge noted that playing at home helps the team stay composed after a setback.

“There’s just a level of comfort that we have on this court,” he said. “Even after losing that second set, we can go back (in the locker room), come back out, see all our fans and just reset and know that we can win.”

Wade also made a key substitution after the intermission, inserting sophomore middle blocker Ofeck Hazan, who finished with four kills on six swings.

“We weren’t really touching much in the middle. (BYU was) running the middle a fair amount and scoring, and Ofeck is just kind of that high-energy guy. Always gives you a lift. Does a lot of things that never show up on the stats,” Wade said.

Ofeck Hazan (16) celebrates after a Hawai’i point in the fourth set. | Photo: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

“Thought it was a good spot for him to come in, and he absolutely delivered.”

Trent Moser led the Cougars (13-3) with a match-high 18 kills in the loss.

Nelson, Trojans hold off Buffanblu on final play of preseason tilt

Nelson, Trojans hold off Buffanblu on final play of preseason tilt

Feb 25, 2026

Nelson, Trojans hold off Buffanblu on final play of preseason tilt

Mililani junior Zenn Nelson tries to shake loose away from a Punahou defender. | Photo: Daniel Fujita

MILILANI — A preseason girls flag football matchup in Central Oahu Tuesday night certainly had a championship-like finish.

Host Mililani rallied from a 27-12 halftime deficit and held off Punahou on the final play of the game for a 32-27 win at John Kauinana Stadium.

The Trojans were one of the top teams last year during the sport’s inaugural season in the state, but fell short of taking home any hardware to show for it in 2025. Mililani was undefeated to start the season before losing to Moanalua in the OIA championship game and also lost to eventual state champion Campbell in the state semifinals.

Junior Zenn Nelson, one of the returning standouts from last year’s squad, is ready for the Trojans to bounce back in 2026.

“I have an amazing team and amazing coaches,” said Nelson, who accounted for two scores and had an interception defensively against Punahou.

“I think we’re going to have a great year this year. Definitely a comeback year.”

Nelson’s shiftiness on the field as a quarterback saw her account for all of the Trojans’ touchdowns in their first four postseason wins in 2025 — but missed the team’s final two state tournament games after breaking her collarbone in the quarterfinals, she disclosed.

That experienced has helped Nelson tackle the upcoming season with a refocused mindset.

“I got my collarbone broken so I realized have to be grateful for every chance I get so I started working on throwing more, route running and definitely I have to start working out more to get it stronger. The coaches are really great so I’m really grateful for them,” she said.

The Trojans are under new leadership at the coaching position this year with Ed Cera coming in, but there is some familiarity as Nelson participates in Cera’s club team Island Empire.

“I’m more familiar with them so I have more of a connection so it’s easier to talk to them and they understand the game more. They brought a lot of new plays and I feel like we have more drills that we get put to work for that so I think it’s really good,” Nelson said.

There are also new additions to the Mililani team.

One is Kamehameha transfer Hayden Kaahanui-Cera, who has been playing flag football since she was four years old and adds another arm in the backfield that frees up Nelson to play multiple positions outside of quarterback.

Mililani junior quarterback Hayden Kaahanui-Cera keeps the ball for a touchdown in the second quarter. | Photo: Daniel Fujita

Kaahanui-Cera threw two TDs and also ran in two more in the win against Punahou.

“I think my team has all my back. We have really talented girls out here. Hayden is a really good quarterback so I’m glad that I have that weight off my shoulder and I felt like my stronger side was mainly wide receiver and running back so I’m glad I could do that, but we just switch on and off,” said Nelson.

Another solid addition is Lily Tavale, who Nelson got to play with on the girls basketball team during the winter season. Tavale caught the game-winning score from Kaahanui-Cera late in the fourth quarter.

“She’s a really good strong player, basketball and football so I think having her is a strong set in our starting seven,” Nelson said of Tavale.

Lily Tavale catches a 2-point conversion pass in the third quarter to cut into Punahou’s lead, 27-26. | Photo: Daniel Fujita

Of the returners, Sophie Foster showed her worth in the comeback win against the Buffanblu as a snapper and receiver. She was easily the receptions leader of the game, hauling at least 10 passes. On the game-winning drive Foster caught three passes early in the possession to help extend the drive.

“She’s a great player, all-around. I think she did a great job tonight,” Nelson said of Foster. “I think us having a good connection is really good for the team.”

While Nelson had an exceptional game, she was almost responsible for giving the game up on the penultimate play of the game when a Punahou receiver caught a pass above her and rumbled downfield eluding defenders before Sadie Kauhane came up with a stop.

Nelson said the play was a learning opportunity and also credited her teammates for helping her flush any negative thoughts.

“I should have been more aggressive going to get the ball instead of just jumping because it’s more of an advantage for them to come and get it. I was also kind of dwelling on that mistake and I really got in my head, but my teammates had my back and just said keep on going and I realized just because I make a mistake doesn’t affect my whole game.”

On the final play of the game, the Punahou quarterback rolled to their right and found a lane down the sideline and appeared to get the ball over the end zone. But when the scrum cleared, it was Mililani’s Alizae Maialoha who had the game-sealing flag pull to secure the win.

The Trojans have a number of preseason games in the next two weeks before opening up the season against ‘Aiea on March 11. That matchup will be the first game of a double-header at Moanalua.