Hawai‘i Pacific University enters the 2026 baseball season with its highest PacWest preseason ranking in more than a decade, as the Sharks were picked to finish third in the conference and received a first-place vote in the league’s annual coaches poll.

HPU, coming off a 32-22 season that included a run to the PacWest championship game, opens the season Friday afternoon against Cal State Los Angeles at Hans L’Orange Park.

Now in his fifth season at the helm, coach Dane Fujinaka has guided the Sharks into national consideration as well. HPU also received votes in the American Baseball Coaches Association NCAA Division II Top 25 Preseason Coaches Poll.

“Good vibes honestly,” said redshirt sophomore Kan Taguchi. “Everybody is really amped up getting ready for season. Just the usual good vibes that we have before games.”

Taguchi earned PacWest Second Team honors in 2025 after batting .435 as the team’s designated hitter.

Point Loma, who HPU eliminated in last season’s conference tournament, was picked to win the PacWest, while reigning champion Westmont was projected second despite earning more first-place votes than Point Loma, seven to four.

“I think we’re ready,” said sophomore utility player Jayden Gabrillo. “We worked this whole fall really hard and I think the team is ready to go.”

Gabrillo logged 52.2 innings on the mound last season while also seeing time as a middle infielder.

The Sharks will rely on veteran leadership in the lineup following the graduation of PacWest First Team outfielders Noah Blythe, the conference Player of the Year, and Bronson Rivera. Senior centerfielder Noah Hata returns as a key presence, while sophomore Tyler Arnold anchors the infield after hitting 16 home runs and earning PacWest First Team honors at third base as a true freshman.

Centerfielder Noah Hata is one of the veterans on this year’s HPU squad. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

On the mound, HPU returns Jacob Vanek, who threw 42.2 innings last season, and Cristian Padilla, who posted a 3.09 ERA over 23.1 innings.

Friday’s opener also presents a milestone opportunity for Fujinaka, who enters the season with 99 career victories. The coach, however, said the focus remains unchanged.

“Every game is the same,” Fujinaka said. “At the end of the day, we’re trying to win and get one win against Cal State LA. I’m not really thinking about it being my 100th win. We’re thinking about winning one pitch at a time, one game at a time.”

First pitch is slated for 1:00 p.m. (HST). The Sharks’ season-opener will also be broadcasted on 95.1 FM / AM 760.

WAIPAHU — The result didn’t count towards towards a PacWest title — but the experience will.

The Hawai’i Pacific University baseball team got its first look of its 2026 squad in live action in an exhibition scrimmage against Santa Barbara City College last Friday afternoon at Hans L’Orange Park.

The Sharks rallied from a 7-1 deficit to take a 9-8 lead after eight innings and was one strike away from sealing the deal before the visiting Vaqueros took a 12-9 lead in the top of the ninth for the final score. HPU, the home team, did not play the bottom of the ninth due to darkness.

Head coach Dane Fujinaka, who enters his fifth year leading the program, was pleased with the competitive nature of the game as oppose to a blowout in either team’s favor.

“It was really good that the game was tight and we got a chance to comeback and we proved we can come back and we proved that the young guys can pitch in good spots,” he said.

“I was really happy with a lot of things, from the standpoint we had to play a lot of guys that we had to learn things about.”

For the most part, HPU was the better team for most of the ballgame. Even with standout sophomore third baseman Tyler Arnold (69 hits, 54 RBIs, 18 home runs in 2025) resting with an injury, the Sharks had a .340 batting average as a team for the day while the Vaqueros hit .219.

The difference was that the visitors walked just four guys while HPU walked nine guys and hit two more. Fujinaka noted that seven of the nine walks “weren’t competitive.”

“We’re going to have to make sure that we have guys earn every run they get and not give up free bases,” Fujinaka said.

Freshman utility Max Biehl made the most of his opportunity to shine with playing time at third base with Arnold hurt. He gave the Sharks much-needed life in the bottom of the third with a triple that scored two runs.

Freshman Max Biehl gets ready for a pitch in the bottom of the third inning against Santa Barbara City College. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

“He was a big standout,” Fujinaka said of Biehl. “Was able to get some at bats and see what he looks like in a real game. Played really good defense and had some really key hits with guys in scoring position.”

Fujinaka added that freshman Taydem Hashimoto out of King Kekaulike was another young player that impressed, saying he “plays a lot bigger than his size.”

Of the returners, the HPU coach was pleased that captain and centerfielder Noah “Nunu” Hata had a good game offensively after nursing an injury during fall ball.

Senior Keanu Spenser is also someone that is putting it all together for his final season. “Has got a lot of power, it’s nice to see him be a potential big impact in the lineup this year,” Fujinaka said of Spenser.

One of the standout additions from the transfer portal this year to watch out for is catcher Brock “Brick” Wirthgen from California Baptist University.

Fujinaka said that Wirthgen might be the best overall catcher that the program has seen since he took over as coach.

“He’s got the physical attributes to be an All-American,” Fujinaka said of Wirthgen, who is 6-foot-1 and weighs 205 pounds.

HPU coach Dane Fujinaka says that catcher Brock Wirthgen has potential to be one of the best catchers in the country. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

“He’s a guy that looked like a leader, has experience playing in big games, in big spots and caught a really good game.”

In the pitching department, Gavin Pacheco, a 6-foot-2 right-handed pitcher transfer from the University of San Francisco, is likely to be the No. 1 pitcher when the Sharks open the season against Cal State Los Angeles next Friday. Senior Andrew Nykoluk is also in the starting rotation mix after playing primarily infield in 2025.

The relievers were the story against Santa Barbara City College however.

Fujinaka had high marks for freshmen Jaylan Patterson (6-foot-4, 210 pounds) and Flynn Warren, who has experience playing on the New Zealand national teams.

“Both were really really good. To see them fill up the zone, attack hitters. Their demeanor was really good. I was really impressed with how comfortable they looked.”

Another standout reliever was junior Noah Rhea (Meaux). He pitched a scoreless eighth inning with a couple of strikeouts. Fujinaka added that Ethan Harris “was really good.”

The Sharks will open their season on Jan. 30 in a 2:00 p.m. game against Cal State Los Angeles at Hans L’Orange Park.