Waipahu Marauders ready for another Division I title chase

Waipahu Marauders ready for another Division I title chase

Jul 23, 2026

Waipahu Marauders ready for another Division I title chase

WAIPAHU — The end of the 2025 season for the Waipahu football team was not something to be proud of.

The Marauders looked every bit like a championship contender after racing to a 6-1 start, but injuries and inconsistency derailed the second half of the season. Waipahu dropped its final three games, including consecutive losses to eventual Division I state champion Kailua, ending what had once appeared to be a promising campaign.

Now, head coach Bryson Carvalho believes those lessons have helped shape a veteran group determined to return to the top of Division I football.

“The expectation and the standard is always going to be the same — to play at the highest level,” Carvalho said. “The goal is always to play into November.”

Carvalho, a Waipahu alumnus, returns for another season leading his alma mater alongside an experienced coaching staff. Offensive coordinator Zach Mauga returns to direct the offense, while Mathias Tuitele enters his second season as defensive coordinator after installing a unique defensive system that players have grown increasingly comfortable with.

“I thought we had a good offseason,” Carvalho said. “The kids have been real committed. We return our two coordinators, so that’s always good. Having guys familiar with the system on both offense and defense makes a big difference.”

The Marauders enter the season as one of the favorites in Hawaiʻi’s highly competitive Division I classification, where Carvalho believes nearly every matchup presents a challenge.

“I think Division I is the best division competition-wise in the state,” Carvalho said. “It’s always wide open. Every game can go either way.”

The foundation of Waipahu’s offense begins up front with one of the state’s most experienced offensive lines.

Twin brothers Pierce and Peyton Taumua return alongside Andrew Ponafala-Fruean to anchor a veteran unit expected to pave the way for one of the state’s top rushing attacks.

RB Rocco Silofau takes a handoff during a Waipahu football practice. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

Running back Tristan Pacheco headlines the offense after emerging as one of Hawaiʻi’s premier ball carriers last season, while fellow running back Rocco Silofau provides a physical complement in the backfield.

“We have high expectations for our offensive line,” Carvalho said. “We return Tristan Pacheco, who I think was the state’s leading rusher, and we got a few additions at receiver. I’m excited about what our offense is capable of doing.”

Quarterback David Vidinha also returns after his 2025 season was cut short by a concussion, an injury Carvalho believes dramatically altered the trajectory of the Marauders’ season.

“I think the injury to David really affected us big time,” Carvalho said. “Having a backup plan, that’s always important.”

That lesson led Waipahu to bolster its quarterback room by adding sophomore Jacob Garcia, who transferred from Mililani during the offseason. Garcia has pushed Vidinha throughout the summer, giving the Marauders valuable depth at the position.

“All summer they’ve been competing,” Carvalho said. “Jake really picked up the system well. It’s neck and neck right now.”

Garcia believes the Marauders possess the talent to field one of the state’s most explosive offenses.

Jacob Garcia drops back to pass in a Waipahu football practice. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

“We’ve got a lot of weapons,” Garcia said. “The linemen, the running backs and the receivers all make my job easier.”

Waipahu’s receiving corps features returning playmakers Nazareth Failauga, Tyler Lim and Lyric Anuenue, while Saint Louis transfer Jayse Braun adds another weapon to an offense looking to replace production lost by graduated receivers Titan Figueroa and Jayvren Pinera.

The defense also returns much of its core.

Linebackers Christopher “Topher” Togiai and Colossus Letalu, defensive lineman Jordan Pefua and defensive back Jayboy Ganiron headline a group that Carvalho expects to take another step forward under Tuitele’s expanded defensive playbook. Legend Ramento also returns as another experienced contributor.

Ganiron, entering his senior season, believes the Marauders have developed a different mentality.

“I’m excited. This is my last year,” Ganiron said. “I’ve been here for all four years, ready to learn, compete and do my thing.”

He added that the defense has embraced a more aggressive identity.

“We got that dog mentality,” Ganiron said. “There’s a big difference with all the play calls. It’s way different, and it’s working for us.”

Waipahu will also look to replace several key graduates, including linebacker Wyatt O’Neill, linebacker Jhayean Baptista and defensive back Maddox Stewart.

Waipahu head coach Bryson Carvalho addresses the team after practice. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

Despite the personnel losses, Carvalho believes leadership will determine whether the Marauders can avoid another late-season fade.

“I think staying healthy is one,” Carvalho said. “Trust each other, build the brotherhood we’ve always been known for, and have player leadership.”

Carvalho identified Togiai, Vidinha, the Taumua twins and Ponafala-Fruean as players capable of providing that leadership.

The Marauders open the 2026 season at home against Campbell on Friday, Aug. 7, beginning what they hope will be another march toward the postseason.

After capturing the OIA and Division I state championships in 2023, Waipahu knows it has the talent to contend again. This year’s challenge will be sustaining that level of play from August through November.

Annual football showcase continues to grow in its third year

Annual football showcase continues to grow in its third year

May 25, 2026

The annual 808 P.R.O. Day football showcase continues to grow in its third year, drawing more than 200 participants and nearly 10 college programs to Waipahu High School’s Masa Yonamine Athletic Complex last Saturday. The event provides student-athlete with athletic...

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Campbell embraces championship expectations after breakthrough title run

Campbell embraces championship expectations after breakthrough title run

Jul 22, 2026

Campbell embraces championship expectations after breakthrough title run

EWA BEACH — For the first time in program history, Campbell enters a football season as the team everyone else is chasing.

The Sabers’ improbable run to the 2025 Open Division state championship transformed Campbell from a postseason Cinderella into a title favorite. Now, after a 9-3 campaign capped by a dramatic 26-23 overtime victory over Kamehameha for the Koa Trophy, the challenge has shifted from proving they belong to proving they can stay on top.

Head coach Darren Johnson, entering his 10th season at Campbell after taking over the program in 2017, isn’t interested in reinventing the formula that produced the school’s first Open Division crown.

“I haven’t changed,” Johnson said. “We played good football last year and we hope to play good football this year and hopefully we play great football when it counts. We do preach we’re the reigning champions and we don’t want to be dethroned. People have got to beat you. Don’t beat yourself.”

Veteran head coach Darren Johnson enters his 10th year in charge of the Campbell football team. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

Campbell’s championship run was built on resilience. The Sabers won their final three games by four points or fewer, including the overtime state title victory, showing an ability to thrive in pressure situations.

That mentality remains intact thanks to a veteran core led by Sacramento State commit Isaiah Chong and University of Hawaiʻi commit Shaison “Fatz” Kupukaa. Also returning are defensive back Kenaniah Toia, wide receiver Chase Yamashita, linebacker-turned-safety Jeovanny Maghamil-Avilla, running back James Tuazon, defensive end Myikca “Silk” Alston and offensive lineman Siosiua Afungia.

“I think everyone has the same mindset just like last year,” Chong said. “We’re going to build off of it. We have a bunch of guys coming back that have that same mindset. We’ve got a lot of dogs, underrated guys. They want the recognition and they want what’s theirs. Everyone is hungry and we’re going to forget about last season and work harder.”

Kupukaa echoed that sentiment.

“We know we have a lot to prove this season,” he said. “We’re not going to stop for less. We’re going to put our heads down and keep grinding. We’re going to trust DJ again and hopefully go back-to-back.”

 

Shaison Kupukaa lines up at safety during a Campbell football practice in June 2026. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

Campbell also strengthened an already talented roster through several key additions.

The biggest acquisition is offensive lineman Isaiah Bertola, who returns to Campbell after spending last season at Farrington. The California commit gives the Sabers one of the state’s premier offensive linemen and reinforces an offensive front expected to be among the OIA’s best.

Johnson also welcomed linebacker TJ Alualu, a member of Saint Louis’ 2024 state championship team, while running back Charlesten Salazar arrives after rushing for more than 1,000 yards at Keaʻau. Quarterbacks Dallas Carter, formerly of Mililani, and Memphis Baker from Waianae are among several players competing to replace graduated starter Brayden Medeiros.

“Getting Isaiah back is a great addition,” Johnson said of Bertola. “He’s surrounded by good players and they work hard relentlessly. They know we need to win games in the trenches.”

Chong called Bertola’s return equally significant.

“He’s a dog,” Chong said. “He’s a top prospect in the nation. That’s my best friend. Having him back is awesome, not only on the football field but at school.”

 

Talented offensive lineman Isaiah Bertola lines up at left tackle for the Sabers. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

The Sabers also made a major change on the coaching staff by hiring former Kahuku standout and Oregon State player Lamone Williams as defensive coordinator.

The biggest question entering fall camp remains quarterback.

With Medeiros now playing collegiately at Valley City State, Johnson said as many as five or six players have competed for the starting job, with Carter and Baker emerging among the leading contenders.

“I think we need leadership,” Johnson said. “They’ve got to surround themselves with guys they trust to make plays. It’s a tough competition. We’re happy with what we see, but we’re not satisfied.”

Chong said both transfers have impressed during offseason workouts.

“Dallas came from Mililani. I played against him twice, so I knew he was a dog,” Chong said. “Memphis, I played with him in youth football, so I know he’s a dog too. I’m excited to have both of them.”

 

Quarterback Dallas Carter fires off a pass during a Campbell football practice. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

Campbell will also navigate another season without a true home field as construction continues on the school’s new stadium. Johnson said the Sabers have embraced the challenge after spending much of last season on the road.

“They know we’ve got to travel,” Johnson said. “We did it last year. We’ve got to do it again. We’ve got to be those road warriors and do what we do best, and that’s try to win football games.”

Despite losing standouts Tainoa Lave, Medeiros, Zayne Pasion, Tevita Paongo, Vili Mareko and Chantz Chargualaf to graduation, along with versatile playmaker Brystin Sansano, who transferred to Bishop Gorman, Campbell believes it has enough returning talent and depth to remain among Hawaiʻi’s elite.

More than 100 players competed for just 55 varsity roster spots this offseason, evidence of how dramatically interest in the program has grown since Johnson arrived nearly a decade ago.

 

Quarterbacks Memphis Baker (left) and Jayden Delos Santos (right) attempt a pass at practice. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

“It’s still a big work in progress,” Johnson said. “We love these kids. We see which ones are committed. We need a complete kid to play football for us.”

Campbell opens defense of its Open Division title on Aug. 7 with a road game against Waipahu, beginning a season in which the Sabers will no longer surprise anyone.

The expectations have never been higher in Ewa Beach. Neither has the belief that Campbell belongs among Hawaiʻi’s football powers.

Annual football showcase continues to grow in its third year

Annual football showcase continues to grow in its third year

May 25, 2026

The annual 808 P.R.O. Day football showcase continues to grow in its third year, drawing more than 200 participants and nearly 10 college programs to Waipahu High School’s Masa Yonamine Athletic Complex last Saturday. The event provides student-athlete with athletic...

read more
Ucciardi’s journey mirrored Kalaheo football’s remarkable turnaround

Ucciardi’s journey mirrored Kalaheo football’s remarkable turnaround

Jul 21, 2026

Ucciardi’s journey mirrored Kalaheo football’s remarkable turnaround

Sean Ucciardi addresses the crowd at a signing day event on his final day as a Kalaheo student. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

When Sean Ucciardi looks back on his four years at Kalaheo High School, he doesn’t just see sacks, all-star honors or a college football scholarship.

He sees a football program that grew up alongside him.

As a freshman, Ucciardi was part of a Kalaheo team that finished 1-8 overall and 1-6 in OIA play. Wins were scarce, confidence was hard to come by and the Mustangs were searching for a new direction.

Four years later, Ucciardi walked out of Kalaheo as one of the school’s most accomplished football players, helping lead the Mustangs to a 7-2 record, the No. 2 seed in the OIA Division II playoffs and signing to continue his career at Valley City State University in North Dakota.

“This is just an amazing feeling,” Ucciardi said during a signing ceremony held in Kalaheo’s gymnasium on his final day of high school. “I’m so happy that Valley City is giving me this opportunity. It’s been a long football journey. My freshman year we were 1-8 and it was just a rough time all around. Then we had a great coaching change and it’s just been getting better from here.”

The turning point for both player and program came when Jaymason Lee was hired before Ucciardi’s sophomore season.

Lee inherited a team coming off a one-win campaign. The Mustangs improved to 2-5 in his first season before reaching the OIA Division II playoffs a year later with a 4-5 overall record.

By Ucciardi’s senior year, Kalaheo had become one of the league’s top programs.

The Mustangs finished 7-2 overall, went 5-2 in conference play and entered the postseason as the No. 2 seed.

“I’m just happy that I can be a piece in making the school better and just the football better,” Ucciardi said.

The 6-foot-1, 215-pound standout became the face of that turnaround because he was willing to play wherever the team needed him.

As a sophomore defensive lineman, he recorded five sacks, including three in a victory over McKinley that snapped a three-game losing streak during Lee’s inaugural season. He earned honorable mention All-Hawaii honors and second-team All-OIA recognition.

Sean Ucciardi tracks the quarterback in a game against Kalani during his junior season. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

His junior season was even more impressive.

Ucciardi exploded for one of the state’s top defensive campaigns, earning First Team All-OIA and First Team All-Hawaii honors as an edge rusher. His season included a nationally televised performance against Waialua in which he recorded five sacks.

Instead of building on those numbers at defensive end as a senior, Ucciardi embraced a different challenge.

He moved to middle linebacker on defense while also sliding to center on offense, taking over responsibilities that required leadership as much as athletic ability.

“I wouldn’t even call it a sacrifice playing linebacker,” Ucciardi said. “I’ve always wanted to play linebacker. Stats might show that I’m better at edge rusher, but I’m definitely a linebacker, and I’m looking forward to being a linebacker from now on.”

Lee said that selflessness defined Ucciardi’s career.

Sean Ucciardi prepares to snap the ball in a Kalaheo Mustangs game against Kalani. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

“Sean played everywhere on the line for us and everywhere on the D-line for us,” Lee said. “Going into his senior year he took it upon himself to take over the center position, moving from left tackle and left guard. He became the quarterback of the line because he understood all the plays and the whole system. He helped direct the line in their protections and blocking assignments.”

Learning middle linebacker presented another challenge.

“We put him in an uncomfortable position,” Lee said. “He was an edge rusher in the trenches, and now we’re forcing him to get into pass coverage and play downhill at the same time. He took that on and did a really good job for us.”

The move didn’t slow him down.

Ucciardi earned First Team All-OIA honors at linebacker and a Second Team All-Hawaii selection while also earning Second Team All-OIA recognition as an offensive lineman.

For Ucciardi, though, Lee’s biggest impact came away from the field.

Kalaheo football coach Jaymason Lee looks on during a game against Kalani. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

“Coach Jaymason has made me a stronger person emotionally and physically,” Ucciardi said.

“When my sophomore year rolled around, I was really dejected from the season before and worried about having to prove myself. But I never had to prove myself to Coach Jaymason. He saw me as the player I was. He saw my potential and wanted to bring out the best in me and make me a better player and just a stronger person. Because of him, he’s made me so much better.”

His next opportunity will take him thousands of miles from home.

Valley City State has quietly become one of the strongest landing spots for Hawaiʻi football players, with 11 island athletes on the Vikings’ roster during the 2025 season. Offensive coordinator Dustin Yorek has spearheaded the recruiting effort, while a partnership with Fantastic Sams Hawaiʻi has created additional scholarship opportunities for student-athletes from the islands.

Ucciardi said his relationship with Yorek made the decision easy.

“He was very kind,” Ucciardi said. “He had everything laid out and gave me all the information I needed. He answered all my questions and we kept really good contact.

“When I went out to visit, I met with him and a bunch of the other coaches. I had a great tour. Everyone was so kind and helpful. I even met some of the players. Just great vibes all around.”

Valley City State recruited him as a middle linebacker, the position he always envisioned playing.

“I’ve been recruited as a middle linebacker,” Ucciardi said. “I’m looking forward to doing some good work over there.”

Off the field, Ucciardi plans to major in pre-occupational therapy before pursuing a master’s degree in occupational therapy.

Long after the awards are forgotten, Ucciardi hopes his legacy at Kalaheo will be remembered for something bigger than statistics.

His career began with a one-win season and ended with the Mustangs among the OIA’s best. In helping change the trajectory of the program, Ucciardi also changed the trajectory of his own future.

Sean Ucciardi poses fro a photo with his family. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

RB Cam Barfield ready to do more for Hawaii Football in 2026

RB Cam Barfield ready to do more for Hawaii Football in 2026

Jul 16, 2026

RB Cam Barfield ready to do more for Hawaii Football in 2026

Hawaii RB Cam Barfield celebrates after scoring his first-ever touchdown for the Rainbow Warriors. | Photo credit: Rayden Aoki

Cam Barfield waited patiently for his opportunity.

After two quiet seasons at Boston College, the former Bishop Gorman standout transferred to the University of Hawaiʻi hoping for a fresh start. His first season with the Rainbow Warriors hinted at his potential before a breakout season in 2025.

The 5-foot-7, 190-pound senior played in all 13 games last year, emerging as one of the Mountain West’s most versatile offensive weapons with 944 all-purpose yards. Barfield rushed for 371 yards on 80 carries while averaging 4.6 yards per attempt, caught 27 passes for 257 yards and three touchdowns while earning second-team All-Mountain West honors as a kick returner after averaging 28.7 yards per return.

Entering his final year of eligibility, Barfield is ready to do more for the program that gave him a chance.

“I said to myself, ‘Okay, that was a good year. How do I improve? How do I make myself better for this team? How do I do everything that I can to make it possible for us to win or make it possible for us to make a large run?'” Barfield told Hawaiʻi Sports Radio Network during Mountain West Football Media Days.

For a Rainbow Warriors team coming off a breakthrough 9-4 season and a victory in the Sheraton Hawaiʻi Bowl, Barfield believes the next step is bringing home the Mountain West championship.

“We were so close last year,” Barfield said. “How do I make that stretch for this team? What do I have to do to make that happen? That’s what I’ve really been focusing on.”

As a junior, Barfield consistently delivered in the biggest moments.

He scored eight total touchdowns — four rushing, three receiving and one on a kickoff return — with five of those touchdowns covering at least 20 yards.

When Barfield reached the end zone, Hawaiʻi usually won. The Rainbow Warriors posted a 6-1 record in games in which he scored.

Hawaii RB Cam Barfield leaps for the pylon to score his first touchdown against Portland State. | Photo credit: Rayden Aoki

His coming out party came early in the season against Portland State, catching four passes for 50 yards and two touchdowns in a 23-3 victory.

A few weeks later against Air Force, Barfield turned a short pass into a 59-yard gain on the opening possession to set up the game’s first score. He later broke loose for a 27-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter that helped seal a 44-35 road victory.

Perhaps his signature moment came against Colorado State.

Facing fourth down on the road, Barfield burst through the line for a 35-yard touchdown, powering through a defender on his way to the end zone. The score helped lift Hawaiʻi to a 6-2 record while clinching the program’s first bowl berth under head coach Timmy Chang.

His versatility surfaced again against San Diego State when he opened the second half with an 86-yard kickoff return touchdown in a 38-6 victory, the Rainbow Warriors’ first win over the Aztecs during Chang’s tenure.

He finished the regular season by recording career highs with 15 carries and 77 rushing yards while scoring both a rushing and receiving touchdown in a 27-7 win over Wyoming.

Hawaii RB Cam Barfield scored on a receiving and rushing touchdown in the Rainbow Warriors’ 2025 regular season finale against Wyoming. | Photo: Rayden Aoki

Even in the Sheraton Hawaiʻi Bowl, Barfield made his presence felt.

Trailing California by 21 points, Hawaiʻi mounted one of the program’s most memorable postseason comebacks. Barfield caught the game-tying two-point conversion early in the fourth quarter before the Rainbow Warriors completed a 35-31 victory to cap their nine-win season.

Despite the production, Barfield believes he has only scratched the surface.

“We’ve had talks and they’re expecting more,” Barfield said of Hawaiʻi’s coaching staff. “I showed quick flashes of it last year, and with me being one of the only returning backs really, it’s just, ‘How do we get you more? How do we get you more and how do you make these plays?’ They’re expecting more, and I’m going to do that for them.”

Quarterback Micah Alejado expects Barfield to answer that challenge.

The two have known each other for years after starring together at national powerhouse Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas. Alejado, the reigning Mountain West Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, has witnessed Barfield’s growth firsthand.

Hawaii QB Micah Alejado hands the ball off to RB Cam Barfield in a 2025 Mountain West game against Utah State. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

“He’s a guy that you rely on. Big-play guy,” Alejado said. “That’s the type of guy he is. Mentally, he doesn’t get rattled, but when it’s time to go play some ball, he’s one of the ones that is going to go play some ball and go win us some football games.”

As valuable as Barfield has become with the football, teammates believe his greatest impact this season may come without it.

With former starting running back Landon Sims graduating, Barfield has inherited leadership responsibilities within one of the team’s youngest position groups.

He credits Sims for preparing him for the role.

“He was such a great leader,” Barfield said. “He taught me things that I don’t even think I would have been able to be taught. Just taking everything that he’s taught me and figuring out how to instill that into the guys now.”

That room now includes Kansas State transfer Devon Rice, another Bishop Gorman graduate, redshirt sophomore Sitani Mikaele of Farrington High School and true freshman TJ Fo’ilefutu.

Barfield already sees pieces of each player’s potential.

“We do have a couple of dudes,” Barfield said.

Of Rice, he said, “I played high school with Devon Rice. He was younger than me, so just having that chemistry with him and (me) trying to be that role that Landon was for me.”

On Mikaele, Barfield added, “He’s grown so much over these years. I can’t wait to watch him go out there and spin it.”

Fo’ilefutu, meanwhile, brings a different style.

“TJ’s a dog,” Barfield said with a smile. “He’s big. He’s going to run somebody over. He’s going to break those tackles.”

Alejado believes Barfield’s willingness to mentor younger teammates has become just as important as his production on Saturdays.

“He’s a humongous piece of our offense,” Alejado said. “Especially him being one of the older guys, taking that leadership role for him this year was humongous. He’s a guy that knows the program well, knows the culture well, and he helps younger kids get acclimated to it.”

Hawaii RB Cam Barfield returns the second-half kickoff for a score against San Diego State on a rainy November 2025 night. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

Hawai’i fans can expect to also see more from Barfield in the return game in 2026.

Although Barfield averaged nearly 29 yards per kickoff return last season and led all Mountain West returners during conference play at 34 yards per return, Hawaiʻi often took a conservative approach early in the year after a costly special teams mistake in the season opener against Stanford by a player no longer on the team.

Barfield spent much of last fall lobbying Chang and special teams coordinator Thomas Sheffield to let him attack more kickoffs.

“Last year we were a lot more conservative,” Barfield said. “Closer to the end of the season, I started going to Coach Chang every day saying, ‘Please let me rock, coach.’ I’d go to Coach Sheffield too. They kept telling me, ‘We’re going to let you.'”

When the opportunities finally came, Barfield capitalized.

“I was able to make something happen,” he said. “With the few opportunities that I got, I became one of the best returners in the country. They’re going to let me rock a lot more this season.”

Among the four kick returners recognized on the 2025 All-Mountain West team, Barfield is the only one returning to the conference this season. Despite that, he was omitted from the league’s preseason all-conference team, where newcomer Jackson Williams of North Dakota State earned preseason recognition.

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Players with Hawaii-ties selected by MLB teams in 2026 draft, free agency

Players with Hawaii-ties selected by MLB teams in 2026 draft, free agency

Jul 13, 2026

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Ben Zeigler-Namoa takes a photo following the University of Hawai’i senior night in May 2026. | Photo: Riley Guillermo

Five players with Hawaiʻi connections heard their names called during the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft, while two former University of Hawaiʻi standouts agreed to free-agent contracts shortly after the draft concluded.

Leading the group was Ewa Beach native Nu’u Contrades, who was selected by the San Diego Padres in the sixth round with the 186th overall pick. The Saint Louis School alumnus was drafted out of Arizona State after earning All-Big 12 First Team honors.

The Atlanta Braves selected Lahaina native Ben Zeigler-Namoa in the 10th round with the 292nd overall pick. A Baldwin High School graduate, Zeigler-Namoa played collegiately at the University of Hawaiʻi before beginning his professional career.

Later in the 10th round, the Chicago Cubs chose Kihei native Luke Alwood with the 307th overall pick. The Maui High School graduate was drafted out of Seattle University.

Wailuku native Kuhio Aloy went to the New York Mets in the 11th round with the 330th overall selection. The Baldwin High School product starred at Arkansas before becoming the third Maui native selected in this year’s draft.

Former University of Hawaiʻi outfielder Jack Salmon rounded out the state’s draft selections when the Los Angeles Angels picked him in the 19th round with the 554th overall selection. Salmon spent the 2025 season with the Rainbow Warriors before continuing his career at UNLV.

Several additional Hawaiʻi players also landed professional opportunities as undrafted free agents.

Isaiah Magdaleno prepares to throw a pitch to plate in the 2026 season opener against Gonzaga. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

Fellow Hawaiʻi pitcher Isaiah Magdaleno agreed to a free-agent deal with the Toronto Blue Jays following one of the most decorated pitching seasons in program history. Magdaleno spent three seasons with the Rainbow Warriors and finished the 2026 campaign with 116 strikeouts, including a career-high 16 in a one-hit complete-game shutout against UC Riverside. He also threw two complete-game victories and became the first Hawaiʻi player since Kolten Wong in 2011—and just the sixth player in program history—to earn multiple All-America honors.

Right-handed pitcher John Alkire II signed with the Chicago Cubs after spending the 2026 season at Hawaiʻi. Alkire recorded 32 strikeouts during his lone season with the Rainbow Warriors.

The draft selections and free-agent signings continue a strong stretch for baseball talent with Hawaiʻi roots, with players from Oʻahu, Maui and the University of Hawaiʻi earning opportunities to begin their professional careers.