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 Pacific snaps slide with Senior Night rally over Azusa Pacific

Hawaii Pacific snaps slide with Senior Night rally over Azusa Pacific

Feb 20, 2026

Hawaii Pacific snaps slide with Senior Night rally over Azusa Pacific

The HPU Sharks Men’s Basketball team honor their seniors. | Photo: Riley Guillermo, HSRN

PRINTABLE VERSION

HONOLULU – Swimming out of the Tank with one last win.

The Hawaii Pacific University men’s basketball team sent six players off with one last victory from inside the friendly confines of the Shark Tank on Thursday night, taking down Azusa Pacific, 75-66. Senior guard Joshua West scored a team-high 19 points in his final home game, helping the Sharks erase a halftime deficit to rally for a win for the fourth time this year.

Fellow senior Quinton McCullough added 16 points and five rebounds in 26 minutes off the bench, going 8-of-11 from the floor and sparking the HPU offense in the second half. Junior guard Quentin Meza chipped in 13 points, four rebounds and a trio of assists for the Sharks while going 5-for-5 at the charity stripe as HPU (16-9, 12-8 PacWest) went 21-for-25 as a team from the free throw line.

“Ultimately, we absolutely had to have this game to try and qualify for the conference tournament,” said head coach Jesse Nakanishi following the win as the Sharks momentarily claimed third place in the PacWest standings for themselves.

Entering Thursday on a three-game slide, Nakanishi acknowledged that his squad had not been playing their best basketball. Even worse, it was different areas in HPU’s game showing cracks.

Against Point Loma, HPU struggled with turnovers and getting stops against the top team in the conference. Homecoming night against Fresno Pacific saw the Sharks start slow, falling down 23-2 through the opening 11 minutes of action last Saturday.

Tuesday’s Field Trip Game, an annual treat for the Shark Bite Mentorship program under Nakanishi’s watch, was supposed to help boost his team with over 400 screaming keiki in attendance. It helped HPU spar with Jessup for the opening 20 minutes, but the defense evaporated after halftime and the Warriors took a 23-point lead with under 10 minutes to play.

The Sharks battled to rally over the final few minutes against Jessup, but the 23-point deficit proved to be too much as they fell for the first time ever on Field Trip Day and suddenly had put their postseason hopes in peril.

Thursday brought another opportunity, the final one at home, for HPU to get back on track before closing the regular season on the road.

It appeared like it’d be more of the same for the Sharks though as Azusa Pacific (6-18, 4-15 PacWest) got out of the gates quickly, taking a 12-3 lead over the hosts after five minutes of action.

The Azusa advantage grew into double figures as the clock hit the nine-minute mark of the opening stanza, taking a 28-17 lead after back-to-back 3-pointers from Caleb Oden and Tobias Aisien.

In search of a jolt of energy, Nakanishi dusted off trusted senior reserve Kemp Van Es for just the 10th game this season and got results as the guard drilled a triple from the top of the key with a defender closing in to help power the Sharks on a 19-9 run.

“When you go [through rough stretches], you don’t hit the panic button, but you look for the spark button, if you will,” Nakanishi said in response about trying different rotation combinations than usual throughout the night.

Meza finished another layup through contact and added the free throw after to make it a 37-36 deficit for HPU just before the break, but APU guard DM Sanders drained his second 3-pointer of the night before the horn to send the Cougars into the locker rooms leading the Sharks by four.

Quentin Meza (3) celebrates after making a play against Azusa Pacific. | Photo: Riley Guillermo, HSRN

Then, it seemed like the funk started to finally lift from HPU.

Nakanishi inserted McCullough into the opening five out of the break, replacing freshman Ike Sutton in the starting lineup for the second half after the forward tallied eight points in the opening half.

It was once again the right lever to pull – or button to press – by Nakanishi.

McCullough scored six of HPU’s first eight points out of halftime, helping put the Sharks ahead for the first time all night just two and a half minutes after play resumed. The two squads sparred momentarily until Azusa Pacific punched back, taking a five-point lead back with 10:19 left in regulation after getting to the line eight times over a three-minute stretch and forcing Nakanishi to take a timeout.

Sutton was back in following the timeout, stepping up alongside Nemanja Sarenac and a trio of seniors as HPU threw a few quick jabs with three straight buckets from Josh Niusulu, McCullough and Maj Dusanic to take a 58-57 lead as the clock ticked under nine minutes left to play.

The Sharks would not trail again.

Quinton McCullough gets a dunk off past a Azusa Pacific defender. | Photo: Riley Guillermo, HSRN

Sutton added on three points from the line after getting fouled on a triple as the shot clock expired and drilled a pull-up jumper from 14 feet away to extend the advantage to six for HPU with 5:18 to go.

“He’s a tough kid for as small as he is,” Nakanishi glowingly said of Sutton. “He really has great on-ball defense and just puts pressure on defenses on the other end.”

Meza and West took turns delivering the daggers into Azusa Pacific’s comeback hopes, guiding HPU to a calm 75-66 victory in the final meeting against the Cougars as PacWest rivals.

APU will transition to the NCAA’s Division III level following the conclusion of the 2025-26 academic calendar and join the SCIAC as the school celebrates the return of the football program.

Sanders led the way for Azusa Pacific with 14 points in the loss, shooting just 3-of-13 from the field but knocking down a pair of threes for the Cougars. The senior from San Diego also knocked down 6-of-7 free throws while the team went 16-for-23 from the charity stripe as a whole.

Graduate transfer Shad Thomas recorded his 12th double-double of the year for APU, chipping in 10 points and collecting 13 rebounds in 37 minutes of work.

Hawaii Pacific will hit the road for the final two games of the regular season, needing one more victory to clinch a spot in the PacWest Tournament. The Sharks will visit conference-leading Point Loma on Thursday, February 26 before wrapping up the regular season against another squad looking to secure a postseason spot in Concordia on Saturday, February 28.

“We’re going to play two of the best teams in the league,” Nakanishi flatly stated. “If you want to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best is the message.”

Joshua West (center) was one of the six HPU seniors that were honored. | Photo: Riley Guillermo, HSRN

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HPU takes Battle for Oahu in overtime as Chaminade blows big second half lead

HPU takes Battle for Oahu in overtime as Chaminade blows big second half lead

Feb 8, 2026

HPU guard Josh Niusulu shoots a fadeaway jumper over a defender during the Sharks’ overtime victory against Chaminade. | Photo Credit: Daniel Fujita, HSRN

HPU takes Battle for Oahu in OT as Chaminade blows big 2nd half lead

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 8, 2026

PRINTABLE VERSION

HONOLULU – It ain’t over until Queen Lili’uokalani sings.

Down 17 points with under 15 minutes left in regulation, the Hawaii Pacific University men’s basketball team rallied inside McCabe Gymnasium on Saturday night to take down island-rival Chaminade (10-10, 8-6 PacWest) in overtime, 85-78.

HPU junior guard Quentin Meza paced all scorers with 19 points to go along with five rebounds and five assists, including the game-tying layup with seven seconds to play in regulation that sent the game to overtime. Joshua Niusulu added a season-high 17 points while pulling down six rebounds and collecting three steals in the comeback effort by the Sharks.

Hawaii Pacific got off to a strong start behind Meza and Niusulu, taking a 15-7 lead through eight minutes of action as the duo each took turns tormenting the Chaminade defense. Nate Sasser III provided a spark for the Silverswords off the bench, knocking down a pair of triples to help pull the hosts back within four as the clock ticked under 10 minutes left in the half.

Turnovers started to become an issue for the Sharks as the half wound down, committing five giveaways in four minutes to allow Chaminade to power ahead for the first time all day with 7:01 remaining until halftime.

“Credit them, they really brought it and challenged our toughness in the first half,” head coach Jesse Nakanishi said about the defensive pressure through the first half by Chaminade. “We turned it over regularly, and if you let Chaminade go in transition, they’re a really tough team.”

The high-pressure full court defense of the Silverswords continued to suffocate the Sharks as the first half dwindled down, extending the advantage for Chaminade to nine by the break after Sasser knocked down a pair of free throws to complete a 10-point first half by the reserve forward.

Chaminade kept the foot on the gas to begin the second half, scoring 11 of the first 14 points out of the locker room to take a 17-point lead with 15:27 left in regulation and force Jesse Nakanishi to look deep down the bench for answers after a couple of early timeouts.

Enter Nemanja Sarenac and Ike Sutton for a jolt of energy.

HPU freshman Ike Sutton drives to the rim against Chaminade. | Photo Credit: Daniel Fujita, HSRN

Sarenac got the party started by hitting back-to-back 3-pointers before Sutton drained a fallaway triple as the shot clock ticked down, injecting life into an otherwise lifeless HPU team teetering on being swept by their PacWest island rival.

Niusulu hit a soft turnaround jumper to pull the Sharks back within single digits with 11:20 remaining and followed it up with a quick layup that forced Chaminade head coach Eric Bovaird to call a timeout of his own as the Silverswords started to melt defensively.

The stoppage slowed the momentum of HPU for a moment, but Sarenac’s third 3-pointer of the second half made it a five-point game with 8:27 to play and re-sparked the scorching hot shooting of the Sharks.

HPU tried to put the finishing touches on the comeback a few minutes later as Meza tied it with a running layup and Niusulu gave the visitors a 65-62 lead after splitting a pair of free throws and muscling in another layup, but Chaminade refused to let go as Nathan Medina knotted it back up with a tough bucket and Kent King finished through traffic with 23 seconds left to play to put the Silverswords ahead by a pair.

Without a timeout to draw up a look, HPU turned to Quentin Meza and watched as the 6-foot guard sprinted down the lane and softly kissed the ball off the window to tie the game at 69 with seven seconds remaining. Medina was able to get a final look off before the buzzer sounded in regulation but fired off the mark as the clock struck zeroes.

HPU guard Quentin Meza drives to the rim during regulation against Chaminade. | Photo Credit: Daniel Fujita, HSRN

The battle continued into overtime as the teams traded more daggers from deep, seeing the Sharks take a 77-76 lead midway through the extra period with Sarenac’s fourth make from distance going along with a Joshua West triple that countered 3-pointers from Chaminade’s RJ Banks and Kent King.

Quinton McCullough and Meza provided a pair of tough finishes in the paint to give the Sharks some breathing room in the final minute before Joshua Niusulu drained four straight free throws to wrap up the comeback win for HPU, 85-78.

Joshua West finished with 14 points and five rebounds for the Sharks, playing just 29 of the 45 minutes as he dealt with foul woes throughout the majority of the night. Nemanja Sarenac added 12 points (4-for-7 3PT) and six rebounds off the bench before fouling out for the first time this season.

HPU celebrates after coming back from 17 down on the road to defeat Chaminade in overtime. | Photo Credit: Daniel Fujita, HSRN

Kent King paced the Silverswords in the loss, securing a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double to go with three steals and a pair of blocks before fouling out in overtime. Nathan Medina chipped in 14 points but was held to 5-of-21 shooting (3-of-15 3PT) by the stingy Sharks defense.

HPU (15-6, 11-5 PacWest) took a steady hold of second place in the conference standings, sitting 1.5 games behind Point Loma with six games left in the regular season. The Sharks will host Point Loma next Thursday, February 12 inside the Shark Tank for the first of two meetings down the stretch between the PacWest heavyweights.

Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. HT following the women’s basketball matchup. Both games can be heard on Hawaii Sports Radio Network (95.1 FM / AM 760 / hawaiisportsradio.com) or can be listed to on demand wherever you get most podcasts.

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Tanabe Leads the Way as HPU Tops Chaminade, 64–52

Tanabe Leads the Way as HPU Tops Chaminade, 64–52

Feb 7, 2026

HPU guard Kyra Tanabe led all scores with 26 points against Chaminade on February 7, 2026 | Photo by Michael Lasquero

Tanabe Leads the Way as HPU Tops Chaminade, 64–52

BY HSRN STAFF | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 7, 2026

HONOLULU – Hawai‘i Pacific University used a strong second quarter and balanced scoring to pull away from Chaminade, earning a 64–52 PacWest victory Saturday afternoon at McCabe Gym.

After a tight opening period, HPU created separation with a 20–10 run in the second quarter, turning defensive pressure into transition points and heading into halftime with a 32–21 advantage.

The Sharks maintained control throughout the second half, answering every Chaminade push with timely shooting and steady execution.

HPU shot 33.3 percent from the field and knocked down nine three-pointers, while forcing turnovers that led to 31 points off miscues. Chaminade closed the gap briefly in the fourth quarter, but the Sharks responded with perimeter shots and free throws to secure the win.

The victory improves Hawai‘i Pacific to 7–15 overall and 6–10 in PacWest play, while Chaminade fell to 0–18 on the season.

Top Performers

Hawai‘i Pacific

Kyra Tanabe
Tanabe led all scorers with a game-high 26 points, shooting 9-for-17 from the field and 4-for-7 from three-point range. She set the offensive tone early and delivered timely buckets whenever momentum was needed.

Lucia Ricci
Ricci turned in a strong double-double performance with 14 points and a team-high 11 rebounds, providing stability on the glass and consistent scoring throughout the game.

Jalen Samuel
Samuel sparked the Sharks off the bench with 13 points, knocking down three triples and stretching the floor during key stretches of the second half.

Chaminade

Holly Dolny
Dolny paced the Silverswords with 15 points, connecting on three three-pointers and attacking in transition to keep Chaminade within reach.

Alyssa Schuetze
Schuetze added 12 points and 13 rebounds, controlling the paint and anchoring Chaminade’s interior presence on both ends of the floor.

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Fujinaka gets 100th career win as HPU splits with Cal State LA to open 2026

Fujinaka gets 100th career win as HPU splits with Cal State LA to open 2026

Feb 1, 2026

Fujinaka gets 100th career win as HPU splits with Cal State LA to open 2026

WAIPAHU — Teamwork makes the dream work.

The Hawai’i Pacific University baseball team got contributions from across the board Saturday afternoon to pick up its first win of the 2026 season in a 13-5 victory over visiting California State University Los Angeles at Hans L’Orange Park.

While it was win No. 1 of the year, it was HPU head coach Dane Fujinaka’s 100th career win in his fifth year since taking over the program in 2022.

“It’s a team effort. It’s a cool recognition for everybody involved, not just myself. Everybody that’s been through the program and continued to support us,” Fujinaka said.

“That milestone is not just for me. It’s a team milestone, it’s a program milestone. It’s a new era of HPU baseball milestone.”

The victory comes one day after the Sharks (1-1) put up a stinker against the Golden Eagles, 16-1, to open the season. It was the most runs allowed by HPU since a 17-1 loss to Westmont on March 11, 2024.

Fujinaka said the message after the loss was to be tougher.

“We’re as talented as anybody that we’re going to play this year and (Cal State LA) really were just tougher,” he said. “It was nice to see them respond today.”

After garnering just three hits in the season opener, HPU exploded for 12 hits while drawing 15 free passes to the bag (11 walks and four hit by pitch). The Sharks also used a different lineup with Chase Christenson leading things off at the designated hitter position after not playing the day before.

Christenson started the bottom of the first with a single to right field, which was followed by Kan Taguchi’s first hit of the season. Senior center fielder Noah Hata also notched his first single of the year on the next at bat to bring home Christenson. Two batters later, new starting catcher Blake Helsper singled to left to score Taguchi to make it a 2-1 game after the first inning.

Chase Christenson got the start at designated hitter in the rematch against Cal State LA. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

“I kind of wanted to mix it up and just learn about our guys,” Fujinaka said. “These first couple weeks and even throughout the rest of the year, we have to continue to learn about each other and get better and preseason is really your opportunity to try new things out.

“For Chase, the decision to have him lead off, I just thought he’s kind of been a spark plug when he’s hot and the message after yesterday was we need to be aggressive. That’s our MO as an offense is ultra aggressive and he came ready to hit and was able to spark it.”

Of the starters, Taguchi had himself a day going 3-for-6 at the plate with two RBIs and two runs. Rylen Bayne, who got the start at right field after pitching the final two innings on Friday, was another starter with a multi-hit game.

It wasn’t just the starters putting in work either.

With the score tied at 2-2 with the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth, standout sophomore Tyler Arnold made his season debut off the bench with a a double that made the score 4-2. Arnold earned PacWest first team honors as a true freshman in 2025, but is nursing a lower leg injury.

“Tyler being able to come in with half a leg and be able to get a big hit there was big time,” Fujinaka said of Arnold.

Arnold’s two RBI double ignited an eight-run inning that saw HPU take a 10-2 lead into the fifth.

Another player off the bench that did well was Brock Wirthgen with a hit, two walks, two RBIs and two runs scored in three plate appearances. Christian Perez also had a two RBI triple to cap the eight-run explosion in the fourth.

Saturday was also the debut of a new postgame tradition by the Sharks where they recognized a player for their contribution in the game and to the team. Redshirt freshman Ziah Chang, who graduated high school from Kamehameha Schools’ Maui campus, was the first honoree after getting his first career hit while making a handful of plays in right field off the bench.

“I thought it was a cool way to celebrate certain guys off the bench or just a play or a player that stood out to me and today was Ziah Chang,” Fujinaka said.

“I’m super happy for him because he put in the time. He’s a red shirt guy, Maui kid that had to develop and get better. He’s continuing to get better and I’m just super happy for him to come through today. It’s a big moment for him.”

Andrew Nykoluk got the start on the mound and allowed just two hits in 2 2/3 innings while striking out three. The runs charged against him were both unearned.

Jayden Gabrillo earned the win as a middle reliever pitching 3 1/3 innings. He walked two, struck out three and was tagged with two earned runs and four hits.

The Sharks allowed one more run in the seventh with Jett Ah Sam on the mound before Ethan Harris and Noah Meaux closed out the eight and the ninth without allowing a hit or a run.

In the season opener against the Golden Hawks, the only players to record a hit were Perez, Ethan Murakoshi and Owen Wessel.

Jacob Vanek was the most effective pitcher in the first game of 2026, going 3 2/3 innings with six strikeouts while just surrounding one hit.

The Sharks resume non-conference play on Thursday when they host Saint Martin’s in a double-header.

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