As the Maui Adult Baseball League’s Spring 2021 season reaches the halfway point there is no shortage of storylines to keep an eye on over the next couple months. At this point no team remains unbeaten, and, with the Lahaina Warriors’ upset of the Makena Royals on March 7, no team is winless either. Only 2 games separate the teams fighting for the last playoff spots, and things are far from settled with 7 games left to play.
Through the first 6 weeks of the season, an unprecedented 6 home runs were hit by 5 different players on 3 different teams. The watch is on for a new single season MABL home run king, as the Rays’ Jeremy Loque has met the previous mark (2, by multiple players) with 7 games left to play. Loque, who has a league best 8 career longballs, is also 1 hit away from becoming the 4th player in MABL history with 300 career hits.
The league is also enjoying a youth movement as many teams added impact rookies this season. After winning a Championship under first-year manager, Lance Fujii, the Makena Royals reloaded with an extremely talented group of new players. Rookie RHP Jacob Tiu is leading the league with a 0.97 WHIP through 24.2 innings, going 3-1 with a 2.55 ERA over that span. In addition, first year players Chazz Ishikawa, Isiah Maddela, and Makana Victorine have played significant roles on both sides of the ball. The Rays’ Kaimana Ancog has put himself in the MVP conversation halfway through his first season as he’s currently on pace to smash the single season RBI record (23 by the Dirtbags’ Tim Page during the Spring 2012 season). The February 2021 Player of the Month is also leading the league in total bases and extra-base hits and is just behind teammate Jeremy Loque in slugging percentage and OPS. Rookies Dustin Kokubun and Micah Richardson have also played big roles in the Rays’ rebound from an 0-4 start to the season.
The Lahaina Warriors are receiving outstanding performances from rookies LHP Mike Gilligan and INF Nick Malinowski. Gilligan’s 25 strike outs through 29.2 innings put him among the league leaders, while his complete game effort against the Royals last weekend helped the Warriors to perhaps the biggest upset of the season to date. Through 7 games Malinowski is hitting .444, tied for third in the league. The Warriors’ Matt Newsome heads into this weekend riding a 13 game hitting streak, the longest active streak since the Royals’ Mitchell Crim hit safety in 16 straight games last year.
The West Maui Brewers upgraded their infield defense with a pair of rookies playing up the middle in Brandon Kagrise and Jordan Casco. After a slow start, Kagrise is hitting .292 and is among the league leaders in runs halfway through his rookie campaign. Longtime Brewer Andy Michaels has forced his name into the Cy Young conversation as he currently leads the league with 5 wins and 32 strike outs through 39.0 innings.
Lead by a familiar cast, the La Perouse Pirates sit atop the standings with a 6-1 record at the halfway point. Besides a loss at the hands of the Royals on February 21, pitchers Joe McFarlin and Jerry Ayala have been as dominant as ever, leading one of the league’s top pitching staffs, while Elias Steadman, Adam Chesick, and Ayala have paced the offense.
In his first season with the Upcountry Dirtbags, 1B/LHP Anthony Benigno is on pace for his third MABL batting title, leading the way with a .550 average (11 for 20) at the halfway point. RHP Dreyson Cordova led the Pacific Hurricanes to a 2-0 start with a couple of early season wins against the Brewers and Warriors, while Kia and Ikaika Neizman have lead the offense. Currently the first team looking in at a playoff spot, the Kihei Centipedes have been led offensively and on the mound by veteran Ryan Swindle, whose 1.204 OPS ranks 5th in the league and 2.55 ERA is 2nd among qualifying pitchers.
Be sure to stay up-to-date on all your favorite Maui Adult Baseball League teams and players by checking back for scores and stats weekly. The game schedule through the end of March is posted online, and stay tuned for additional dates as they become available. You can also follow the league on Facebook and Instagram (@mauiadultbaseball) for additional content throughout the week.