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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2014
ALOHA FROM PAGE 10
a really good team." Eldredge said. "That game right there was really the state championship."
Protocio and the Mid-Pacific Institute were able to defeat Punahou twice during the regular season, but hadn't been able to put an end to their post-season dominance.
Punahou was protecting a small lead in the final inning of the game when Protacio doubled on a hard line drive in the gap. Suiter in center and Eldredge behind the plate began to wonder if Punahou's dominance was coming to an end.
"They won a lot of state titles," Protacio said, "and I kind of envy that. But off the field, I respected what they were doing."
Punahou went on to win their seventh straight state title with an easy victory in the title game.
Standing at second base as the game-tying run, Protacio wondered the same thing, hoping his team could score him from third. The following batter laced a single up the middle, and Protacio saw his chance to tie the game. Protacio got a good jump on the ball, but was held up by his third base coach. The next batter recorded the last out of the game and stranded Protacio at third, ending Mid-Pacific's chances of dethroning Punahou.
"Looking back at that game, I remember being a little pissed off at my coach for holding me up," Protacio said.
A similar situation took place during Robert Kahana's sophomore season at James Campbell High School. Campbell drew Punahou in the first round of the state tournament. Kahana was on the mound that day in what was the biggest start of his young career at the time.
Kahana's teammate bobbled a routine catch and two runners were able to score because the pop up was so high in the air. Kahana threw the rest of the game and put up zeroes the entire way, but the offense was unable to rally behind him, as they fell to Punahou 2-0.
中
When Protacio, Suiter and Kahana arrived in Lawrence to join Eldredge, there were four highly competitive Hawaiian ballplayers from three rival schools all on the same team. They spent four years seeing each other in different uniforms. Now, they had to forget about the past rivalry and become a unit.
The four Hawaiians have set aside their rivalries and truly become a family that represents Hawaii 3,800 miles away from home.
"The four of us play for Hawaii," Kahana explained. "When people from California say where they're from they say their hometown. We say we're from Hawaii."
HAWAIIAN ROYALTY
Baseball in Hawaii got its start with the Eldredge family when Pop Eldredge became the athletic director for the Pioneer Mill Company in Lahaina, Hawaii. In 1927, Eldredge formed Hawaiis first youth baseball league, 20 years before the Little League World Series began.
"In Hawaii baseball, there is one royal family." Price explained. "The Eldredge name is the greatest name in Hawaii baseball."
In 1996, USA Baseball presented the Hawaii Youth Baseball Family of the Year award to the Eldredge family. Baseball America also named the Eldredges the number one baseball family in Hawaii. Local newspaper quickly followed suit.
"When people from California say where they're from they say their hometown. We say we're from Hawaii."
ROBERT KAHANA Junior pitcher
The Eldredge family has been working to give back and continues to honor their family name.
"It's a huge honor," Dave Eldredge said. "We love giving back to our community. It's all about aloha and making our family proud."
The Eldredge family has been passing down aloha. Every member of the Eldredge family has had an impact on the sport and the Hawaiians who played it.
When Ka'iana's grandfather passed away halfway through his senior year at Punahou, the entire Hawaiian baseball community was mourned with the Eldredge family.
Later that year, as Kaiana played for a state championship, Pop's presence was felt more than ever. Kai's grandfather wore the number 13 during his playing days. Punahou scored 13 runs in that game with Kaiana driving in the 13th run. Dave Eldredge said the moment mean a lot to
the family, like his father was watching over Kaiana that day.
Kai'iana has kept the family tradition going not only in playing baseball, but also in the position he plays. Kai's father and grandfather, Pal were both catchers for Brigham Young University.
"Everyone in my family was a catcher," Ka'iana said. "I started my Kansas career out in the infield, but I was able to move back behind the dish where I'm more comfortable in my junior season."
The Eldredge family has had an everlasting impact on baseball in Hawaii. They have spread aloha throughout the island and down the line of their family tree.
Ka'ianna Eldredge has continued his family's tradition, anchoring the Kansas Jayhawks baseball team both on and off the field.
2014 AND BEYOND
Hawaii is more than just a home for the four. It represents their culture, their beliefs and their values. Hawaii has molded them into the men that they are now. Hawaii has given them the gift of aloha, and they have spent their entire lives working to spread it.
For now, the four have a job to do. They are four cornerstones on a division one power conference baseball team that hopes to make a run at a Big 12 conference title.
"You never really know how good you have it on the islands until you leave." Protacio said with a smile. "Hawaii is my home, I love it there."
"I want to go back later in life," Eldredge said. "Hawaii is paradise, it's expensive paradise, but definitely somewhere I would like to live after baseball."
When Price started going to Hawaii, he knew that he wanted to scout players. He knew that he wanted to make Kansas a better baseball team. But he didn't know that he was going to build a pipeline that has kept top talent coming to Lawrence. He didn't realize the lessons he would learn, and the culture he would bring back with him.
Price has learned the meaning of aloha. He has accepted it into his life and it has helped him in recruiting. And it started a tradition that will remain a part of Kansas baseball long after their in uniform.
"Aloha is what we value most as Hawaiians." Eldredge explained. "It's who we are."
- Edited by Allison Kohn
MLB
St. Louis Cardinal Matt Adams tosses his batting helmet to the ground after striking out, stranding St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Allen Craig at second base in the eighth inning of Monday's game against the New York Mets in New York.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Mejia and Wright lead Mets over Cardinals 2-0
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Jenrry Meja pitched four-hit ball into the seventh inning, David Wright delivered another key hit and the New York Mets beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 Monday night.
Wright lined an early RBI single that extended his hitting streak to 13 games and Kyle Farnsworth earned his first save as the New York's newest closer.
On an evening when the Mets debuted new camouflage tops to salute the military, they looked sharp. The Cardinals lost for the third time in four games.
Mejia (3-0) bounced back well from a torn blister on his right middle finger that limited him to five innings in his last start. The 24-year-old righty began the game by getting Matt Carpenter to
look at three straight strikes, and rarely was in trouble.
Mejia struck out seven in 6 2-3 innings and walked three. Scott Rice and Carlos Torres each got two outs before Farnsworth, the Mets' third closer this year, pitched the ninth for his first save.
Tyler Lyons (0-1) lost in his first major league game of the season. Promoted from Triple-A Memphis earlier in the day to take the rotation spot of injured Joe Kelly, he allowed two runs and six hits in six innings.
A 26-year-old lefty with a big-breaking slider, Lyons struck out seven. He's another in the long line of tall, homegrown pitchers developed by the Cardinals, and went 2-4 last year in his first big league season.
Lyons struck out the first two batters in the third before Eric Young Jr. singled for
SOFTBALL
the Mets' first hit. Slumping Curtis Granderson was hit by a pitch and Wright singled Granderson home for a 1-0 lead.
Lyons' throwing error on a tapper set up another run in the sixth. Daniel Murphy walked, later stole third and scored on a single by Travis d'Arnaud.
Mejia escaped his biggest jam in the sixth when, with runners at the corners and one out, he retired Matt Holliday on a popup and Matt Adams on a grounder.
The previous inning, the Mets backed Mejia with a sweet double play. Shortstop Ruben Tejada dived to stop Jon lay's grounder up the middle and slipped to Murphy, and the second baseman made a bachanded catch and spun quickly for the relay.
Kansas softball has three more series in the regular season, two of which are away. This weekend's games are in Waco, Tex., against Baylor. The following series is hosted by the University of Texas in Austin, Tex., May 2-4. The last series for the Jayhawks is at home at Arrocha Ballpark May 9-11 against Iowa State.
The next two teams Kansas face are both ranked opponents. Baylor is third in the Big 12 and No. 13 in the country. Texas is second in the Big 12 and is No. 26 nationally. Kansas is in fifth place in the Big 12 and No. 37 in the country.
Kansas softball in the homestretch
The final series for Kansas, against Iowa State should be easier. The Cyclones are sitting less in the Big 12 with a 1-8 conference record. Their lone conference win came against Oklahoma State, who is ranked second to last in the conference.
Facing ranked opponents isn't new to the team. Kansas upset up no No. 16 Kentucky. The Jayhawks held their own against No. 14 Nebraska and No. 15 Oklahoma.
Amie Just
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