HILO, Hawai'i – Hawai'i Hilo Baseball swept Friday's doubleheader against HPU, 3-0 and 5-3, before splitting Saturday's Senior Day doubleheader in Pacific West Conference play at the James "Jimmy" Correa Ballfield at Dr. Francis F.C. Wong Stadium to close the 2026 season.
Friday's sweep helped eliminate HPU from PacWest Championships postseason contention. Through the final sprint on the last weekend of action, the Sharks needed at least three wins to clinch one of two remaining spots in the four-team field. Final playoff picture was not determined until early Saturday when Fresno Pacific and Westmont won both of their games to jump ahead of HPU.
Blake Saucedo was dominant in the series opener, tossing a complete-game shutout over nine innings with seven strikeouts while holding the Sharks to just six hits. In Game 2, the Vulcans erased a 3-1 deficit with four runs in the sixth to take the Friday sweep.
Saturday was a different story as HPU managed to plate 10 runs in the third inning of Game 3 on the way to a 14-0 mercy-rule victory. Hawai'i Hilo heated up again in the regular-season finale but the Sharks managed to hold on despite a two-run Vulcans rally in the bottom of the seventh.
Following Saturday's doubleheader, 11 departing players were honored and recognized as part of Senior Day — David Celoski, Joshua Fuentes, Sebastian Garcia, Brayden Hiraki, Tui Ickes, Orlando Leon Jr., Evan Merz, Devin Meyer, Braeden Mondeau, Evan Odin, Colby Rafail.
Hawai'i Hilo finished the 2026 season with a 18-28 overall record while going 17-24 in PacWest play to finish No. 9 in the conference under first-year interim head coach Garett Yukumoto.
NOTES
- Game 1 (May 1): HPU 0 - Hawai'i Hilo 3
- Ivor Brooks singled down the right field line with two RBI in the second inning to score the game's first runs.
- Kawana Soares added an RBI single in the fifth to make it 3-0.
- Saucedo gave up six hits and just two walks, inducing eight fly outs and nine ground outs while collecting two putouts and one assist. The freshman is the only pitcher to toss a nine-inning complete game this season.
- Third shutout of the season for the Vulcans.
- It was just the fourth time this season that HPU did not score a run in a game.
- Game 2 (May 1): HPU 3 - Hawai'i Hilo 5 (7 inn.)
- Merz hit a solo homer in the bottom of the first on the way to finishing the game 3 for 4 at the plate.
- HPU managed to take a 3-1 lead after adding two more runs in the fourth on a homer and a double.
- After stranding three HPU runners on base in the top of the sixth inning, the Vulcans rallied for four runs in the bottom half on four consecutive base hits to capitalize on two walks and a hit by pitch that loaded the bases. Brooks, Kolby Gushiken, Aaron Rapoza and Mondeau each tallied an RBI at-bat.
- Orlando Leon Jr. entered in the top of the sixth to retire the final out on strike three and was credited with the pitching win. Logan Sanchez entered in the seventh to record the final two outs for his fifth save — ending the game with a backwards K.
- Game 3 (May 2): HPU 14 - Hawai'i Hilo 0 (7 inn.)
- Vulcans pitchers surrendered a season-high (against a Division-II opponent) 10 walks along with two hit batters.
- HPU managed to post 10 runs in the top of the third inning after tacking on six hits to five walks drawn with two Vulcans defensive errors.
- Hawai'i Hilo had just four hits. Merz went 2 for 3.
- Game 4 (May 2): HPU 6 - Hawai'i Hilo 3 (7 inn.)
- Facing a 5-0 deficit, Austin Hays knocked an RBI double in the bottom of the sixth for the Vulcans' first run.
- Hawai'i Hilo showed signs of a rally in the bottom of the seventh but ended with bringing across just two runs as the game and season closed with a runner thrown at home plate after an RBI single.
- Hawai'i Hilo: 18-29 Overall (17-25 PacWest)
- Preseason Coaches Poll: No. 11
- Current Conference Standing: No. 9
- HPU: 27-21 Overall (25-17 PacWest)
- Honolulu, Hawai'i
- Preseason Coaches Poll: No. 3
- Current Conference Standing: No. 5
UP NEXT
PACWEST CHAMPIONSHIPS
The four-team 2026 PacWest Championships postseason tournament will be hosted by Westmont on May 6-8 in Santa Barbara, California. Clinched: Point Loma (regular season champion), Concordia, Fresno Pacific and Westmont.
Hawai'i Hilo was voted No. 11 in the Pacific West Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. The Vulcans finished the 2025 regular season at No. 11 in the conference standings.
PACWEST HAWAI'I CHALLENGE
With the four-game series split, HPU claimed first place in the Baseball section of the PacWest Hawai'i Challenge with 12 points to Hawai'i Hilo's 10. Chaminade finished with a final Baseball section score of one in third place.
Hawai'i Hilo claimed the overall PacWest Hawai'i Challenge title for the third consecutive year with a final score of 26 points ahead of HPU (21) and Chaminade (18). The year-long competition tracks head-to-head and common conference event results in equal sponsored sports between Hawai'i's three NCAA Division II schools. Full breakdown available at HiloAthletics.com/PWCHI.
