HILO, Hawai‘i — Kaua‘i’s Protect Our Nation’s Youth, more commonly known as PONY, baseball 14 and Under team earned its state championship in Hilo with a 7-2 win over the hosting Hilo team over the weekend.
HILO, Hawai‘i — Kaua‘i’s Protect Our Nation’s Youth, more commonly known as PONY, baseball 14 and Under team earned its state championship in Hilo with a 7-2 win over the hosting Hilo team over the weekend.
Playing under retired Kaua‘i High School baseball coach Henry “Hank” Ibia, the 14U team went undefeated through the tournament where the Kaua‘i team beat Hilo twice to earn the pennant.
The Kaua‘i players opened with a 10-0 win over Maui, and then followed the victory with a 13-2 win over Hilo. They beat Hilo 7-2 in the title matchup.
“Congratulations to Kaua‘i for winning the 2024 Hawai‘i PONY 14U State Championship,” said Paige Honjo, a team mother. “We are all so proud of these boys and would like to thank all of the parents, coaches and everyone who supported us on this journey.”
The Kaua‘i PONY 14U team will be heading to West Covina in California for the West Regionals that will play on Aug. 1 through Aug. 4.
Honjo said the team will be fundraising until it leaves for the California Regionals. There is a GoFundMe page set up at https://tgilinks.com/3RS3bL2
