The Central Maui Little League All-Stars pose with their championship banner after defeating North/South Oakland 6-0 in the Senior League West Regional championship game Wednesday in Oakland, Calif. Central Maui now heads to the Senior League World Series, which begins Saturday in Easley, S.C. LEZLIE ALOY photo
It was a fact that caught manager Peter Delima off-guard: The Central Maui Little League All-Stars advanced to the Senior League (15-16) World Series for the sixth straight time and seventh time in eight opportunities, dating back to 2014.
“Is that right, six times in the last six years? That’s unbelievable, that’s unbelievable, I didn’t realize it was that long,” Delima after his team beat host team North/South Oakland Little League 6-0 in a winner-take-all final in the Senior League West Regional on Wednesday. “I didn’t know it was six years.”
Oakland beat Maui 6-1 on Monday to derail a six-game winning streak for the Valley Isle nine.
Wednesday’s win completed a replay of the 2022 Senior League West Regional when Central Maui beat the host team in the regional final after losing to the same team two days earlier.
This morning at 9 a.m. PDT, the team will get on a bus for the 90-minute drive to Sacramento for a flight to Charlotte, N.C. They then have another two-hour bus ride to Easley, S.C., the home of the SLWS.
About two dozen friends and family — mostly parents — were in a meeting with the team and coaching staff after the win on Wednesday.
“We’re trying to hook them up with the same flight as the boys,” Delima said. “Everybody’s pretty excited.”
Central Maui won the SLWS title in 2019 under Baldwin High School coach Craig Okita.
Logan Kuloloia threw 98 pitches and Micah Torres needed just six more to finish a three-hitter on the mound for Maui on Wednesday.
“Logan pitched unbelievable,” Delima said. “He actually was itching to pitch yesterday … he was up and ready this morning, amped out from early this morning. We went to breakfast at 8:30 and he said, ‘Yeah Coach, I’m ready.’ He did a hell of a job today, a hell of a job.”
Laakea Ko had a double to lead Maui’s eight-hit attack.
Kuloloia, Duke Aloy, Kaleb Mathias and Nakea Kahalehau were all on the team last season under Delima. He will be counting heavily on their experience at the SLWS again when Maui opens play on Saturday against the Southwest Regional champion in Game 1, scheduled for 4 a.m. Hawaii time — all SLWS games will be streamed on ESPN+.
Delima said he is leaning toward giving the ball to Kip Watanabe to start the SLWS opener on Saturday.
“We’ll be ready,” Delima said.
* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com.
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