Thelma Parker Gym for
ages 9-10 at 3:30 p.m.,
for ages 11-12 at 4:30
p.m. and for ages 13-14
at 5:30 p.m. Deadline to
register is Sept. 10.
For more information
call Melissa Samura at
887-3014 or fax 887-
3012.
BIAC 45th annual
Labor Day Drags
The Big Island Auto
Club held its 45th annu-
al Labor Day Drags at
the Hilo Drag Strip on
Saturday and Sunday.
Although a full rac-
ing program was run on
Saturday, the Sunday
event schedule was cut
short by afternoon rains.
Here are the results:
Saturday Motorcycle
Bracket Race winner:
Matt Hiraga (Honolulu)
on a Suzuki motorcycle
(10.05 sec/127 mph).
Runner
up:
Richard
Graellos (Ewa Beach,
Oahu) on a Suzuki motor-
cycle (9.78 sec/139
mph). Hiraga won the
race on a “hole shot.”
Saturday
Bracket
1 Race winner:
Kevin
Benevides (Hilo) in a
roadster (15.01 sec/64
mph). Runner up: David
Francis (Paauilo) in a
Camaro (broke out of
bracket and red-light-
ed with a time of 8.79
sec/155 mph.
Saturday
Bracket
2 Race winner:
John
Hunter (Pahoa) in a AMX
(11.50sec/110
mph).
Runner
up:
Russell
Medeiros (Ocean View)
in a S-10 pickup truck
(11.86 sec/114 mph).
Sunday events, includ-
ing the Junior Dragster
program, the open wheel
competition, and the
“Door Slammer”event,
were stopped because of
rain in the late afternoon.
Prize money was distrib-
uted equally to those still
in competition.
Next Race:
The 2016
Drag Racing season will
depend on when a major
ADA upgrade and facility
improvements are com-
pleted at the Hilo Drag
Strip. Those improve-
ments will begin some-
time in October.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015 | WEST HAWAII TODAY
SPORTS
2B
Special delivery: Success not going to Medeiros’ head
BASEBALL
GRAND CHUTE, Wis. – Kodi
Medeiros had a special shipment
to send home to Hilo.
His family and friends were
expecting a souvenir of their
favorite professional baseball
player. However, it wasn’t just
any souvenir, it was a bobble-
head doll of Medeiros.
The Waiakea High School
alumnus and hard-throwing
southpaw pitcher was imortal-
ized in the miniature sculpture.
Medeiros – who just wrapped up
his first complete seasonwith the
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, the
Class-A minor league affiliate of
the Milwaukee Brewers – was
recognized at the team’s second
to last home game of the regular
season on Sept. 3. During a fans’
chose vote, the Timber Rattlers’
faithful decide they wanted a
Medeiros collectible.
“I’m very honored and for-
tunate the fans voted for me,”
Medeiros said. “I actually have
my own bobblehead.”
“Not every 19-year-old wher-
ever they’re at, Double-A,
High-A, Low-A, gets a bobble-
head,” Timber Rattlers pitching
coach Gary Lucas said. “That’s
pretty fun for him.”
Before the team handed out
the figurine to the first 1,000
fans, Medeiros secured 72 of the
dolls. However, not all the bob-
bleheads were sent to Hawaii. A
number of Medeiros’ teammates
wanted a keepsake.
“It was kind of tough to sneak
out with my boxes because I
ended up giving away about 15
or 20 before I left,” Medeiros
said.
It was a pricey piece of mem-
orabilia to ship 4,130 miles
from Grand Chute, Wisconsin,
to Hilo. However, Medeiros can
afford it. When he was selected
12th overall in the 2014 MLB
draft out of high school, the
Brewers gave the young phen-
om a $2.5 million signing bonus.
Medeiros’ teammate and
roommate David Burkhalter
made sure to secure a
bobblehead.
“Everyone wants one of him
and gives him a hard time just
about being a ‘bonus baby,’”
Burkhalter joked. “It’s all in good
fun. He takes it well.”
PITCHING PROGRESS
The quiet pitcher is starting
to make a name for himself
in the minor leagues. In 2014,
Medeiros was 0-2 with a 7.13
ERA in nine games for the
Arizona League Brewers. With
the Timber Rattlers, Medeiros
finished 4-for-5 with a 4.44
ERA and 94 strikeouts in 93-1/3
innings.
Lucas doesn’t look much at
the win-loss record or ERA of
his pitchers and neither do the
Brewers’ brass. The pitching
coach closely tracked the move-
ment on Medeiros’ pitches, if
his velocity held up and if he
still had a snap and speed on
his breaking ball at the end of
the season. Medeiros passed all
those tests with flying colors.
“He’s made good, consis-
tent progress,” Lucas said. “For
19 years old, I’ve been very
impressed with his work ethic.
He’s developed some good rou-
tines, good habits.”
Medeiros started 16 games
and threw in relief in nine
outings this season. Medeiros
was on an innings count the
entire year. Later in the season,
Medeiros was used at both ends
of a pitching tandem so he could
keep his innings down and still
get work.
“This year was very produc-
tive,” Medeiros said. “Compared
to last year, I learned a whole lot
this year. I learned what kind
of pitcher I am. Last year, I just
kind of pitched how I did in high
school, just trying to blow it past
guys. I just didn’t know how to
pitch to batters.”
Medeiros’
command
improved as did his three-pitch
arsenal. The 6-foot-2, 180-
pound left-hander has overpow-
ering stuff. He features a fastball
that touched 95-96 mph this
season and a slider and change-
up that registered in the upper
70s to low 80s, Lucas said. The
pitching coach noted his pupil is
right on track.
“Everything he throws moves
like crazy,” Burkhalter said.
The fellow pitcher calls
Medeiros’ slider “ridiculous,”
and said it was the best pitch on
the staff this season.
THINKING AHEAD
Medeiros likes to compare
himself to San Francisco Giants
pitcher Madison Bumgarner,
while
Burkhalter
thinks
Medeiros resembles Chicago
White Sox ace Chris Sale. All
three left-handers have the same
arm slot and explosive pitches.
“We think he’s got three pretty
good pitches that will end up
being major-league pitches, and
with experience he’ll get more
command and control,” Lucas
said. “He has good movement of
both his fastball and slider. His
change is a work-in-progress.”
One statistic that really
pops out from Medeiros’ sea-
son is how many home runs he
allowed: zero. He takes pride in
keeping the ball in the park.
“I didn’t realize that until
the last month of the season,”
Medeiros said. “I just kind of
looked at it and thought, ‘I hav-
en’t given up a home run yet.’
I feel like that’s just a good job
of keeping the ball down when
I need to get the better hitters.”
Medeiros, who projects as a
starting pitcher if he makes it to
the majors, knows he has many
areas where he can improve. His
control is a point of emphasis,
as is logging a better walk-to-
inning ratio (he had 40 walks in
his 93 1/3 innings).
Medeiros has high expecta-
tions since he was a high first-
round draft pick. In June, he
was named the No. 10 prospect
in the Brewers’ organization
by Baseball America.
Pressure to succeed
on the diamond
can become over-
whelming
for
a teenager, but
Medeiros isn’t letting
it get to him.
“I try not to put too
much pressure on myself,”
Medeiros said. “I just go
about my business and play
to the best of my ability
and just don’t do too much,
because I know when I get
in that mindset of trying to
do too much, things don’t go
my way.”
Added Burkhalter, “I guess
if there is pressure,
you don’t really see
it from him. You
would never
know he’s a
first-round
pick by the
way he acts.
He’s a real-
ly down-to-
earth guy.”
Medeiros still
stays humble even
though he now has his
own bobblehead doll.
Perhaps
a
couple
years
down the line,
Medeiros will
be featured in a
similar promo-
tion at Miller
Park, home of
the Brewers.
“It’s still a
long road and
my
dream
is to play in the big leagues,”
Medeiros said. “I’d say it’s just a
little incentive.”
BY GREG BATES
SPECIAL TOWEST HAWAII TODAY
BIIF:
Hilo’s first half offense hampered by holding calls
SHORT HOPS:
Hilo Drag Strip
hosts Labor Day Weekend races
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B
BICC MEMBERS GOLF
When:
Sept.6
Where:
Big Island Country Club
Format:
4-person teams,3-2-1
Blind draw:
Steve Rickard
Results:
Ed Staniec,GrantWilson,
Barb Millslagle,blind draw
Low net:
ShirleyAkana (won card-off,
68); Ed Staniec (68)
Closest to the pin:
GrantWilson (No.
8);AlAkana (No.13); ShirleyAkana
(No.17)
KEAUHOU KONAMEN’S GOLF CLUB
When:
Sept.5
Where:
Big Island Country Club
Format:
A-flight Low net
Results:
JimGeiser,Les Salisbury,
Arvid Bjornton (tie,67)
Low gross:
JimGeiser (78)
Closest to the pin:
Mike Nichols (No.
8);JimGeiser (No.13); Mike Gregg
(No.17)
NAWAHINE OWAIKOLOA
WOMEN’S GOLF CLUB
When:
Sept.3
Where:
WaikoloaVillage Golf Club
Format:
Cross cross,half handicap
Results:
Barb Rainey (30); Cindy
Carlson,Mona Peck (tie,32);Trish
Kimball (33)
Closest to the pin:
Cindy Carlson (No.
3); Deb Knox (No.6); Barby Rainey
(No.12);Trish Kimball (No.16)
WEEKLY BIG ISLAND GOLF RESULTS
Poo Wai u:
Chaz Rita
Calf Roping:
Kalai Nobriga
Wahine Breakaway:
Macey Loando
Kane/Wahine Mugging:
Pua
Kauhaihao/Kalai Nobriga
Mutton Busting:
TexieVanTassell
Jr. Bulls:
Trisyn Kalawaia
Double Mugging:
Levi Rite/Wyatt Rita
Wahine Barrels:
Kalysa Hamilton
Keiki Barrels:
Camela Haaliilio
Wahine Steer Undecorating:
Brandy
Joseph
Open Team Roping:
Kahiau Onaka/
Bronson Branco
No. 6 Team Roping:
Kevin Hill/
Bradley Caron
Century Team Roping:
Warren
Matsumoto/Melvin Miranda
Bulls:
Sale Sprout
PARKER RANCH RODEO RESULTS
Former Konawaena coaches football coaches Roy Aukai, Earl Crozier and Jim Barry pose with many of
the players they coach while being honored at halftime of Monday's game against visiting Hilo High
.
RICK WINTERS/
WEST HAWAII TODAY
from its first possession,
but Cameron Howes
sparked the Wildcats on
a fake punt run down the
sideline to keep the drive
alive. Kelekolio finished
the drive with a 9-yard
plunge into the end zone.
“Cameron is an athlete,”
Uemoto said. “I tell him
under certain situations to
look for something. I was
a little hesitant because
that almost always turns
into a fake. But what a
weapon we have in him.”
Ewing did plenty to fill
up the stat sheet in the
first half. The sophomore
quarterback dropped back
22 times, connecting on
17 of those passes for 217
yards and a touchdown.
“We opened him up a
little bit,” Uemoto said of
the heavy workload for
his quarterback. “I don’t
think there is truly a plan.
We go with what is work-
ing and moving the ball.”
After the Wildcats
tacked on a 31-yard field
goal to make it 10-0, Hilo
broke the shutout with a
31-yard quarterback keep-
er by Tiogangco.
Hilo’s first half offense
was hampered by four
holding calls. Not only did
the flags move them back
and stall drives, it negat-
ed big plays, including a
40-yard gain.
Meanwhile,
the
Konawaena offense kept
pumping out points.
A nifty 42-yard punt
return by Howes was
negated, but the Wildcats
still had a big play in their
pocket. Ewing dropped
back and heaved a deep
pass to big-play receiver
Kamakana Ching. Ching
hauled in the catch with
one hand that set up the
Wildcats inside the five-
yard line. Kelekolio car-
ried the pile into the end
zone for his second score
to make it 24-7.
“(Kamakana)
has
worked really hard and
credit to him,” Uemoto
said. “He is drawing the
attention of defenses and
opening up opportunities
for our other guys.”
Hilo seemed to be on
the right track to start
the second half with an
interception of Ewing out
of the break. However, a
fumble slowed down the
drive and the Vikings
were forced to punt.
Hilo got a good bounce
— literally — on its next
drive when a punt hit a
Konawaena player and
the Vikings recovered on
the Wildcats side of the
field. On the next play
Tiogangco rolled out and
connected with Kaleihalia
Tolentino-Perry for a
38-yard touchdown strike
and narrowed the deficit
to two scores.
The momentum would
not last long though.
Konawaena broke out of
its sluggish start to the
second half with a 75-yard
catch and run by Kayson
Mahiai. Mahiai looked
dead to rights at the first
down marker, but juked a
few defenders and outran
everyone for six.
Hilo wouldn’t go away
quietly though. Tiogangco
completed a 30-yard pass
to set up an Isaac Lerma
five-yard touchdown run
on the next play.
The atmosphere started
getting raucous after the
Hilo score. Big hits on the
kickoff return and third
down added to the noise,
but then things got a bit
out of control, leading to a
Hilo player being ejected
and a 15-yard penalty that
kept Konawaena’s drive
going.
TheWildcats turned the
opportunity into a field
goal, but more important-
ly, they ran time off the
clock.
After Hilo threatened
with a long drive down
to the Konawaena 10-yard
line but were turned
away on fourth down,
the Vikings pulled within
a score on a 22-yard TD
pass from Tiogangco.
Hilo had a chance late
to tie the game, but time
ran out after Tiogangco
lost his footing on the wet
field.
Konawaena
10 14 7 3 —34
Hilo
0 7 13 7 — 27
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B
