The Hawaii Pacific baseball team suffered a setback in their bid for the PacWest Conference championships with a 5-0 loss to Concordia Irvine. Despite this defeat, the Sharks remain determined to continue their quest for victory. They must win all of their remaining games to stay in the competition until Saturday.
Coach Dane Fujinaka’s team, seeded second with a record of 30-21, will face Point Loma in an elimination game on Friday at 8 a.m. Hawaii time. If they emerge victorious, they will have another chance to compete later that day at 4 p.m. CUI will play against defending champion Azusa Pacific in the winners’ bracket, setting up a potential matchup for HPU or Point Loma against the loser of that game.
HPU entered the tournament with a six-game winning streak and their first 30-win season since 2016. However, they were stifled by CUI’s pitcher Jake Covey, who threw a four-hit shutout with eight strikeouts. Despite effective relief from Makana Quia and Vicente Molina, the Sharks struggled to generate offense, with no runner advancing past second base.
Conor Hourigan took the loss for HPU after giving up five runs in six innings. CUI’s Michael Dixon had a standout performance with four hits, while Wyatt Madison hit a three-run homer to secure the win for CUI. The Sharks are eager to bounce back and stay alive in the tournament