Hawaii Pacific Baseball Team Determined to Keep Swimming in PacWest Conference Championships Despite Setback

The Hawaii Pacific baseball team suffered a setback with a 5-0 loss to Concordia Irvine during the PacWest Conference championships. Despite this defeat, the Sharks are determined to keep swimming in the tournament. They must win their remaining games to stay in the competition until Saturday.

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 in their next game and stay alive in the tournament.

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 win, they will have another chance to compete later that day at 4 p.m. In the winners’ bracket, defending champion Azusa Pacific will play against CUI, setting up a potential matchup for HPU or Point Loma against the loser of that game.

The Sharks are determined to make amends for their loss against CUI and continue fighting in the tournament until Saturday’s final games come along.