HONOLULU – 2025 saw the Chaminade University baseball team make more strides in Year 2 of the program's resurrection.
The Silverswords won 18 games, three more from the previous year, and doubled their Pacific West Conference win total to 16, under the guidance of head coach
Chad Konishi. The year was highlighted by their February 24 upset over Division I Wichita State.
Senior first baseman
Safea Villaruz-Mauai (Hilo, Hawai'i/BYU/Waiakea HS) mashed his way to All-PacWest Third Team honors that saw him hit .323 with 11 homers, three of them grand slams. His power helped the 'Swords hit 24 long balls on the season, doubling their total from the previous year.
Transfer
Cade Fujii (Kapolei, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Porterville College/Kapolei HS) added six more homers while his defense at both shortstop and second base helped the 'Swords turn 41 double plays, the second highest in the PacWest. Fujii also drove in 30 runs as did third baseman
Casey Kudell (Irvine, Calif./Irvine Valley College/Irvine HS), whose 14 extra base hits were second on the team.
Jackson Dorn (Happy Valley, Ore./Mt. Hood CC/Clackamas HS) and
Jake Harper (San Pedro, Calif./El Camino College/San Pedro HS) were solid in the outfield, hitting .286 and .271, respectively.
Behind the plate,
Jaren Banis (Wahiawa, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Kamehameha-Kapalama),
Joe DuCoeur (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho/Lake City) and
Trysten Mooney (Helena, Mont./Wenatchee Valley College/Capital HS) all split time with Banis and Mooney combining for 31 hits between them.
On the mound,
Joseph Perez (Goodyear, Ariz./Glendale CC/Verrado HS) was one of the most consistent pitchers all season as the closer got six saves with four wins to a tune of a 3.26 ERA, striking out 30 in 30 1/3 innings. He and
Chris Cody (Orange, Calif./Irvine Valley College/El Modena HS) were tied for the team lead in wins.
Mac Elske (Lake Oswego, Ore./Lower Columbia CC/Lakeridge HS) finished his career with three wins during his senior season while fellow senior
Xavier Stoker (Cedar City, Utah/College of the Canyons//Canyon View HS) had two.
Mac Zawistoski (Coto de Caza, Calif./JSerra Catholic) also won a pair of decisions for the Silverswords.
