Aiea’s Brennan Panis helping team to strong start
Aiea is off to a surprising start thanks to the play of its two-way star. The Aiea High School baseball team is currently leading the OIA DI West standings, with a 6-1 record. The team's standout player, Brennan Panis, has contributed significantly to their strong start, hitting a combined score of.545 and allowing just two runs in 20 innings. Panis also leads the state lead in ERA among qualified pitchers. Head coach Brennan Alejo credits Panis' success to instill confidence in his team. The start for AieA is a surprising start in Alejo's first year at the helm.
Published : 4 weeks ago by Christian Shimabuku in Sports
At 6-1 in OIA DI West play, the Aiea High School baseball team is currently atop its league standings, above teams such as Mililani and Campbell that have dominated the division for over a decade.
A big reason for that has been two-way standout and Chaminade signee Brennan Panis. At the plate, the senior is hitting a scorching .545. On the mound, he’s allowed just two runs in 20 innings, good for the state lead in ERA among qualified pitchers.
“He’s our Swiss Army knife,” Aiea head coach Brennan Alejo said of Panis. “I mean, whether he’s on the mound starting a game, we know he’s going to set the tone, throwing strikes, pounding the zone at the defense, working with the bat. He can beat you in many ways because he’s got speed, he got power. And when he’s on the field, you can trust his glove in any infield position that you put him in.”
Said Panis: “I love this game. I’ve played this game since I was around like four. I fell in love with the game as soon as I started playing, and it just it’s very fun to play for my high school. It really means a lot.
“We’re pretty confident we have the guys who can do it. Guys can get on base and the guys can score runs and we have the patience do it. I think we have a good chance this year.”
Aiea is off to a surprising start in Alejo’s first year at the helm. Alejo, who himself is an Aiea alumnus, knows that with Panis leading the way, Na Ali’i have a real opportunity to make noise.
“We wanted to instill confidence. We didn’t want them to play scared,” Alejo said. “Just come out here, be aggressive, have fun, and it’s already a tough game. So to be where we’re at right now, I couldn’t be any more happy.”