Nobu Yamauchi Nike Softball ends week at the World Series

Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities, also known as RBI, is a youth program of Major League Baseball. Hawaii’s own Nobu Yamauchi Nike RBI softball team, comprised of the state’s best junior players, played in the Nike RBI World Series last week in Vero Beach, Florida – and the group did not disappoint.

In the double-elimination tournament, Nobu Yamauchi won his first two games – 1-0 against Puerto Rico Aguadilla and 8-4 against Detroit Softball on Tuesday. The team then lost the first game on Wednesday 4-3 to Washington Nationals Nike RBI, but the Hawaii team rebounded and beat Gary Nike RBI 4-3 later that day when double-elimination play officially began.

On Thursday, the team lost to the Houston Astros Nike RBI softball team 7-2. After beating Puerto Rico again 10-2, Nobu Yamauchi was officially eliminated from the tournament after a 3-2 duel against the Atlanta Braves Nike RBI.

Although Nobu Yamauchi was unable to compete in the tournament, he had reason to be proud of himself. Iolani High School star Hunter-Salausa-Galletes took home the Jenni Finch Empowerment Overall Award, winning a total of $10,000. Kylie Garcia, another teammate, won the team aspect of the award – which came with a $1,000 prize. Garcia recently graduated from Damien High School and plans to play softball for UH-Hilo this spring.

Hilo Summer Open today

The Hawaii Triple Crown of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is hosting a day of fun today at the Hilo Civic Center. The Hilo Summer Open Championship begins at 10 a.m. and features some of the best local jiu-jitsu competitors under one roof. The day begins with the keiki division, followed by the adult and youth divisions. Participants are asked to arrive one hour before the event begins. Adult admission is $12 and keiki admission is $6. Children under 5 are free.

Davis plays for Team USA

One of the Big Island’s best players can realize his dream on the international stage in the coming weeks. Pono Davis, a 2015 graduate of Kamehameha Schools Hawaii and a Kona native, was recently selected to play for Team USA Rugby in the Pacific Nations Cup, a month-long international pool play competition between the United States, Japan, Fiji, Samoa, Canada and Tonga. The tournament begins on August 22, but Davis and the USA don’t begin their group play until August 31 against Canada.

Davis currently plays for the Houston Sabercats of Major League Rugby (MLR).