Hilo graduate Joey Jarneski produced gems on the mound for his entire BIIF career, and he was never better than his final season.
The 6-foot, 190-pound right-hander was either an ace or ace-in-waiting for the Vikings, who relied on him in big games since he was a freshman.
Jarneski went 2-2 with a 3.13 ERA in 24 2/3 innings during his senior season. He allowed 26 hits, walked five and struck out 21. The part-time second baseman batted .457 with 14 RBIs in 16 games and 46 at-bats.
But his pitching stats don’t tell the whole story.
He was among the best pitchers in the state, particularly at the HHSAA Division I quarterfinals, where he outdueled Campbell ace Markus Ramos, who’s headed to Oregon, in a 6-5 loss.
Jarneski provided pitching dominance and led Hilo to the BIIF championship against Waiakea, continuing the title-sharing tradition since 2012 when the Warriors won it.
He was named the BIIF Player of the Year for Division I, as selected by the league’s coaches, Hawaii Tribune-Herald, and West Hawaii Today.
Waiakea’s Rory Inouye was chosen as the BIIF Coach of the Year, after leading the Warriors to a runner-up finish to Maui for the state championship.
“I’m honored and humbled and thankful for all my teammates, coaches, and family for the support,” Jarneski said. “My parents (Stacey and Ruth) have been a big influence by pushing me hard to be the best I can be and helping me get all the work in. They would take me to the field in the mornings for throwing before school.
“My dad gave me a lot of reps on the field, and that helped me become a better player. Coach Kaha Wong gave me all the exposure, and he helps me out at his hitting cage.”
Three teammates join Jarneski on the first team: catcher Chase Costa-Ishii, first baseman Nick Antony, and outfielder Micah Bello. Others on the first team are Waiakea second baseman Casey Yamauchi (.463 batting average), third baseman Jacob Igawa (.444), shortstop Trayden Tamiya (.351), and outfielders Gehrig Octavio (.244) and Nate Minami (.490), pitcher Makoa Andres(7-1, 0.66 ERA), and utility David Nakamura, a pitcher/outfielder (5-1, 1.30 ERA/.366).
Hilo coach Tony De Sa pointed out that Jarneski, who graduated with a 3.8 GPA, was a consistent, everyday POY presence.
“It’s well-deserving, and he definitely deserves it,” De Sa said. “He was the best all-around player in the league. He batted close to .500. He was basically our No. 3 batter and one of our best hitters. He helped us out at second base, and he pitched in Game 1 every time.
“We gave him a leadership role, and the took the baton and did a good job with that, too.”
The state quarterfinals was a delightful day for local scouts who had a chance to evaluate three pitching candidates for the MLB June draft in Jarneski, Ramos, and Kailua ace Joey Cantillo, who signed with Kentucky.
In the 6-5 loss to the Sabers, Jarneski pitched six innings and gave up two earned runs. He allowed six hits, walked three and whiffed four. Ramos surrendered four runs in 4 1/3 innings in a no-decision.
Cantillo threw six innings and yielded three runs (two unearned) in a 3-1 loss to Waiakea in the quarterfinals. Andres also went six and allowed only an unearned run for the win.
Jarneski will pitch at Connors State College in Oklahoma for a season then plans to transfer to Kentucky, which ran out of recruiting money for its 2018 class. The Wildcats scouted him at a showcase in October on Oahu.
“They play in the SEC. It’s one of the better conferences,” said Jarneski, who’ll major in business. “My friend from Oahu is going there. I met Joey on a travel team, Team Hawaii, last summer that went to an Arizona showcase.”
Jarneski has a history of pitching well in big games, especially when matched up against Andres, his pitching rival the last two years in the BIIF championship series.
In Game 1, Jarneski fired a three-hitter in a 2-1 win. Last year, he went seven innings in a 4-2 eight-inning win in Game 1 against the Warriors. Both times he outdueled Andres.
As a young pup, he stepped up on the mound as a sophomore. Against Keaau in the BIIF championship series, Jarneski threw a two-hitter with 10 strikeouts for an 11-1 win in the title-clinching Game 2.
In his freshman season, Jarneski went up against Waiakea ace Kodi Medeiros, who whipped a one-hitter with 14 strikeouts in a 5-1 victory in Game 1. Jarneski went the distance and took the loss.
Medeiros, 21, is 2-3 with a 5.44 ERA in 41 1/3 innings at the Milwaukee Brewers’ Advanced A ballclub, the Carolina Mudcats. The 2014 Waiakea graduate was a first-round pick in the MLB draft.
Jarneski hopes to follow the same path. He’s filled out draft info cards for the Tampa Bay Rays, Kansas City Royals, Oakland A’s, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, and Philadelphia Phillies. The MLB draft will be held June 12-14.
Jarneski will also be draft-eligible after his one season at Connors State and after his junior year at Kentucky.
“The scouts don’t tell me too much. I’m excited if the opportunity comes and I get drafted. It’ll fulfill a lifelong dream,” said Jarneski, who then looked back on his BIIF championship season.
“My favorite memory was winning BIIFs with a team that I’ll never forget. We always had fun and just worked hard on the field to get the job done.”
