Waimea fans filled the left side of Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium for the 2023 HHSAA Division II championship game between the Menehunes and Pac-Five.
With two outs and the bases loaded in the top of seventh and final inning, Pac-Five was down to its final out but also had its best hitter at the plate: Star shortstop Milan Ah Yat. Waimea, buoyed by its spirited fan section that flew in from Kaua‘i, had a 12-9 lead and decided to pitch to Ah Yat instead of intentionally walking her.
Ah Yat belted a no-doubt grand slam on the second pitch she saw, sending the crowd into a frenzy. The Wolfpack held on to win 13-12 in the bottom of the frame, carried by Ah Yat's two home runs and seven RBI.
"It feels like it was just yesterday," Ah Yat said. "I still watch the video sometimes just to reminisce and think back to that moment and how I was feeling and preparing myself for the games coming up. When I step into the box, I don't necessarily think about that moment, but I think about how focused I was and just getting that hit and being very happy."
After enrolling at Loyola Marymount on a softball scholarship, Ah Yat played in 17 games as a utility player with nine starts as a freshman in 2024. Following the season, she entered the NCAA transfer portal and found her way back home, signing with the University of Hawai‘i. She's started all 39 games for the Rainbow Wahine in 2025, continuing to provide more winning plays on her home field.
On Feb. 16, Ah Yat hit a two-run walk-off home run in an 8-6 win over Utah Tech. She also drove in the winning run in the team's 3-2 walk-off victory over UC Riverside on April 5, a game the Rainbow Wahine trailed 2-0 entering the bottom of the seventh.
In all, Ah Yat is currently hitting .282 with four home runs and 31 hits, good for fourth on the team in both categories while carrying a fielding percentage of .964. The key to her success?
"I think her dad is a key influence in the stands," UH head coach Bob Coolen said. "She really enjoys him there, and feeds off of his positivity in the bleachers. ... She's comfortable being home, and I think she's comfortable playing in front of front of family and friends."
Ah Yat's father, Paul, was a pitcher for the University of Hawai‘i baseball team from 1994 to 1996. After getting selected in the 21st round of the 1996 MLB Draft, Paul Ah Yat advanced as high as Triple-A in his six-year minor league career, but never reached the majors. His playing career ended following the 2001 season. A handful of years later, Milan was born.
It is not uncommon for star softball players to start off as baseball players at the youth level before joining their female counterparts on the softball diamond, as was the case for Milan Ah Yat. Although she didn't enjoy baseball at first, her talent was up to par with the rest of the dedicated players.
"I remember her when she was little and she would be kicking and screaming not wanting to go to practice when she was about four or five years old," Paul Ah Yat recalled. "But it gave her a good foundation. She was able to compete with the boys. ... It really set the stage for when she was ready to transition over to softball. She had some really good coaches to help her along the way."
Milan Ah Yat shined in the diamond sports and in volleyball during her youth years. In 2018, her Honolulu Little League teammates won the Little League World Series while she opted to play at a volleyball tournament in Florida. Some of her former teammates such as Sean Yamaguchi, Aukai Kea, Jace Souza and Mana Lau Kong all drew pro interest before opting to play college baseball, with the exception of Lau Kong, who is a senior at ‘Iolani.
In addition to softball, Ah Yat blossomed into one of the state's best high school volleyball players. In 2021, her 32 kills and 19 digs in the HHSAA Division II championship match lifted University Laboratory School to a five-set win over Le Jardin. After graduating high school, she earned a spot in the HHSAA Hall of Honor's Class of 2023.
Although there are currently 27 players on the UH roster, only 12 scholarships are allotted among NCAA Division I softball teams. Coaches must decide how much scholarship money to allocate to players. When Coolen initially recruited Ah Yat as a high schooler, "we offered her a really good scholarship," he recalled. "And I guess it wasn't good enough, because LMU trumped us."
When Ah Yat entered the NCAA transfer portal, Coolen says the decision to offer her again was a "no-brainer."
Milan Ah Yat's first year playing for UH has meant more opportunities to play in front of her family and continuing her father's UH legacy.
"He still gives me tips and coaches me throughout the season, but he took a little step back, and he's been there for me off the field and throughout everything else. And I really love him for that," Milan Ah Yat says.
As Coolen approaches his previously announced retirement, the Rainbow Wahine are attempting to make his last year a memorable one. The 'Bows are currently 25-14 overall and 11-6 in Big West play, good for second place in the standings. On Friday and Saturday, the Rainbow Wahine will host a total of three games against UC Santa Barbara, the team tied atop the conference at 24-18 overall and 13-5 in Big West games.
Paul Ah Yat beamed when asked about Milan's championship home run in high school, noting his daughter's propensity to deliver when seemingly everything is on the line. That home run was her first big moment at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. As she showed it her first year back home, it wasn't her last.
"She just has an amazing way of handling the situation, the pressure moments, the big moments," Paul Ah Yat said. "She does it so differently than how I was as a player. I was pretty calm and all that, but I don't know. It just seems like the moment always grabs her. She's coming face to face with those moments, and figuring out a way to excel, and it's awesome to watch the the team she's on.
"She's on a team where she's had her moments this year, but she's in good company. A lot of her teammates, they all find a way to step up for each other. It's a fun team to watch."
Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
