MĀNOA — Even before Saturday, Mililani was hardly a stranger to the big game, appearing in HHSAA Division I championship baseball games in 2013, 2014 and 2019. The Trojans came up shy each time, going 0-3 in state title games.
After a pitcher's duel for the ages, Mililani finally had a state championship in baseball to call its own, walking off Pac-Five 1-0 in the bottom of the seventh inning on Saturday night at Les Murakami Stadium.
Following seven shutout innings from junior Ezra Ugale, Mililani clinched its first Koa trophy on University of Hawai‘i signee's Koa Marzo RBI single in the bottom of the seventh. Hats and helmets were tossed in the air as the Trojans celebrated a feat it had come short of in years prior.
In 2026, the Trojans broke through after a trio of stellar pitching performances in as many days. Taj Firmin allowed just one run over five innings in an 11-1 win over Kamehameha-Hawai‘i in Thursday's quarterfinals, with Ugale pitching the final inning before the 10-run mercy rule kicked in. In the state semifinals, Hawai‘i signee Zayne Hookala pitched a complete game in a 3-2 win over ILH champion Kamehameha.
Then on Saturday, Ugale went the distance, scattering four hits and two walks with his five strikeouts, the majority of which came with a snarl or staredown.
"I'm very stoked for all of these guys that put in a lot of hard work," Ugale said afterwards. "Coming into the game, I knew that (Mililani had never won a state championship in baseball). And, yeah, I just wanted to get it done for our family."
Mililani head coach Mark Hirayama was stoic throughout the team's celebration despite understanding full well what his team had accomplished. He was the head coach for the Trojans in each of their previous state title losses, but 2026 was destined to be different.
"Not really," Hirayama said when asked if the state championship win had sunk in. "Just watching the boys celebrate, that's a great feeling.
"I always say pitching and defense is gonna win championships. ... All we need is one run. So, I don't care what our (batting) average is, it's all about execution."
In order to win the state championship, Mililani had to get past Pac-Five, the tournament's cinderella team. The Wolfpack, playing in its first-ever Division I tournament, edged Kaiser 8-7 in the first round on Wednesday. Pac-Five then got past MIL champion Baldwin with a 3-0 win on Thursday, then advanced to the finals with a statement-making 8-0 victory over BIIF champion and top overall seed Waiākea on Friday.
Matching Ugale pitch for pitch on Saturday night was another UH signee in Pac-Five starter Colten Amai Nagakawa. The southpaw mowed the Trojans down in the first six innings, striking out six while walking just two, before Mililani loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the seventh.
Mililani's Ezra Ugale fires a pitch on Saturday night. Photo by Christian Shimabuku (Aloha State Daily Staff) 
Pac-Five ace Colten Amai Nakagawa pitched the entire game for the Wolfpack. Photo by Christian Shimabuku (Aloha State Daily Staff) 
Mililani's Ezra Ugale gets fired up after a strikeout. Photo by Christian Shimabuku (Aloha State Daily Staff) 
Colten Amai Nakagawa, a University of Hawai‘i signee, matched Ezra Ugale pitch for pitch in a classic state championship game at Les Murakami Stadium on Saturday night. Photo by Christian Shimabuku (Aloha State Daily Staff) 
Mililani baseball head coach Mark Hirayama gets doused with water following the school's first state championship win in baseball. Photo by Christian Shimabuku (Aloha State Daily Staff) 
Mililani baseball coach Mark Hirayama was congratulated with a celebratory water dousing. Photo by Christian Shimabuku (Aloha State Daily Staff)
That Pac-Five, a team comprised of seven O‘ahu schools, made it all the way to the Division I finals, was quite the accomplishment in itself. But that didn't take the sting off the loss, especially considering Mililani's margin of victory.
"Immediately after, it sucks, you know? But I just want the kids to keep their heads up and be proud of what they accomplished," Pac-Five head coach Reyn Sugai told Aloha State Daily. "That was such a close game, a fantastic state championship that could have went either way."
All season, Pac-Five was led all season by a pair of University Laboratory School students in Nakagawa and star shortstop/pitcher Alika Ahu, a Stanford signee that's also considered a top prospect in this summer's MLB Draft. While Nakagawa battled through his start, Ahu made a handful of highlight plays at shortstop to keep the game scoreless.
"I just really want to make it an emphasis that you don't have to go to these big schools in order to compete at the highest level and to be playing in the state championship," said Sugai, who played in the 2011 Division II state championship game as a player for Pac-Five. "There is so much opportunity at Pac-Five schools. And I hope this really kicks it into gear, that it is possible, and that us being from different small schools is a strength, and it's a very unique opportunity. I hope that when people are trying to decide on which schools they're going to, definitely consider us."
For the latest news of Hawai‘i, sign up here for our free Daily Edition newsletter.
Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
