Maehara Stadium is a

stadium A stadium ( : stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand o ...

Wailuku, Hawaii Wailuku is a census-designated place (CDP) in and county seat of Maui County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 17,697 at the 2020 census. Wailuku is located just west of Kahului, at the mouth of the Iao Valley. In the early 20th centur ...

. It is primarily used for

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

, and was the home field of

Na Koa Ikaika Maui ( Hawaiian for ''The Maui Strong Warriors'') were an independent professional baseball team based out of Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii and champions of the Pacific Association of Professional Baseball Clubs. They made their debut in the 2010 season with ...

from 2010 to 2013. It also hosted the

Maui Stingrays The Maui Stingrays were a minor league baseball team in the Hawaii Winter Baseball league. They were based in Wailuku, Hawaii. They played their home games at Maehara Stadium. For the 1994 season, Julie Croteau and Lee Anne Ketcham, teammates w ...

of the

Hawaii Winter Baseball Hawaii Winter Baseball (HWB), based in Honolulu, Hawaii, was a professional baseball league in the Hawaiian islands. It was loosely affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB). History The HWB league first began play in 1993. Funded by Major ...

league.

History

The park opened in 1973 and holds 1,500 spectators. It is named after Ichiro "Iron" Maehara, a Maui baseball advocate. It is located next to

War Memorial Stadium War Memorial Stadium may refer to: * Ada War Memorial Stadium, in Ada, Ohio, also known as ''War Memorial Stadium'' * War Memorial Stadium (Arkansas), Little Rock, Arkansas * War Memorial Stadium (Austin, Texas) (former official name 1924–1947), ...

. Maehara Stadium is home to the Maui Interscholastic League Baseball and American Legion Games. In 1974, it played host to the Hawaii State Championship Game, featuring University of Hawaii pitching legend, then

Aiea High School The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. It was established in 195 ...

's sophomore sensation Derek Tatsuno against Baldwin High School's (Island of Maui) ace pitcher Tom Valdez. The pitching contest ended in a 1–0 decision in favor of Aiea High School. Valdez was drafted later that year by the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...

. Tatsuno went on to star at the

University of Hawaii A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...

and professional baseball in Japan.

References

External links

Venue website
* * Minor league baseball venues Buildings and structures in Maui County, Hawaii Baseball venues in Hawaii Sports venues completed in 1973 1973 establishments in Hawaii {{Hawaii-baseball-venue-stub