Kamehameha freshman Tai Atkins displayed his dominant stuff with 13 strikeouts against Saint Francis in the semifinals of the HHSAA Division II state baseball tournament.
The 5-foot-10 left-hander pitched according to plan as the Warriors defeated the Saints 9-1 on Friday night at Wong Stadium, advancing to the championship for the third time in four years.
No. 1 seed Kamehameha (18-1), the five-time BIIF champion, plays No. 3 seed and OIA champion Kapolei (15-0) in the championship at 7 p.m. Saturday at Wong Stadium.
The Warriors finished fourth last season, after runner-up finishes in 2013 and 2014, both times to Maryknoll, which is in Division I.