Sports Spotlight: Titan Kamaka | Observer Preps

Titan Kamaka may be only a freshman on the Olympia baseball team, but he’s already making an impact for the Titans. A sure glove at shortstop and a swift bat at the plate have made the 15-year-old a go-to for head coach Chuck Schall. Throw in his want to make his team even better, and Kamaka is a quintessential baseball player.

What first got you into baseball?

I was about 6 or 7, and I went to one of my friend’s birthday parties and it was just held in the backyard. I was very addicted to just sports in general at a young age — my parents could never figure it out — and they had a whiffle ball tournament and that’s when I knew, “This is my sport.”

What was your first real experience with baseball?

When I was 7 I started out playing tee-ball and I was pretty decent at it. One of my friends told me about travel ball and the community, and said, “When you’re turning 8 years old you should try it out, it’s a lot higher paced.” So at 8 years old, I joined a local organization and have played travel ball ever since.

What’s your first year of high school ball been like?

It’s been great — being a freshman at the school has been great. I’ve always been looking forward to playing at Olympia since I was 8 — I’ve been watching games forever. My teammates have just been amazing to me … our chemistry is just great and we love one another. I think I’m probably having the best experience I could ever have as a freshman.

You’ve not been playing long at Olympia, but do you have a highlight moment thus far?

Our first preseason game — I played fall ball for the team, but it was only a couple of games — and I get up to the plate and I’m excited, because I’ve been waiting for this moment for forever. I get up there and on the second pitch I hit my first home run on the big field, and I was just stoked — everyone in the crowd was in awe.

What’s been the biggest challenge of playing high-school baseball so far?

The biggest challenge for me is staying consistent. I don’t think it’s more of a challenge than a goal for me — every game, no matter how I play, I’m always concerned about how the team is doing and how we are all interacting as a group. I’m just glad at how the team is gelling well.

What’s some of the best advice that coach Chuck Schall has given you?

Just to stay humble playing as a team and for one another — every game is about playing for another. He’s definitely taught us not to be an individual, but to work as a unit.