Chaminade University of Honolulu

First Pitch Fundraiser

Proceeds to support new Baseball Program

Play Ball! Chaminade University of Honolulu hosted its “First Pitch” Baseball fundraiser on Saturday, May 20, 2023 at Murphy’s Bar and Grill. Head Baseball Coach, Chad Konishi, mingled with attendees, sharing his strategy for the upcoming season. Guests enjoyed delicious food, local entertainment and a silent auction.

All proceeds from First Pitch benefited the Chaminade Baseball program, which is set to resume its regular season action in Spring 2024. Go Swords!

Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington and Baseball Head Coach Chad Konishi flash their shaka of approval.
Chaminade President Dr. Lynn Babington and Baseball Head Coach Chad Konishi flash their shaka of approval.
The evening featured a buffet of island favorites.
The evening featured a buffet of island favorites.
First Pitch attendees enjoyed the convivial atmosphere during a Silversword Baseball Program fundraiser at Murphy's Bar & Grill.
First Pitch attendees enjoyed the convivial atmosphere during a Silversword Baseball Program fundraiser at Murphy’s Bar & Gr

Konishi has extensive experience in collegiate baseball, serving as associate head coach at the University of Hawai’i Manoa from 2002 to ’13 where he was also the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. During his 12-year career at Hawai’i, the Rainbow Warriors reached two NCAA Regionals (2006 and 2010) with a Western Athletic Conference title in 2011 while posting one 40-win season and eight 30-win campaigns. His pitching staffs were consistently near the top of WAC pitching statistics including posting the conference’s lowest ERAs in 2006 (3.79) and 2007 (3.97).

Since 2014, Konishi had been a high school athletics director, the past three at Saint Louis School, which shares the same campus as Chaminade. Prior to his time at Saint Louis, he headed the extremely successful athletics program at Saint Francis School in Manoa before the institution closed its doors in 2019. Both Saint Louis and Saint Francis won numerous Hawai’i High School Athletic Association state championships and Interscholastic League of Honolulu titles during his tenure as athletics director.

He is only the second head coach in program history, succeeding Leroy Goo who was Chaminade’s only baseball coach during the 1980 and ’81 seasons before the program was dropped.

“I am thrilled to join the Silverswords ‘ohana,” Konishi told the crowd. “Having a close working relationship with them while I was at Saint Louis I know how special this university is. I am very much looking forward to building the foundation of Chaminade baseball and to eventually become a force in the PacWest of a sport I am passionate about.”