Kahaku “The Hawk” Harrison Soars Into August Following Red-Hot July

Kahaku Harrrison (right) celebrated with Matthew Bolinger after hitting a home run against the Marion Berries on July 26th. (Photo by Ella Poor)

By Dillon Zamperin

Kahaku Harrison started his first summer season in the West Coast League with just three hits in 16 games as a Springfield Drifter. But something was not adding up for the young stud out of Kailua, Hawaii.

The 18-year-old was ranked the fifth-best prospect from Hawaii in the Class of 2026 and was even given a 9.5-star grade out of 10 by Perfect Game.

So when he struggled to hit the ball consistently in his first 16 games, it was unexpected for everyone, including Harrison. However, unlike most players, Harrison had a trick up his sleeve. 

His dad played baseball at the University of Hawai’i and was even drafted in the 33rd Round of the 1993 MLB Draft by the Minnesota Twins. And yet somehow that was not even the best part for Kahaku.

His four older brothers were, and some still are, playing either Division I baseball or Minor League Baseball.

With all of their experience, guidance and help, Harrison was able to make a change that has stuck with him for the rest of the summer.

“At the beginning of the season, I could just call my brother and talk to him about baseball, and he’d hit me back with some things,” Harrison said. “It honestly happened this summer in the beginning. I was trying to figure out my swing, and I talked to him one night. [We] figured out my load, and I started changing it, and I finally got some results out of it.”

In the games since then, Harrison has been on an absolute heater. He is currently riding an 11-game hitting streak, where he is hitting .317 with eight RBIs, six walks and four mammoth home runs.

“Honestly super grateful for my family. I know how rare that is to have that many resources available to you at such a young age for me,” Harrison said. “I tried my best to start early on and use them as much as I can. It’s awesome to have them at my disposal all the time.”

Even with the early-season struggles, this was not the first time Harrison had faced hardship. Despite playing four varsity seasons at Punahou High School, he battled through a couple of injuries that sidelined him for a while.

“In high school, I had a tough road. I had two injuries, and at first it was tough for me. I was like, ‘Why did it have to happen to me?’” Harrison said. “But after looking through it all, it helped me mature a lot early on and go through that adversity, which I know a lot of guys run into later. Hopefully I can use that to my advantage so when I do fail in college, then I can bounce back quicker than most since I’ve been through it before.”

Once the Drifters’ season ends, Harrison will head to Houston, Texas, and start his college career at Rice University.

Alongside Harrison this season were two future Rice teammates in Zac Daigre and Ethan Atchley. Together, the two helped teach Harrison what to expect with the Owls even before he set foot at Reckling Park, home of Rice baseball.

“It was definitely nice to have those two guys on the team. Based off of the small sample size I got from them, I’m really excited,” Harrison said. “I’m excited to get onto campus, get going and meet the other guys.”

As his first summer season in the WCL and with the Drifters comes to an end, Harrison has made a name for himself during the month of July. From playing highlight-reel defense to hitting four home runs in five games — one homer shy of tying the franchise record — the 6-foot-2 infielder has learned so much this summer.

“I think the Drifters are a perfect spot for me [and] I’ve definitely been having fun out here. I’ve finally been able to piece things together. It took me a little bit, but I stuck to the process and kept trusting myself that I’m one game away from a streak. I’m staying level-headed and calm every at-bat,” Harrison said.

While the Drifters try to sneak into the playoffs, Harrison will look to remain a major factor in the lineup and on the field, and hopefully help Springfield reach the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

“The guys are coming together. As a team, we’ve been steadily on that incline. We started off kind of rough, but as we got more guys and as everyone put more work in, we got adjusted,” Harrison said. “We’re definitely a lot more exciting to watch now, and it’s a lot more fun to play with how we’ve been playing. Everyone’s going out there knowing what they can do and trusting in each other. I’m excited to see what we can do for sure.”