Decision To Go To School, Represent Hawai‘i Paying Off For Ickes

HONOLULU — For many ballplayers growing up, getting the phone call on draft night is the dream. What happens after is where the real decision begins. For Elijah Ickes, the call didn’t lead to a contract. It led to a newfound belief in himself. A Kamehameha standout and 19th-round pick by the Texas Rangers in 2023, Ickes trusted in his ability to develop and chose Hawai’i over the big leagues. 

When the Hawai'i jersey is worn, it represents more than a player or a team. It represents all the islands and the communities within. Ickes has always understood that responsibility. “Coming here you're representing this whole state,” he said. “I’m super proud and humble to be here and get that opportunity.”

Much of Ickes’ growth, both on and off the field, traces back to the support system that's surrounded him since childhood. “Family played a huge role in choosing this school.” Ickes said. “Being able to play in front of my family and feel that support and love means a lot.”

On the second day of the 2023 MLB Draft, the infielder was in Canada playing summer ball. When reminiscing on the moment, he said it was “awesome, hectic, and relieving.” The following two weeks were filled with pressure as calls and texts poured in from coaches and former teammates, all wanting him to make the right decision. Ultimately, he bet on himself and chose to stay home at Hawai’i. 

“In the end, you just have to trust yourself, believe in yourself,” Ickes said. “For me, it was the coaching staff here — they had the tools and the experience that helped me get so much better. These past years, they've done so much for me, and I feel like I made that right choice of coming to college and experiencing it all.”

The decision to continue his development came from the experiences he had growing up in Hawai’i and playing high school ball at Kamehameha. 

“Coming out of high school, there weren't a lot of scouts in Hawai’i. They didn't really see everything,” he said. “Stepping up to college, there's more eyes on you, and you can really develop and get better.” Playing summer and travel ball also helped him understand the level of competition he would eventually face. “It opened my eyes that, although I'm good, I have to get better,” he said. He was able to trust himself and choose the longer route over immediate gratification of going pro.

Although he doesn’t fully remember the games that he attended as a kid, he never forgot about the crowd and the energy in Les Murakami Stadium. “There's just something different about it.” But, he does remember past Hawai’i baseball player Pi’ikea Kitamura, who he now looks up to as a mentor. Kitamura played all four years with the ‘Bows from 2010-2013. 

Ickes says that Kitamura has played a key role in his development over the years. “He helps me make a lot of decisions in my life and become a much better baseball player,” he said. “I really look up to him and the guys he played with as well.

Now a junior, and once again draft-eligible, Ickes is taking charge as a crucial leader in the clubhouse. “You just have to step up… it's more of a mindset than a physical thing,” Ickes said. 

With three years on the team in an era of NIL and transfer portal movement, younger players have naturally gravitated toward veterans like him. “I’m super grateful for the guys coming in just being able to look towards me and trust me with everything,” he said.

In an important year for Ickes and the squad, he wants to forget about the future and simply enjoy being a ‘Bow.

“It's junior year, it's a draft year. So just trying to honestly forget about that and just focus on having fun out here doing things I need to do to win a ball game… one game at a time. If we can keep stacking games it will turn out to be a great season,” he said.

Though this may be his last season wearing the Hawai’i jersey, wherever he goes next, he will always be representing the Islands.