Hawaii Pacific University Athletics

The Dean of PacWest Conference baseball coaches, Garett Yukumoto 2018 marks his 13th season at the helm of the HPU baseball program and no one has coached more PacWest games. “Coach Yuks” has been very successful in his athletic endeavors and continually showcases his tenure. His 340 career victories are the most ever by an HPU baseball coach. The Sharks posted nine consecutive winning seasons from 2008-2016 holding the longest winning season streak in HPU baseball history. Yukumoto also authored the best single-season in history in 2010 when HPU won 39 games.

Yukumoto has done a great job developing impact players during his time at HPU. Six players who have played for him have gone on to be drafted by Major League Baseball: Kaimi Mead in the 18th round in 2008, Blake Amaral in the 40th round in 2012, Kale Sumner in the 32nd round in 2013, Brandon Bonilla in the 13th round in 2016, Joshua Rico Garcia in the 30th round in 2016, and Matthew Gunter in the 33rd round in 2017. In the summer of 2015, Harley Holt signed a free agent deal with the St. Louis Cardinals. 

In 2010, Coach Yuks led HPU to its second PacWest Conference Championship in three seasons, and advanced to the NCAA Division II West Regional for the first time in program history. HPU defeated Chico State and Cal State Dominguez Hills before falling to top ranked UC San Diego in the championship game. With a final record of 39-12, HPU shattered the program’s single season win total of 33 previously set in 1993 and equaled in 1999.

An HPU alumnus and former baseball standout, Yukumoto graduated with a degree in Human Resource Management in 1993. As a player for the then Sea Warriors from 1991-93, Yukumoto was a teammate of former New York Mets outfielder Benny Agbayani. Agbayani had this to say about HPU's skipper, “For as long as I've known Garett, he's always had a great passion for baseball, both as a player and a coach. I've had the good fortune and pleasure of playing with him on the 1992 HPU team, and now he's developed into one of the best coaches in Hawai‘i.”

Yukumoto took over the baseball program at Leilehua High School in 2000, and in his first season led the team to the OIA West title. In 2004, his fifth season as head coach, the Mules again won the OIA West crown, and finished fifth in the state. In each of those seasons, Yukumoto was named OIA West Coach of the Year. He has also been an assistant coach for the Hawai‘i Island Movers collegiate summer league baseball program.

Currently, Yukumoto is a principal at Iliahi Elementary School in Wahiawa, and he realizes that the coaching position requires more than hits and runs on the field, but also maintaining the academic progress of the student-athletes.

“One of my goals is to increase the academic standards of the program, while also increasing the level of play and competition. I think we have a lot of local talent in the state, and getting them to stay home where they can get a quality education is very important.”

Yukumoto resides in Royal Kunia with his wife Darcy, and sons Trey (19) who is a starting infielder for the Sharks and Ty (14).

 Yukumoto Coaching Record