Stacy Kaneshiro | SL

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Nakamoto family

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Stacy Kaneshiro | SL

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McNicoll family

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courtesy James Millwood and Chad Obara

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Stacy Kaneshiro | SL

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Twin Cities usually refer to Minneapolis-St. Paul in Minnesota, but they have nothing over Hawaii Kai when it comes to twin teammates.

Kaiser's softball team has the distinction of fielding 2 ½ sets of twins.

First, there are seniors Crystal and Tiana Ching-Lake. They are in their fourth season as Kaiser's battery (Crystal's the pitcher, Tiana's the catcher). To assure coach Mitch Matsumoto continues to have twin teammates the next three years, there are freshmen Precious and Primrose Aholelei.

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03301648_LiaandElyseNakamoto.jpg - Nakamoto family

Sibling rivalry

Bob Nakamoto has a dilemma every time Punahou plays Mid-Pacific in an Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division I softball game. His daughter Elyse, a senior, plays outfield for the Buffanblu. Younger daughter Lia, a junior, is a catcher for the Owls. His vantage point each meeting – the next is April 16 – is somewhere behind home plate.

"It's kind of tough," Mr. Nakamoto said. "You kind of sit in the middle. You wear clothing for both schools. Usually, I wear a shirt for the home school and wear a hat for the other school."

Elyse and Lia play for their father, who coached MPI's intermediate teams for five seasons, the final being last year, in club leagues. But when the ILH season rolls around, the gloves come off.

"We're both really competitive," Elyse said. "After the game, we don't talk because someone's always mad."

Added Lia: "It's always competitive. I always want to try to do better than her. It's just fun playing against her."

As a catcher, Lia has an advantage. Having played with her sister so long, she has a scouting report to lean on.

"I kind of know where to call the pitches to her," Lia said laughing. "So I just call the pitches she can't hit."

Elyse graduates this spring, so next season should be easier on dad.

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03301601_TaylorandChaseMeilleur.jpg - Stacy Kaneshiro | SL

Brother in arms

On the baseball diamond, Saint Louis has its own brother battery in senior catcher Taylor Meilleur and junior pitcher Chase Meilleur. They've been playing pitch and catch since their youth growing up in Washington state. They continued to do so when they enrolled at Saint Louis when they were in middle school.

"We're close in age, so I've always been his catcher," Taylor said of his kid brother, who is 3-2 with a 0.83 earned run average in five appearances, four of them starts. "We always get to workout together, so when he gets on the mound in a game, it's like second nature."

At home, the game carries over the dinner table.

"During dinner, we talk about the game, talk about pitches missed, pitches made," Taylor said. "It's good because we spend so much time together we know each other well."

Taylor, who spent the summer playing in California, will continue his baseball career in college at St. Mary's (Moraga, Calif.).

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03301628_MicahandKahiluMcNicoll.jpg - McNicoll family

Mixed plate

There is another brother/sister combo playing baseball/softball. Kamehameha baseball senior shortstop Matt McNicoll's sister, sophomore Kahilu, pitches for Maryknoll's softball team.

Because of their conflicting schedules, the two rarely get to see each other's games.

"Normally, we just follow each other's teams through ScoringLive or when we get home to talk about how the games went and how we did," Micah wrote via email.

Micah added that his father, Charlie McNicoll, an assistant at Kailua High, trains him and his sister.  Micah wrote he is grateful to Kailua coach Corey Ishigo for allowing him and his sister to workout at Kailua during the summer and off-season.

When siblings' respective schools play each other, well, blood is thicker than school colors.

"When it comes down to it, we will both support each other and cheer for family," Micah wrote. "So, when we play Maryknoll in baseball she cheers for me and I do the same for her."

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03301600_millwood_obara.jpg - courtesy James Millwood and Chad Obara

Family affair

For two sets of sisters, they aren't the only family members on the team. Kamehameha infielders Jordan (senior) and Dallas (sophomore) Millwood's father is their coach, James Millwood.

Pearl City's keystone is anchored by junior shortstop Darian and sophomore second baseman Cheyne Obara. Their father is the Chargers' coach Chad Obara.

This is not the first time Pearl City has had siblings playing the keystone positions. In the 1990s, twins Denise and Debbie Nakabayashi played the middle infield, giving new meaning to twin killing.

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03301605_curranfavela.jpg - Stacy Kaneshiro | SL

More sisters and brothers

The Campbell softball team also has two sets of siblings in senior second baseman Cydney Curran and junior outfielder Cieana Curran and senior pitcher Elisa Favela and sophomore outfielder Trinity Favela. The elder Curran, who has signed with Cal State-Bakersfield, said her sister sometimes drives her crazy. As long as one drives in the other home in games would make coach Shag Hermosura happy.

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In baseball, the Sabers have Kainoa and Ikaika Gananical, while Leilehua has Na'i and Kaika Cordero. On the Big Island, there are Honokaa pitchers Caden and Canen Perreira.

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Unrelated matter

Then there is Campbell's Darien Robinson.

There is the senior third baseman on the softball team and the sophomore infielder/pitcher on the baseball team.

While there are various ways to spell their first names, both spell them the same. Both said they did not really know each other, but had heard of the other.

The kicker is they are not related.

Did we miss other siblings? Feel free to send a picture for posting. Sorry, for continuity sake, it is limited to baseball and softball high school varsity players only. Send to [email protected].