The team goal at a summer nationals is to win the championship as a team, of course, but it’s also a great stage to showcase a player’s talents—thus the reason you see a bazillion college coaches at these premier events (OK, that’s an exaggeration… it’s probably just a kazillion).

One player who created a buzz in the sunny environs of Orange County, Calif. during the PGF Nationals was Alia Anzai, a standout infielder from the Aloha State who should enjoy a healthy amount of college coaches reaching out to her starting September 1—the first date players in the Class of 2028 can be contacted directly.

What makes her elite?

Her club head coach, Josh Danz, summed it up perfectly when he told Line Drive Media recently:

“Alia definitely built up her stock this summer,” he explained.

“Many of the college coaches at PGF Nationals said she had the best hands as a shortstop that they saw there, flat out.”

Here’s a closer look at this infielder that will be ranked highly when the next round of the Line Drive 2028 HOT 100 rankings start later this month…

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Name: Alia Anzai 

School (current): Moanalua (Honolulu, Hawaii) High
Club Team: LK Black Hawaii – Danz 
Grad Year: 2028 
Position(s): SS/2B/OF 
GPA: 4.0 

Key Camps Attended:

• 2026 OnDeck Colorado Jamboree Camp 

 
Top School Accomplishments:  

• 2026 D1 Oahu Interscholastic Association (OIA) East Player of the Year
• 2026 D1 ScoringLive All-Hawaii 1^st Team
• 2026 Hawaii High School Athletic Association (HHSAA) D1 All-Tournament Team
• 2025 D1 OIA – East 1^st Team
• 2025 D1 Scoringlive All-Hawaii & Star Advertiser All-State Honorable Mention

Top Club Accomplishments:  

• 2025 PGF Fall Shootout Tournament Champions
• 2026 TCS International Challenge Champions
• named Team Captain for the 2027 LK Black Hawaii – Danz team

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Our Line Drive Q&A with Alia

Fill in the blank… The best part of softball is_______ 
Learning how to overcome adversity while building lifelong friendships and memories. 

What does it mean to you to wear “LK Black HI” on your jersey? 
It’s more than a privilege to wear LK Black across my chest because it represents the athlete I am and I get to represent my home.

I feel honored to play alongside some of the best athletes in Hawaii at the top tournaments in the nation. I’m very proud to be a part of this team and have the opportunity to compete at the highest level.

Tell us about your club team and teammates… what do you enjoy most about being with them?  
We push each other to be better, and I can always be myself around them. They’re true friends who keep it real, never fail to make me laugh, and always support me. 

We battle against each other every rep at practice which makes us better individually and as a team. 

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? 
Let go and let God.

Everything happens for a reason so trust in His plans for you.

Who do you look up to or admire (whether you know them personally or not)?  
My parents because I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am today without them. I’m beyond grateful for all their sacrifices and everything they do for me.

They always find a way to make things work, support me through all my highs and lows, and work so hard to help me accomplish my goals. 

What would you say that you do really well on the field that makes you a “Rising Star?” 
I always play at 100 percent, give everything I have and talk it up the whole game. I make it a priority to be a team player, pick up my teammates, and stay positive even when the game isn’t going my way. 

If you could have dinner with anyone in history, dead or alive, who would you choose and why? 
Jose Altuve because he’s been my favorite MLB player since I was eight and I’ve always wanted to meet him. 

What’s something unusual or different about you that few know? 
I used to switch hit, and my lefty swing looks very similar to my righty swing. 

Where’s your dream vacation? 
Bora Bora (a tropical island in the South Pacifica). 

Do you have any softball superstitions or rituals? 
I have to make my hair before I put on my uniform, and I always play with at least one braid in my hair. 

What’s been your proudest accomplishment on the field? 
Hitting for the cycle in the summer of 2025 and Coach Josh letting me know that a lot of top college softball programs are interested in me. 

And off the field? 
Maintaining a 4.0 GPA.  

If you could improve softball in one way, how would you do it? 
I would add the ABS Challenge System to important games. 

If you could have a superpower, what would you want it to be? 
Teleportation.  

What did you want to be when you were little? 
A professional softball player or a doctor. 

Where would you like to be—and what would you like to be doing—in 20 years? 
In 20 years, I’d like to have a job in pediatrics, coach softball, raise a family with two-to-three kids and live in Hawaii. 

Any nicknames(s) for you? 
“Anzai Banzai.” (editor’s note: one definition of “banzai” is a “a Japanese cheer or war cry.”) 

Here’s a Hollywood depiction of the Japanese cheer by soldiers in WWII…

— Brentt Eads/Line Drive Media