2026
Made 14 relief appearances during his freshman season at UCLA, posting a 2.31 ERA with 15 strikeouts over 11.2 innings…Opened his collegiate career with 1.1 scoreless innings and three strikeouts against TCU on Feb. 22, the first of three straight scoreless outings to begin the season…Added another clean appearance on Feb. 24 vs. San Diego State and worked a hitless, scoreless frame against Tennessee on Feb. 27…Recorded three strikeouts in a one-inning outing vs. Mississippi State on Mar. 1…Delivered scoreless appearances in seven of his first eight outings, including a clean inning with a strikeout vs. Cal State Fullerton on Mar. 3 and another scoreless frame at UC Irvine on Mar. 31…Worked 1.0 inning with a strikeout against USC on Apr. 5…Posted his longest outing of the season on Apr. 26 vs. Sacramento State, throwing 2.0 innings with two strikeouts and no runs allowed…Closed the regular season with three straight scoreless appearances (Apr. 26 vs. Sacramento State, May 2 at Michigan State, May 14 at Washington)…Allowed just three earned runs all season and held opponents to a .223 average.
High School
Arrives at UCLA after a standout four-year varsity career at Kamehameha Schools Kapalama in Honolulu, Hawai‘i … A right-handed pitcher and left-handed hitter, Iwanaga emerged as one of the premier arms in the state, closing his senior season with a dominant 5-0 record, 1.57 ERA, and 47 strikeouts … A First Team All-State selection, he helped lead Kamehameha to the 2023 Hawai‘i State Championship … Widely regarded as the No. 1 RHP in Hawai‘i.
Personal
No. 1-ranked right-handed pitcher in the state of Hawaii and No. 3 overall prospect … Twice named Preseason Underclass All-American (Perfect Game) … Was invited to 2024 Perfect Game National Showcase … Participated in the 2024 Area Code Games in Long Beach, Calif. Full name is Elai Scott Kalaunuiohua Iwanaga … Born on August 8, 2006, in Honolulu, Hawai‘i … Hails from Mililani, Hawai‘i … Parents are Erik and Paige Iwanaga … Has four siblings: brothers Evan and Riley, and sisters Riki and Rell … Majoring in Business Economics … Aspires to become a professional baseball player … Chose UCLA to earn a world-class education while competing at the highest level of college baseball … Lists Yoshinobu Yamamoto as the athlete he admires most … Enjoys rock climbing, bodyboarding, and hiking in his free time.
Made 14 relief appearances during his freshman season at UCLA, posting a 2.31 ERA with 15 strikeouts over 11.2 innings…Opened his collegiate career with 1.1 scoreless innings and three strikeouts against TCU on Feb. 22, the first of three straight scoreless outings to begin the season…Added another clean appearance on Feb. 24 vs. San Diego State and worked a hitless, scoreless frame against Tennessee on Feb. 27…Recorded three strikeouts in a one-inning outing vs. Mississippi State on Mar. 1…Delivered scoreless appearances in seven of his first eight outings, including a clean inning with a strikeout vs. Cal State Fullerton on Mar. 3 and another scoreless frame at UC Irvine on Mar. 31…Worked 1.0 inning with a strikeout against USC on Apr. 5…Posted his longest outing of the season on Apr. 26 vs. Sacramento State, throwing 2.0 innings with two strikeouts and no runs allowed…Closed the regular season with three straight scoreless appearances (Apr. 26 vs. Sacramento State, May 2 at Michigan State, May 14 at Washington)…Allowed just three earned runs all season and held opponents to a .223 average.
High School
Arrives at UCLA after a standout four-year varsity career at Kamehameha Schools Kapalama in Honolulu, Hawai‘i … A right-handed pitcher and left-handed hitter, Iwanaga emerged as one of the premier arms in the state, closing his senior season with a dominant 5-0 record, 1.57 ERA, and 47 strikeouts … A First Team All-State selection, he helped lead Kamehameha to the 2023 Hawai‘i State Championship … Widely regarded as the No. 1 RHP in Hawai‘i.
Personal
No. 1-ranked right-handed pitcher in the state of Hawaii and No. 3 overall prospect … Twice named Preseason Underclass All-American (Perfect Game) … Was invited to 2024 Perfect Game National Showcase … Participated in the 2024 Area Code Games in Long Beach, Calif. Full name is Elai Scott Kalaunuiohua Iwanaga … Born on August 8, 2006, in Honolulu, Hawai‘i … Hails from Mililani, Hawai‘i … Parents are Erik and Paige Iwanaga … Has four siblings: brothers Evan and Riley, and sisters Riki and Rell … Majoring in Business Economics … Aspires to become a professional baseball player … Chose UCLA to earn a world-class education while competing at the highest level of college baseball … Lists Yoshinobu Yamamoto as the athlete he admires most … Enjoys rock climbing, bodyboarding, and hiking in his free time.