HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Nearly 4,000 miles away from the islands, two Hawaii prep baseball standouts have settled in nicely at Fayetteville, Arkansas.

In only their first season with the Razorbacks, Nolan Souza and Wehiwa Aloy have instantly become fan favorites.

“You can’t fully experience how loud it gets in there and how many people there is,” Souza said. “When you see it in person, it’s like wow, it’s cool.”

Souza first popped up on Arkansas’ radar while he was still a freshman at Punahou.

While Aloy, a Baldwin grad, transferred to the Razorbacks after one season at Sacramento State.

Both committed site unseen and fell in love with the place.

“Kind of like a smaller community, kinda like back home, everybody is just supportive of each other,” Aloy said. “We’re pretty much treated like superstars over here now that we play for the baseball team. So it’s pretty cool.”

So how is it that two Hawaii players, would end up in the deep south at the same time?

It’s all because of a previous local connection.

Punahou alum and prep baseball coach Rick Nomura spent two seasons in the Razorbacks infield and sold them on the program.

“I was trying to explain to them, the experience you are gonna get there, yes every college is gonna give you a bunch of stuff, but the fans, the coaching staff, the facilities is top notch,” said Nomura, who operates Nomura Academy.

And they’ve wasted no time introducing themselves.

Aloy leads the them in home runs and Souza is top five on the squad in runs batted in and is a former Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week.

“Whenever I I get opportunities to go in, I try to do my best for the team, help us win,” Souza said. “Whether it’s like DH like I have been or whenever I get a chance to play defense, I try to do my best out there too.”

And aspects of Hawaii’s culture have become part of the gameday experience.

Aloy’s walkup music is a tribute to his Maui roots.

“Mine is Country Reggae by Maoli, yeah that’s a banger,” Aloy explained. “They bring like palm trees and stuff, leis, hula skirts, yeah all kine stuff over here.”

As the second ranked team in the country, the powerful pair can play a huge role in Arkansas’ quest for a national championship.

While their collegiate journey is just starting, they hope their play can help local prospects get on the radar of top scouts.

“They might have just thought oh Hawaii is far away, we’re just gonna look at the players we have up here,” Souza said. “I think the more players that play in the SEC, I think it opens their eyes that they might want to go back home and recruit over there too.”

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Seven Arkansas Tech University students are the founding members of the institution’s Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha Incorporada chapter.

Sigma Iota Alpha states on its website that it is “a Latina-based sorority devoted to serving our community while fostering a sense of pride and respect in our heritage.”

Sofia Guerrero of Hot Springs is the first president of Sigma Iota Alpha at ATU.

“We get a lot of acknowledgement during Hispanic Heritage Month when we have events, but I made it a goal of mine this year and in upcoming years to have an ongoing awareness of our Hispanic population at ATU,” said Guerrero. “It’s important for us to be heard, seen and respected. We have come this far, not only for us, but also for our parents. Sigma Iota Alpha ties in the values, virtues and traditions we grew up with. One of our big goals is sharing that culture.”

Guerrero is joined in the ATU chapter of Sigma Iota Alpha by fellow members Andrea Arenales of Little Rock, Jacqueline Hernandez of Bentonville, Yasmin Pacheco of Hot Springs, Perla Ramirez of Hot Springs, Noelia Santos of Hot Springs and Jazzy Trejo of Rogers.

“For me, it was having that culture and bond with people similar to me,” said Ramirez.

The ATU Sigma Iota Alpha chapter was chartered on Sunday, April 7. Guerrero represented the group during the ATU Evening of Excellence on Monday, April 29, and the establishment of the chapter was announced to the ATU students, faculty and staff in attendance by Rhylie Gachot, ATU assistant director for campus life.

“I feel so proud,” said Trejo. “I worked for this. This is part of who I am. We’re all one. I feel like it’s made a big impact in my life already, and we just started.”

Founded in 1990, Sigma Iota Alpha was established by 13 women attending four institutions in New York: State University of New York (SUNY) Albany, SUNY Stony Brook, SUNY New Paltz and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Over the past 30-plus years, the sorority has chartered chapters in New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, Georgia, Florida, Arkansas, Illinois, Michigan, Texas and California.

“Having that sisterhood is one of the best things because we can go to each other,” said Santos. “There have been so many times when we have motivated each other. Sometimes you just need another person to tell you that you can do it. It’s been really beneficial.”

Sigma Iota Alpha states on its website that it strives “to increase awareness of the Latino culture, promote sisterhood and leadership, serve as role models and achieve academic excellence.”

The sorority’s motto is semper unum et inseparabilis (always one and inseparable).

“It’s going to enhance our experience because we will meet people who are willing to help us socially and academically,” said Pacheco. “We’re going to have that support system to lean on, which is really important, especially for first-generation students. Going into this, I didn’t expect to get so close with the girls. I don’t go more than half a day without texting at least one of them. Some of us were already friends before this started, but we’re closer than that now. We actually are sisters.”

The ATU members of Sigma Iota Alpha are exploring community outreach options for the 2024-25 academic year, including reading to children at local elementary schools and volunteering at non-profit organizations that serve the local Hispanic population. They also plan on engaging in campus-based volunteerism opportunities such as the annual Green and Gold Give Back.

“I am a part of something bigger than myself,” said Hernandez. “I am SIA. I am part of that, and I represent that when I wear my letters.”

The founding members of Sigma Iota Alpha at ATU will continue to develop their colony culture during the fall 2024 semester with a goal of participating in new member recruitment during the spring 2025 semester.

“Wearing these letters is a remembrance that we did this, we made it, we overcame and we put in that work,” said Guerrero. “It wasn’t just for us, but for future generations that are coming to Arkansas Tech and want to find an organization that represents them, their goals, their virtues and what they want to develop in life. It’s a big wow moment for us.”