PIIKEA KITAMURA

SENIOR

3B

UN

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Hanging out before school one morning, Piikea Kitamura decided to call Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso with some good news. I was getting ready to go to class (at Kamehameha) and I called him and committed, Kitamura recalled. He laughed and said, If it wasnt 8 in the morning, Id pop a beer right now. Trapasso knew right away securing a commitment from the two-time All-Interscholastic League of Honolulu infielder was worth celebrating. One conversation was all it took for the coach to see the potential. From Day 1, all you had to do was meet Piikea, Trapasso said. The very first time I sat down and talked with him you could see that character, you could see that toughness, you could see that desire to succeed. All of that was tested after Kitamuras sophomore year. Despite the team winning a Western Athletic Conference tournament title and a regularseason title in his first two years, Kitamura wasnt happy. The Rainbows failed to earn a repeat bid to the NCAA tournament in 2011 and only a run of nine hits in his final 16 at-bats kept him from finishing the season hitting below .200. When the teams season ended in the WAC tournament in Mesa, Ariz., he decided to take the summer off and return home, where he rediscovered himself as a baseball player. That was probably the most failure Id ever experienced on a baseball field, Kitamura said. I stepped away from it, cleared my head, cleared my thoughts,

W E D N E S D AY
2/13/13

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FIRST OF 3 PARTS
By Billy Hull
bhull@staradvertiser.com

and tried to take all the thinking out of it. Knowing hed move to shortstop for his junior year, he also dropped 20 pounds, dedicating himself to both conditioning and the weight room. As a result, he became a fixture last season as the teams No. 3 hitter and was one of only two Bows to finish the year hitting over .300, raising his average 103 points to a career-best .311. While UHs offense sputtered down the stretch, Kitamura did all he could to keep UH afloat. He ended the season on a ninegame hitting streak in which he reached base 16 times in 40 plate appearances. Hes been a special player, Trapasso said. Hes reached a point where hes not just our leader from an inspirational and motivational standpoint, but he leads by example because nobody outworks him, and when you put in that kind of work ethic and youre performing like he has, the leadership really carries value. One of two players remaining from the 2010 team that went to the NCAA regional final in Tempe, Ariz., Kitamura is drawing upon those experiences to educate the new group of Rainbows. The stories I can tell about guys like Kolten (Wong), Greg (Garcia) and Sam (Spangler) to these young guys I think really helps, Kitamura said. And like Wong, Garcia and Spangler before him, Kitamuras story will one day serve to inspire a future group of Rainbows. If it doesnt already.

RBI HR 3B 2B H R AB
CAR E E R N U M B E R S

2010 2011 2012 TOTAL

YEAR

.241 62-61 .208 58-57 .311 55-55 .254 175-173

AVG.

GP-GS

216 192 206 614

27 37 30 94

52 40 64 156

4 9 9 22

2 1 1 4

1 1 0 2

28 33 29 90

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JUGGLING ACT
By Billy Hull
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CATCHERS NO. NAME B/T CL. HT. WT. HOMETOWN

39 26 6 14

Trevor Podratz ..........R/R Tyler Young ................R/R Alan Baldwin ..............R/R Greg Chavez ...............R/R

So. Jr. Fr. Fr Jr. Sr. Jr. So. Fr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Fr. Jr.

5-11 5-10 6-1 6-1

235 180 175 175

Temecula, Calif. Aiea Kailua Mission Viejo, Calif. King City, Calif. San Luis Obispo, Calif. Mesa, Ariz. Monterey, Calif. Villa Park, Calif. Costa Mesa, Calif. Kaneohe Mesa, Ariz. Kaneohe Huntington Beach, Calif. Mesa, Ariz.

FIRST BASE

19 Marc Flores.................L/R 29 Max Duval...................R/R 8 Jerry Kleman..............R/R

SECOND BASE

6-4 225 6-5 235 5-11 185 5-8 5-7 170 185

5 Stephen Ventimilia ....L/R 7 Andre Real ..................R/R

SHORTSTOP

18 Austin Wobrock.........L/R 9 Piikea Kitamura ........R/R 8 Jerry Kleman..............R/R

THIRD BASE

5-10 175 6-0 195 5-11 185 6-0 195 6-1 185 5-11 185
WEAKNESS

9 Piikea Kitamura ........R/R 22 LJ Brewster.................R/R 8 Jerry Kleman..............R/R

STRENGTH

Hawaii lost seven of its final nine games last year. Added depth across the board should help keep the Bows healthier and more rested come May.

Catcher and first base are two unknowns heading into the year. Can Podratz stay healthy? Do they have a first baseman who can produce offensively? Time will tell.

When asked what his starting lineup would be to begin the season, Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso has a different answer this year. Depends on the starting pitcher, he said. The 2013 Hawaii baseball team, especially on the infield, could field two completely different lineups depending on righty-lefty matchups as the season gets under way Friday against No. 6 Oregon at Les Murakami Stadium. In 2012, four different positions, including shortstop and second base, had the same player start all 55 games in that spot. Throw in third base, where Collin Bennett played all but once, and UHs starting lineup rarely fluctuated. We knew we needed more depth and more left-handed hitters because we didnt have it last year, Trapasso said. We wore down by the end of the year. Expect that to change this season, as UH is capable of playing as many as three different guys at different spots. Senior Piikea Kitamura, who moves back to third base to start the year, is the one player firmly entrenched as a starter at either third or short. Outside of that, Trapasso is capable of playing any number of combinations, with up to 11 players in different spots. At least early in the season, we have the depth to go with a different lineup against a left-handed pitcher than a right-handed pitcher and then those spots will play itself out, Trapasso said. Sophomore Stephen Ventimilia started every game at second in 2012 and hit .293, leading the team with 42 runs, 34 walks and 17 stolen bases. But even his spot could change, as freshman Andre Real provides a potent bat from the right side. Ventimilia, who played summer ball for the Wenatchee AppleSox in the West Coast League, had his offseason stunted by a lower back issue that began last summer. There are aspects where I may be a little be-

hind and Im going to have to make the adjustment but theres no excuses anymore, Ventimilia said. The season is here and its time to step up. UH could potentially go three deep at catcher, where Trevor Podratz is the only returnee to have started a game behind the plate. Punahou graduate Tyler Young transferred from Cal State Monterey Bay, where he started 70 games and hit .286 as a sophomore. Redshirt freshman Alan Baldwin, a Kailua alumnus who can also play outfield, is also available to catch. UH struggled to get offensive production out of the first base spot last year. Trapasso hopes he addressed that with the additions of juniorcollege transfers Marc Flores and Jerry Kleman. Returnee Max Duval has had a strong showing in the fall and spring and is also a valuable asset defensively, where he committed just two errors and posted a .995 fielding percentage as a junior. Junior Austin Wobrock is a plus defender at shortstop and freshman LJ Brewster is another guy making it tough to figure out how to get all the deserving players opportunities, Trapasso said. The hardest job I might have is finding a place for LJ Brewster because hes a freshman were very high on, Trapasso said. Getting him some playing time is something Ill have to work at.

Stephen Ventimilia Trevor Podratz

Austin Wobrock

INF
9

BY T H E N U M B E R S

Piikea Kitamuras hitting streak heading into the season. Kitamura hit .351 (13-for-37) in the final nine games after going 0-for-3 on May 5 against New Mexico State.

Returning starts at catcher for UH. Sophomore Trevor Podratz started twice behind the plate last year and spent the rest of his time as a designated hitter.

Home run hit by a UH first baseman last season. Four different players combined to hit .188 (31-for165) in that spot in 2012.

37

Walks drawn by second baseman Stephen Ventimilia, which ranked 99th in the country. Ventimilia was second on the team as a freshman with a .399 on-base percentage.

.257

Hawaiis batting average as a team in 2012, which ranked 247th out of 291 teams.

PHOTOS BY BRUCE ASATO / DESIGN BY BRYANT FUKUTOMI / STAR-ADVERTISER

CF
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SECOND OF 3 PARTS
By Billy Hull
bhull@staradvertiser.com

T H U R S D AY
2/14/13

Three years ago, Kalei Hanawahine trotted off the field for the final time as a freshman. While Hawaii celebrated keeping its season alive, Hanawahines year was done after San Diego was eliminated by the Rainbows in an NCAA regional in Tempe, Ariz. At that time, wearing UHs green and white colors seemed blasphemy. Hanawahine was hoping for another crack at the team he grew up watching. I was still committed fully to USD, Hanawahine said. I still felt that extra motivation when you go out there and play the hometown team. Hanawahine was in left field when Piikea Kitamura was hit in the ear with a pitch, forcing in a ninth-inning run that gave UH its first of two victories over the Toreros in that regional. The two were teammates at Kamehameha on both the intermediate and varsity squads. We played them once in the regular season at our place and I remember watching the NCAA selection show waiting to see where we would end up, Hanawahine said. When we ended up with Piikea and the Bows it was pretty fun to experience my first postseason playing against UH. While Hawaii went on to win the WAC regular-season championship the following year, Hanawahines Toreros started off 4-17. His playing time diminished, and combined with the financial costs at a school that is now $40,000 for out-of-state tuition, Hanawahine decided to make a phone call.

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He contacted us that he wanted to come home and we were happy to accommodate him, Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso said. We knew from playing against him three times he was a good player. Hanawahine tried to get a waiver from the NCAA to play last year but was denied a month before the start of the season. In practice, he was out there every day with his teammates. But for each of UHs 55 games, Hanawahine could only stand idly by. Its tough to just sit back in the dugout and watch my boys play every night, Hanawahine said. Its definitely going to make this year that much more worth it. After what has seemed like forever, Hanawahine will finally be back on the field when the Rainbows open the 2013 season against No. 6 Oregon. Hell be the first starter in center field since 2011 not named Breland Almadova, who graduated from Iolani the same year as Hanawahine and Kitamura did at Kamehameha. Teammates once again, Hanawahine currently lives with Kitamura, who knows as well as anyone what his good friend brings to the table. I know hes pumped and he knows what prime time Division I baseball is like, Kitamura said. Any athlete baseball player especially who has been out of the game for a year, they are definitely itching to get back in. That he is a full 634 days since his last Division I game. Friday: Pitchers

2B 3B HR RBI
C A R E E R N U M B E R S AT S A N D I E G O

2010 .310 43-14 71 9 22 1 1 0 10 2011 .217 32-13 60 6 13 1 1 0 6 TOTAL .267 75-27 131 15 35 2 2 0 16

YEAR

AVG.

GP-GS

AB

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MOVABLE PARTS
LEFT FIELD NO. NAME B/T CL. HT. WT. HOMETOWN

12 Adam Hurley 6 Alan Baldwin* 27 Kaden Kamoe

CENTER FIELD

L/R R/R R/R L/L L/L L/L R/R

Jr. Fr. Jr. Jr. Fr.

6-0 190 6-1 175 5-11 180 5-8 170 5-11 175 155 205

Chino Hills, Calif. Kailua Aiea Honolulu Hilo Ewa Beach Tigard, Ore.

3 Kalei Hanawahine* 10 Quintin Torres-Costa*

RIGHT FIELD

By Billy Hull
bhull@staradvertiser.com

2 4

Kaeo Aliviado* Conner George*

So. 5-6 Jr. 6-4

After tearing through junior college at Rio Hondo (Calif.) for two years, Adam Hurley is ready to take on Les Murakami Stadium. Hurley is part of a recruiting class the Rainbows signed after the end of last season, when they finished 247th out of 291 teams with a .257 batting average. The left-fielder was named a junior college All-American after leading the Road Runners to both the league and regional titles. He led the entire Foothill Conference with 10 homers and a .619 slugging percentage and was second in doubles with 16. We brought him in to give us some left-handed pop, which we didnt have, Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso said. Hurley was first approached by assistant coach Rusty McNamara and it didnt take much to convince him to enroll at Hawaii. It was really a no-brainer, obviously, Hurley said. Who wouldnt want to come out here and play baseball? The program is good. It was an easy decision. Hurley is solely a corner guy while the other outfielders are capable of playing any of the three positions. Sophomore Kaeo Aliviado, who spent nearly all of his freshman year in left, will move over to right to take advantage of his dynamic arm that recorded seven outfield assists. With him, we told him defensively, do what youve been doing because hes so valuable, Trapasso said. From an offensive standpoint, its about consistency. Aliviado was the only Rainbow to collect four hits in a game last year and reached base six times in a nineinning game against Wagner College. He also struggled through an 0-for20 stretch midway through the season and recorded only nine multi-hit games in 52 starts to finish with a .239 average. He was a little too pullconscious but starting this fall and moving into the spring, weve seen

*Can play all three positions Can

growth and maturity and the understanding to hit to all fields, Trapasso said. With Kalei Hanawahine, that would give Trapasso three left-handers starting in his outfield. Needing a righty, Trapasso had junior Conner George switch to the outfield. George was recruited as an infielder out of high school in Oregon and moved to first base last year before transitioning to the outfield in the fall. Second base and catcher, George said are the only two positions where he hasnt practiced. I have no problem with it because Im just trying to get in the lineup and be a part of everything. If I have to play a different position to do that Im going to do that. At 6 feet 4, George ran the 60-yard dash in 6.6 seconds in the fall, making him an easy candidate to move to the outfield. I have a feeling its the right place, George said. In limited action, George has only hit .111 (5-for-45) but has been arguably the hottest hitter in the fall and spring. It has earned him a chance to start against left-handed pitchers out of the gate. Right away, Conner George will be in the outfield, Trapasso said. Hes been swinging the bat as well as anybody over the last two weeks in our scrimmages. No. 2 pitcher Quintin Torres-Costa will also play in the outfield.

Kaeo Aliviado

STRENGTH

Versatility. Nearly every outfielder is capable of playing all three positions. Against righthanded pitchers, UH can field a lineup of three quality-hitting left-handers.
WEAKNESS

Experience. Aliviado is the only one out of seven to get more than 31 atbats at the Division I level last year. Hanawahine hit .310 in his first season at USD but dipped to .217 as a sophomore and hasnt played in nearly two years.

Adam Hurley

OF
4

BY T H E N U M B E R S

Hits in a single game last season by Kaeo Aliviado, who reached base six times (four singles, two walks) in a win over Wagner College on Feb. 26.

110

Combined starts in the outfield last year between Zack Swasey and Breland Almadova. Swasey graduated and Almadova turned pro after he was picked in the 37th round of the draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

10

Home runs hit last season at Rio Hondo (Calif.) College by JC transfer Adam Hurley, which led his league. He also was first in the league in slugging percentage (.619) and second in doubles (16).

634

Days between Division I games for junior Kalei Hanawahine, who is expected to start Fridays opener against Oregon in centerfield after transferring from San Diego and sitting out the entire 2012 season.

PHOTOS BY BRUCE ASATO / DESIGN BY BRYANT FUKUTOMI / STAR-ADVERTISER

UN

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SOPHOMORE

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2/15/13

SCOTT SQUIER

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.261

BAA

THIRD OF 3 PARTS
By Billy Hull
bhull@staradvertiser.com

55

SO

If Scott Squier had trust issues, he likely wouldnt open the 2013 season as Hawaiis ace. A 21st-round pick out of Greenway High in Arizona, the 6-foot-6 left-hander chose instead to come to Hawaii, where coach Mike Trapasso immediately went to work on his throwing motion. Its changed dramatically, like everything about it is gone, Squier said. There were growing pains. In his first collegiate start last season, Squier recorded only eight outs, giving up seven runs on seven hits. In his last five starts, not once did he last into the sixth inning. Through it all, he never lost faith in what he was trying to do. I came in here with an open mind where anything they wanted to help me with and teach I was going to take, Squier said. Nobody in high school ever taught me how to pitch so coming to a D-I (school), theyre going to know their stuff. Trapasso has coached his share of pitching studs over the years and says Squiers openness to change is one of the traits that separates him from other talented players. A lot of good draft picks when they show up initially are a little hesitant to make any

changes, Trapasso said. He has made changes in his delivery, in his mind-set, in his approach to everything and thats something that Im really proud of when it comes to Scotty. Even with his pitcher struggling to stay on the mound late into games, Trapasso was content to leave him in the starting rotation. He knew the payoff would come down the road. Regardless of performance, my intent was that Scott would get a start every series nonconference because he needed those innings to grow and learn and to get better, Trapasso said. His numbers were generally pretty solid but he just didnt pitch consistently enough to get into the seventh or eighth innings. Trapasso and the Rainbows hope the payoff starts now, as Squier has been tabbed as Hawaiis opening-night starter against No. 6 Oregon. Since the end of last year, Squier has eliminated a hitch in his throwing motion and developed a slider he says has become a big pitch for me. Its also made him more consistent in his location and his velocity, which ranges between 88 and 92 mph. I feel now like this is something I can actually work with, Squier said. Im comfortable. And that should make opposing hitters feel quite the opposite.

CAR E E R N U M B E R S

2012

YEAR

3.50

ERA

3-4

W-L

15-14

APP-GS

6413

IP

64

25

ER

30

BB

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WELL ARMED
Connor Little By Billy Hull
bhull@staradvertiser.com

He pitched a couple of innings for the Hawaii Island Movers in the summer. In the fall, he struck out seven in four shutout innings in an exhibition against a team from China. Make no mistake, however, the long road back from injury wont be complete for Connor Little until he takes the mound this weekend as Hawaii opens the 2013 season against No. 6 Oregon. Its a great thought to get back out there and help this team win and hopefully get to a regional, said Little, who is scheduled to start Game 3 on Sunday. Littles importance to the team was magnified when ace Jarrett Arakawa opted for shoulder surgery, meaning he will miss the 2013 season. He is one of only two UH opening-weekend starters with more than two starts at the Division I level and has performed well in key situations. He retired all nine batters he faced in a three-inning start against Arizona State as a freshman. Two years later, he went six shutout innings against Texas and allowed two earned runs over 713 innings in a win at Loyola Marymount. If that Little shows up in 2013, it could be

a special year. Its time for Connor to pitch with a chip on his shoulder, Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso said. I think Connor is a key to our whole season to pitch to his potential and to pitch to his skill set. His hot start to the 2011 season was tempered by nerve pain that eventually required surgery in the offseason. Then, over Christmas break, he broke his ankle, forcing him to miss the 2012 season. As of right now, my arm is the healthiest it has been, Little said. Being out for a year and a half, Ive had a lot of time to get my arm and body back into shape. Three of UHs four pitchers in the starting rotation are 6 feet 5 and above. Thats no slight for freshman left-hander Quintin Torres-Costa, who might be 6-0 on his tippy toes, but who brings an arm as dynamic as anyones. Hes got a fastball he routinely pumps in the low 90s and is well equipped to handle the big-time atmosphere of Les Murakami Stadium. In the most important game of his high school career, he threw six hitless innings in the state championship game, recording strikeouts on 13 of his 18 outs. As a senior at Waiakea, he allowed only two earned runs in 4723 innings.

We were trying to decide whether to close him or start him and when Jarrett went down and with the way (TorresCosta) was pitching, it just struck me we needed to start the year with him in the rotation, Trapasso said. UHs four-man rotation will cut down to three during Big West play. The bullpen is still very much a mystery as multiple pitchers are still trying to work up to full strength. Left-hander Lawrence Chew is a key returnee who posted a 2.40 ERA as a freshman last year, walking only six batters and giving up 34 hits in 45 innings. Junior college transfer Andrew Jones is a lefty who went 10-0 and struck out 80 in 71 innings last year. Senior Patrick ORourke has pitched only five innings in his the past two seasons but will see an increased workload this year. Were definitely wide open on roles, Trapasso said.

STRENGTH

POSSIBLE STARTERS NO. NAME POS. CL. HT. WT. HOMETOWN

Hawaii has three starting pitchers with tools that make them capable of performing like aces, fitting perfectly into the three-game series format in the Big West Conference.
WEAKNESS

With so many new faces and little experience in the bullpen, roles have yet to be defined, meaning different pitchers will have to get used to different situations on a game-by-game basis.

17 31 10 15 13 21 33

Jarrett Arakawa* Scott Squier Quintin Torres-Costa Connor Little Corey MacDonald Andrew Jones Matt Cooper

LHP LHP LHP RHP RHP LHP RHP

Jr. So. Fr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. So. Sr. Sr. So. Jr. Fr. Sr. Sr. Fr.

6-0 6-6 5-11 6-5 6-6 5-11 6-0 6-1 6-5 6-6 6-2 6-2 6-6 6-3 6-4 6-0

190 190 175 225 205 185 180 205 245 215 210 195 255 200 210 180

Honolulu Phoenix Hilo San Diego Davis, Calif. Melbourne, Australia Marysville, Wash. Mililani Elk Grove, Calif. Windsor, Calif. Puyallup, Wash. Puyallup, Wash. Corona, Calif. Phoenix Upland, Calif. Huntington Beach, Calif.

RELIEVERS

41 Lawrence Chew LHP 25 Patrick ORourke RHP 34 Jon Flinn RHP 20 Bryan Burgher RHP 24 Scott Kuzminsky RHP 32 Jonathan Lopez RHP 28 Jim MacWilliam LHP 40 Kris Butler RHP 37 Shane Grace LHP *Out for the season with injury

Quintin Torres-Costa

BY T H E N U M B E R S

60%

The Rainbows will have to replace 60 percent (33 of 55) of their starts made last year with the loss of junior Jarrett Arakawa to season-ending shoulder surgery.

Only three returning pitchers threw more than 10 innings last year: Scott Squier (6413), Lawrence Chew (45) and Jon Flinn (3123).

Hawaii finished the 2012 season fourth in the country in walks, allowing 2.24 per nine innings.

80

Strikeouts in 71 innings last year at Grayson (Ariz.) County College by Andrew Jones, who will begin the season in the bullpen.

Hits allowed in six innings with 13 strikeouts in the HHSAA state championship game last season by Waiakea alumnus Quintin Torres-Costa, who will open the season as UHs No. 2 starter.

PHOTOS BY BRUCE ASATO / DESIGN BY BRYANT FUKUTOMI / STAR-ADVERTISER