RAINBOW BASEBALL
Rainbows' relief pitchers are missing from action
Quality innings by the starters have meant fewer pitches thrown by Hawaii's bullpen
There's a downside to a string of quality starts: bullpen rust.
Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso needed his relievers for just four innings last week, and great efforts by the UH starters mean less experience for young pitchers.
Trapasso is of course happy with the quality outings by starters Ian Harrington, Mark Rodrigues and Josh Schneider. But only three other pitchers (Matt Daly, Tyler Davis and Jayson Kramer) have logged more than 4 1/3 innings headed into the 9-3 Rainbows' three-game series with visiting Wichita State starting Friday.
"When you're playing three games a weekend and you get three starts like we got (at UC Santa Barbara last week) there's just not a lot of innings to go around, when your starters are going six, seven, eight innings or a complete game," Trapasso said.
Craig Johnson and Cameron Wheeler have both been effective in limited relief work, and Trapasso would also like to get Nick Rhodes more action. Jeff Soskin, a situational lefty, has yet to pitch in a game.
"It's definitely something we wanted to do but haven't had the opportunity to do. I think over the next couple of weeks we'll be able to get them more involved, particularly with a five-game series coming up (next week) against Chicago State," Trapasso said. "That's something that's concerned me all year. We're going to have to get those guys involved because we're going to need them."
UH's team ERA is 2.44, and the Rainbow starters have averaged nearly seven innings the last two series. Hawaii has won seven of its last eight games.
Getting healthy:
Derek DuPree isn't ready to resume outfield duty yet, but he's getting his batting eye back and went 1-for-5 in two games as the DH last week.
"It's like hitting is completely different than it used to be. But it's getting better," said DuPree, who batted .313 last year, but has had to come back from tearing an ACL last summer.
DuPree scored two runs with a walk and a single in UH's 9-2 win over UCSB on Sunday. He also had a sacrifice bunt.
"He gets better every day," Trapasso said. "It was good to see him out on the field, running the bases. He's getting closer. That one bunt he laid down, I told him, a month from now he'll beat that out."
Second baseman Jon Hee returned to the lineup after missing eight games with a shoulder injury and went 2-for-11 in the three games. He was errorless in the series and drove in three runs and scored two in the Sunday win.
"We were all glad to see him back out there because we know what he's done and what he can do," Trapasso said.
Brandon Haislet sat out Friday with a back injury, but DH'd on Saturday and returned to center field Sunday. He went 4-for-9 in the two games and is batting .368 this season.
Matchups:
Harrington (2-2, 4.29) meets WSU's Rob Musgrave (1-0, 1.29) in Friday's game, Rodrigues (4-0, 1.46) goes up against 2006 third-team All-American Aaron Shafer (1-0, 1.69) on Saturday, and Schneider (1-0, 0.50) is scheduled to pitch against Travis Banwart (0-1, 9.00) on Sunday.
The Friday and Saturday games start at 6:35 p.m. and Sunday's first pitch is at 1:05 p.m.
The No. 12-ranked Shockers were 1-2 after a season-opening series at Pepperdine last week. They're on the Big Island for doubleheaders yesterday and today.
Fall in, troops:
UH is promoting the series as "Military Weekend." All active, reserve and retired members of the armed services can get two tickets for the price of one. Tickets can be purchased at the Stan Sheriff Center Box Office or on game day at the Les Murakami Stadium Box Office.