Jan. 29 will be a day Benny Agbayani remembers for some time. Agbayani is invited
By Al Chase
to Mets’ camp
Star-BulletinThat was the day Jim Duquette, the New York Mets minor league farm director, called Agbayani and invited him to spring training as a non-roster player.
Duquette told Agbayani he had a good chance of making the big league roster if he did well in spring training.
The Mets traded outfielders Carl Everett and Alex Ochoa in the off-season.
"I've been working out very hard in Virginia," said Agbayani, who is in Hawaii for a quick visit. "It's about time, but now I've just got to out there and do my best."
He reports to the Mets' Port St. Lucie, Fla., training site Feb. 19.
Last year at Norfolk (Va.) in the Triple A International League, the former Hawaii Pacific University standout hit .310 and was second in the league with 29 stolen bases.
University of Hawaii junior Kelly Gentle, who went 3-0 and gave up just one run in 14 innings as the Wahine swept four games in their Preseason Classic, was named the Western Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week. UH’s Gentle named
WAC Pitcher of WeekGentle combined with Desiree Duran on a five-inning perfect game against BYU-Hawaii and pitched a one-hitter the next day against Hawaii-Hilo.
RAINBOW SPIKERS NO. 4: The University of Hawaii men's volleyball moved up one notch to fourth in this week's Volleyball Magazine national poll.
UCLA (8-0) is No. 1, followed by Pepperdine (6-1), Brigham Young (3-2) and the Rainbows (7-1).
Hawaii plays George Mason of Virginia tomorrow at 7 p.m. at the Stan Sherrif Center.
WEIGHTLIFTING MEET: Top weightlifters from Oahu, Maui and the Big Island will compete in the Honolulu Open Championships Saturday at 3 p.m. in the Nuuanu YMCA weight room, 1441 Pali Highway.
Warm-ups begin at 2:30 p.m.
For more information, call Tommy Kono at 488-2998.
UH IN 25-TEAM GOLF TOURNEY: The University of Hawaii men's golf team will join 20 other American college teams and four from Asia in the eighth annual Taylor Made Waikoloa Intercollegiate Tournament Friday through Sunday at the Waikoloa Beach Course on the Big Island.
Of the 21 American teams, 14 are ranked in the Mastercard Collegiate Golf Top 50, including No. 1 Arizona, No. 2 Georgia Tech and No. 4 Arkansas. The Asian teams are Nagoya University of Commerce, Nihon University, Korea University and Osaka Gakuin University.
Playing for the Rainbows will be freshmen Isaac Sanchez and Bret Parker, and juniors Jarrod Mizusawa, Michael Ukauka and Van Wright.
STATE SOCCER GAME TAPES: Tapes of all boys' and girls' games in the state high school soccer tournaments will be available to the public for $25 each.
To obtain copies of game tapes, make check payable to Aloha Stadium, address envelopes to: Aloha Stadium, P.O. Box 30666, Honolulu HI 96820-0666. Include your name, address, daytime phone number and the particular game or games desired.
The boys' games are scheduled for tomorrow through Saturday, the girls' games for Thursday through Saturday.
For more information, call 486-9557.
KAANAPALI GOLF BENEFICIARIES: Hale Makua, Maui's comprehensive health care facility, and four other Maui-based nonprofit organizations received donations from Kaanapali Classic sponsor AMFAC on behalf of the 1977 Senior PGA Tour golf tournament.
Hale Makua received a check for $17,500 and also generated about $5,000 in net proceeds from tournament concessions, a hole-in-one promotion and a silent auction.
The Boy Scouts of America-Maui, the Girl Scouts Council of Maui, Na Mele O'Maui and the Lahaina Rotary Youth Foundation each received $5,000.
The donations resulted from the Kaanapali Classic's participation in the 1997 season-long MasterCard Team Charity Competition.