Dons don a new look this season San Francisco opens the season against UH with 22 new players
By Al Chase
Star-BulletinSeven players and one coach for the University of San Francisco baseball team will celebrate a homecoming this weekend when the Dons play the University of Hawaii in a season-opening three-game series at Rainbow Stadium. Assistant coach Chad Konishi, a Punahou graduate, is responsible for the Dons' increase in recruiting in the 50th state.
Hawaii players at USF: senior infielder Troy Nakamura, sophomore outfielders Keali'i Lum and Pat Walsh, sophomore infielder Darryl Nitta, freshman pitchers Chris Gossert and Ryan Yamamoto and freshman infielder Greg Omori.
Walsh will start in left field and Nakamura will move from third base to center field, at least for the opener as USF head coach Rich Hill wants Omori at third when UH has a left-hander on the mound.
Hill, beginning his fifth season at USF, might need a game program to refer to - there are 22 new players on his roster and he expects five or six to start.
"It makes it kind of scary to play someone like the Rainbows coming out of the chute. It will be our first taste of competition," Hill said.
His three starting pitchers for the series are left-hander Sean Buller (3-2, 2.83 ERA in 1997), right-hander Jeff Bowman, a junior college transfer, and left-hander Paul Deffner (2-0, 3.18).
UH head coach Les Murakami will counter with three left-handers - sophomores Randon Ho and Dusty Bergman and junior Troy Yoshimasu.
akamura, an Iolani graduate, is the only fourth-year senior on the Dons' roster. He played his way into the starting lineup the three previous seasons, with 1997 his best year (.312 batting average).
Walsh, a Punahou graduate, is coming off a stellar freshman season in which he hit .336. He was hit by 12 pitches, which tied him for the lead on the team in that category.
Omori, from Iolani, also will see action as a designated hitter.
The UH lineup: Darren Blakely (center field), Neal Honma (right field), Greg Millichap (left field), Jamie Aloy (first base), Tracy Nakano or Kelly Konishi (designated hitter), Matt Wheeler (third base), David Perreira (second base), Lars Hansen (catcher) and Michael Dartt (shortstop).
Rainbow baseball
