Thursday, March 4, 1999
Second’s best
for UH’s Dartt
After playing shortstop in
By Al Chase
past years, he is thriving at his
more natural position
Star-BulletinMichael Dartt persevered for three seasons as the shortstop for the University of Hawaii baseball team before the conditions were right for his move to second base.
When junior college transfer Corey Miller arrived on campus at semester break to play shortstop, Dartt was free to play what UH head coach Les Murakami says is his natural position.
Dartt was recruited along with Key Voshell with the idea that, as sophomores, they would replace Jamie Ahu and Jody Napuunoa at the middle infield positions.
It didn't work out. Voshell left the program, another highly recruited shortstop turned pro and Rory Pico has been plagued with injuries. Dartt was stuck in the six hole until now.
"I played one game at second base against San Diego State (last season) and coach Murakami said that's where I needed to be. As a matter of fact, he said they were doing me an injustice playing me at shortstop."
The 5-foot-7, 146-pounder played second base last summer full-time for the first time with the Danbury (Conn.) Westerners in the New England Collegiate League. Wood bats were used and Dartt says that helped him learned the strike zone better."If you're consistently swinging at strikes, then you should be consistently hitting the ball hard," he said. "I have to keep working on it. Even in batting practice, I have to let balls go by so I don't start swinging at pitches out of the zone in games."
He admits to being more relaxed mentally playing second base. A .313 lifetime hitter, Dartt has a .405 batting average this season. More importantly, as the No. 2 hitter, he leads the 'Bows with a .545 on-base percentage.
"To be honest, I feel a lot more comfortable mentally. At second base you don't have to be as good an infielder as you do at shortstop. You boot a ball at shortstop and the guy is gone," Dartt said. "You can make a mistake at second base and still get an out. You literally have to play perfect baseball at shortstop.
"Another thing, I have an alright arm, but I'm not blessed with a cannon. The furthest throw you make at second base is on the double play. I feel I'm much more of a typical second baseman."
"Michael is playing as well as I can expect, in fact, more than that," Murakami said. "He never gives less than 200 percent."
Dartt knew he wanted to leave Georgia to play college baseball and started recruiting schools after his junior season at Parkview High School in Lilburn, Ga.
He sent a highlight tape of his baseball exploits to 20 universities. Eight schools responded with Clemson, Yale, Dartmouth, Tulane and Hawaii following up with telephone calls.
Tulane offered a smaller scholarship than UH and it costs $26,000 a year there. Clemson signed Michael Barrett and stopped calling. Barrett was drafted in the first round and signed.
"It came down to Yale and UH. Yale called every week, but wanted me to take the SAT again. I had a 1070. but they wanted 1200," Dartt said.
He studied, took the SAT again, improved his score, but fell short of 1200.
"During that whole stretch, I was praying a lot, trying to get a clear picture. My faith is a big thing for me. In the end it was so clear. I felt the answers were revealed and I signed early (November signing period during his senior year)," Dartt said.
His parents knew of his desire to go out of state and accepted the decision although his mother, Phyllis, mulled over her son's decision to go 5,000 miles from home.
"She was a little hesitant before I signed, then, one day she said 'If this is where you want to be be, I think it's the right place for you.' There was a total blessing from my parents."
It wasn't a big deal for Dartt either, especially with daily contact possible through the Internet. Throw in the fact his parents travel to see him play several times each season, so what's 5,000 miles?
He made a recruiting trip two weeks before the early signing date and was impressed.
"I was kind of in awe with everything. I was in awe of this stadium. I didn't know what to expect and it was so much more than I had expected," Dartt said.
He wants to coach and to do that in Georgia you also have to teach. A math education major, he can graduate in December.
"When I came in I knew what I wanted to do and that was be a high school coach. Now. I'm thinking of the college level. I might pick up a graduate assistant job somewhere," Dartt said.
He'll wrestle with that choice later. Right now he wants to help the 'Bows start winning again.
NOTE: Fans can purchase tickets to Rainbow baseball games at the Stan Sheriff Center ticket office during regular day business hours.
RAINBOW PLAYBOOK
Brigham Young Cougars
Coaches: BYU, Gary Pullins (23rd season, 893-441-6). UH, Les Murakami (29th season, 1,027-527-4).
WAC Standings
Conference Overall Team W L Pct. GB W L Pct. Rice 3 0 1.000 0 18 3 .857 Texas Christian 3 0 1.000 0 8 8 .500 Brigham Young 2 1 .667 1 7 10 .412 Utah 0 0 .000 1-1/2 10 7 .588 Air Force 0 0 .000 1-1/2 9 9 .500 San Diego St. 0 0 .000 1-1/2 9 9 .500 San Jose St. 0 0 .000 1-1/2 8 9 .471 Nevada-V 0 0 .000 1-1/2 6 12 .333 New Mexico 1 2 .333 2 7 11 .389 Hawaii 0 3 .000 3 13 5 .722 Fresno St. 0 3 .000 3 7 11 .389
Oregon State 3, San Jose State 2
Nevada-Las Vegas 7, Loyola Marymount 4
Oklahoma 6, Texas Christian 3
Rice 6, SW Texas State 1
San Jose State 15, Cal State Hayward 2
Texas Tech 16, New Mexico 3
Cal State Fullerton 15, San Diego State 7
Loyola Marymount 20, Nevada-Las Vegas 11
Rice 12, Sam Houston State 9
Brigham Young at Hawaii
Brigham Young at Hawaii
Air Force at Nevada-Las Vegas
New Mexico at San Jose State
Texas Christian at Fresno State
Utah at San Diego State
Brigham Young at Hawaii
Air Force at Nevada-Las Vegas
New Mexico at San Jose State
Texas Christian at Fresno State
Utah at San Diego State
Dallas Baptist at Rice
Air Force at Nevada-Las Vegas
New Mexico at San Jose State
Texas Christian at Fresno State
Utah at San Diego State
Dallas Baptist at Rice
