The Hawaii-Hilo baseball team has struggled this season, its last in the Western Athletic Conference. UH-Hilo baseball team
By Brandon Lee
clings to Division I status
Special to the Star-BulletinBut Vulcans coach Joey Estrella and athletic director Kathleen McNally are looking forward to continuing the program as an NCAA Division I independent, at least for next year.
An affiliate member of the WAC, baseball is the only one of nine Vulcans sports (five men's and four women's) competing at the D-I level. The others are D-II programs, most of which compete in the Pacific West Conference, which does not sponsor baseball.
At the start of the season, the future of the baseball program after this year was uncertain. Estrella has since been able to secure a representative D-I schedule for next season and received McNally's support to continue the program as an independent.
Estrella's biggest obstacles are shared with other teams going the independent route: Difficulties in scheduling competition (especially in Hawaii) and increased institutional costs. Another is recruiting.
Independent players do not share the same visibility as league players, as they are ineligible for conference all-star or weekly honors.
"Definitely in 2002 (Division I status), but in 2003 we're not sure," Estrella said. "We want to compete as a Division I independent if we can continue to afford it and develop a good schedule, 40-50 games a year.
"For recruiting, we're hoping to get kids more interested in the competition we schedule than league play in particular."
"The situation with baseball is status quo, just not in the WAC," said McNally. "We want to stay as long as we can as a Division I program."
McNally said that she, Estrella and other athletic department staff and coaches will later conduct a feasibility study to reevaluate the future of the baseball team. She said that every Hawaii-Hilo sport will be scrutinized for the advancement of its student-athletes.
Although the desire is to keep the program at D-I, Estrella has considered D-II options, particularly for the 2003 season. Hawaii Pacific operates as a D-II baseball independent, and Estrella said the two schools, along with some NAIA schools in the Pacific Northwest, could look at forming a D-II league.
For now, however, Estrella and his players are focused on closing out on a positive note in what so far has been a disappointing season. The Vulcans are 5-26 overall, 3-16 in the WAC. They have 19 games left, 17 of those conference games.
"We've basically set some team goals to achieve some positive things in the remaining games." Estrella said. "I can say that I've never had a team go out and play as hard as these guys, and it's been frustrating as coach for these guys when they are not getting the results for their effort. But I feel there is a good future for the team, especially the younger guys."
Up next for Hilo is a three-game series at home against Fresno State beginning tonight.
Tonight and tomorrow's games are at 6 p.m., and the series finale is Saturday at 11 a.m.