Friday, May 18, 2001
[COMMEMORATIVE EDITION]
The following is a list of the milestone victories in Les Murakami's 30 years as head baseball coach at the University of Hawaii.
Murakami finished with an impressive
1,079 victories in 30 seasons, one of the
best records in collegiate baseballBy Al Chase
Star-BulletinHis overall career record and winning percentage at the time of each win is in parentheses.
No. 1:
(1-4-0, .200), March 27, 1972, UH 6, Brigham Young 5. Rich Maltby's RBI single scores pinch-runner Chester Murata with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning. Steve Shinohara is the winning pitcher.
No. 2:
(2-12-0, .143), March 30, 1973. UH 13, Massachusetts 11. Hawaii wins its first game on the mainland, rallying from a 9-2, fifth-inning deficit. Myles Yamamoto has three hits and three RBIs. His RBI single ties the score at 11-11 in the ninth. Later, he steals home for the 13th run of the inning. Jim Dettore and Rich Maltby hit home runs and Rich Hazel earns the victory.
No. 25:
(25-33-0, .431), April 22, 1975, UH 3, Pacific 2 (10 innings). The Rainbows win the first game of a doubleheader, running their winning streak to 11 consecutive games. Greg Bickell's two-run single ties the score in the ninth. Paul Mize singles to deep short in the 10th and scores the winning run on Tom Bhagwat's wind-blown triple to deep right. Riley Mende, with 4 1/3 innings of two-hit relief is the winner. He also won the second game in relief.
No. 50:
(50-48-0, .510), April 2, 1976, UH 5, Spring Arbor College 0. Gerald Ako strikes out 16 batters, including 10 consecutive opponents when he fans the side in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings and gets the leadoff hitter in the ninth, as the 'Bows split a doubleheader.
No. 75:
(75-54-0, .581), March 11, 1977. UH 9, Gonzaga 4. Hawaii overcomes a 4-0 deficit with a six-run, sixth inning on no hits. Gerald Ako pitches a complete game to win his fourth against no losses. The win gives UH a sweep of the series-opening twin bill.
No. 100
: (100-61-0, .621), April 29, 1977. UH 9, Nevada-Las Vegas 3. Rich Olsen pitches a seven-hitter as Hawaii ends a two-game losing streak in their first visit to Las Vegas. Mike Kelly belts a three-run homer and Dean Hall hits a two-run roundtripper.
No. 125:
(125-73-0, .631), April 10, 1978. UH 9, California 1. Freshman Thad Reece is 3-for-3 and Curt Watanabe, Vern Ramie and Derek Tatsuno each have two hits as the Rainbow break out of a prolonged batting slump. Scott Olshane, with relief help from Gene Smith, is the winner.
No. 150:
(150-77-1, .660), February 8, 1979. UH 2, Oregon State 1. Mark Olmos pitches a three-hitter and fans 13 in the first game of a double header. Vern Ramie's sacrifice fly scores Thad Reece with the winning run in sixth.
No. 175:
(175-79-1, .688), March 8, 1979. UH 5, North Carolina 0. Derek Tatsuno fans 11 and Vern Ramie and Curt Watanabe pair hits. Watanabe singles Rick Bass home with the run Tatsuno needs in the first inning.
No. 200:
(200-80-1, .714), April 10, 1979. UH 7, St. Mary's 6. The 'Bows hang on to win their 20th consecutive game as Gene Smith saves the win for Jerry Stovall. Thad Reece goes 3-for-4 with three RBIs. The tying run for the Gaels is called back in ninth when the umpires rule the ball bounced over the center-field wall and off scoreboard back onto the field for a ground-rule double.
No. 225:
(225-94-1, .705), February 29, 1980. UH 3, Oklahoma 2. Chuck Crim fires a seven-hitter at the Sooners and Howard Dashefsky's two-run double in the sixth inning provides the winning runs.
No. 250:
(250-103-1, .708), April 18, 1980. UH 11, San Diego State 4. Eric Tokunaga knocks in three runs with two hits. Howard Dashefsky has two RBIs while Rick Bass goes 3-for-3. Bryan Duquette wins his seventh game of the season.
No. 261:
(261-108-1, .707), May 8, 1980. UH 11, New Mexico 10. Rainbows trail 10-1 in the fourth inning but rally to edge the Lobos on Greg Oniate's two-out, two-run single on a 3-2 pitch that scored Rick Bass and Wade Mauricio in the bottom of the ninth. The first three pitches to Oniate were balls and Murakami kept the "take sign" on until the count went full. Les Kakazu has three hits and three RBIs. The victory lifts UH to its first Western Athletic Conference Southern Division title.
No. 269:
(269-108-1, .713), May 25, 1980. UH 7, Texas 3. Thad Reece's two-run, opposite-field home run ignites a six-run, sixth-inning and his RBI single closes it as the Rainbows upset the host Longhorns in the NCAA Central Regional to earn their only trip to the College World Series. Bryan Duquette picks up the win and Alan Lane finishes the game with two innings of hitless relief.
No. 275:
(275-114-1, .706), February 6, 1981. UH 12, Hawaii-Hilo 4. Thad Reece has four hits and three RBIs in second game of doubleheader at Hilo. Rob Amble collects three hits and Chuck Crim records his first victory after a season-opening loss to the Vulcans that ended his 15-game win streak.
No. 300:
(300-115-1, .722), March 27, 1981. UH 10, Cal State Northridge 7. David Smith wins his sixth game with 2 2/3 innings of hitless relief as the 'Bows capture the Easter Tournament title with an 8-0 mark. Howard Dashefsky hits a grand slam in the first inning. Greg Vasquez's sacrifice fly scores Jay Erdahl with winning run in seventh.
No. 325:
(325-126-1, .720), February 6, 1982. UH 7, Hawaii-Hilo 1. Ross Hayashi allows three hits in six innings of work to gain the win. Peter Ho goes 3-for-4. Greg Vasquez has two RBIs as the 'Bows win the opener of a twin bill at Hilo.
No. 350:
(350-134-1, .723), April 4, 1982. UH 9, Pacific Lutheran 2. Dan Penner pitches two-hit ball for seven innings in second game of the doubleheader. Lance Belen, Larry O'Connor and Howard Dashefsky pair hits.
No. 375:
(375-141-1, .726), May 14, 1982. UH 5, Nevada-Las Vegas 0. Bruce Walton allows two hits over six innings, improving his record to 9-0. Les Kakazu hits two-run homer in the fifth inning in the opener of a twin bill at Aloha Stadium.
No. 400:
(400-147-1, .731), March 17, 1983. UH 12, Wichita State 9. The No. 9-ranked Rainbows win a walk-a-thon from the No. 2-rated Shockers (15 free passes issued by WSU pitchers, 10 by UH hurlers). Glenn Braggs knocks in two runs with two hits and Bruce Walton ups his record to 6-0, his 15th consecutive victory over two years.
No. 425:
(425-158-1, .729), May 7, 1983. UH 9, San Diego State 5. Greg Oniate has three hits and two RBIs while Randy Inaba is 2-for-2 with two RBIs. Ross Hayashi wins in relief. Aztecs clinch Southern Division crown in second game.
No. 450:
(450-175-2, .719), March 30, 1984. UH 4, Lewis-Clark State 2. Joel Lono scatters 12 hits as 'Bows win final game of the Easter Tournament to break even at 3-3. Cano Garcia has two RBIs.
No. 475:
(475-183-2, .721), May 19, 1984. UH 5, San Diego State 4. Greg Burlingame pitches a complete game as Hawaii wins its third WAC championship in four years. Kahai Shishido hits a home run and has two RBIs. Mario Monico pairs hits.
No. 500:
(500-194-2, .720), March 16, 1985. UH 6, Murray State 5. Todd Crosby singles with one out and Mario Monico follows with a triple of left-center field to score the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Mike Campbell fans 10 Thoroughbreds to win his fifth game of the season in the seven-inning opener of a doubleheader.
No. 525:
(525-214-2, .710), May 4, 1985. UH 6, San Diego State 1. Greg Burlingame and Bruce Walton combine on a six-hitter in the second game of a doubleheader sweep. Mark Hadama knocks in two runs with a single and sacrifice fly.
No. 550:
(550-223-2, .711), March 21, 1986. UH 9, Hawaii Pacific 1. Nelson Inabata, Larry Gonzales, Randy Oyama and Markus Owens all pair hits in UH's Easter Tournament opener. Mark Furtak picks up the victory.
No. 575:
(575-238-2, .707). May 23, 1986. UH 8, UC-Santa Barbara 6. Todd Crosby is 3-for-5 and Dan Nyssen hits a three-run homer in the third. Mike Ponio wins his ninth game of the season with relief help from Joey Vierra as the 'Bows go to 2-0 in NCAA West Regional at UCLA.
No. 600:
(600-256-2, .700), April 11, 1987. UH 15, Colorado State 0. Five Hawaii pitchers combine for a three-hitter as the Rainbows sweep the four-game series. Steve Morris contributes three RBIs, Markus Owens hits a home run and Dan Nyssen is 3-for-3.
No. 625:
(625-260-2, .706), February 13, 1988. UH 5, Stanford 4. Rich Kibitz walks on a 3-1 pitch with the bases loaded to force home Randy Oyama with the winning run in the bottom of the 10th. Catcher Larry Gonzales makes his first appearance on the mound and pitches the top of the 10th to earn the victory.
No. 650:
(650-273-2, .704), April 17, 1988. UH 8, Utah 7 (10 innings). Steve Oaten, benched to start the game, enters in the sixth inning and singles twice. His blood hit behind first base in the 10th scores John Mattes who tripled to open the inning. Norman Holt is credited with the win in relief.
No. 675:
(675-292-3, .697), March 25, 1989. UH 6, Fordham 2. Jeff Ball gets credit for his first collegiate victory with 3 1/3 innings of hitless relief. Todd Takayoshi's two-out, two-run double off the wall in right-center field broke a 2-2 tie in the seventh.
No. 700:
(700-305-3, .696), May 20, 1989. UH 8, Brigham Young 2. Jeff Vierra pitches a complete game victory as Rainbows come back through the losers' bracket to win the WAC championship. Ross Kagawa's three-run homer to left in the third inning ignited UH. Brian Hart was 3-for-3.
No. 725:
(725-324-4, .690), April 15, 1990. UH 7, Colorado State 3. Jon Viela, Randy Vollmer and Dwayne Daughtry all have two hits. Vollmer and Todd Takayoshi have two RBIs as Scott Karl wins the first game of a doubleheader. Levon Largusa pitches a seven-inning no-hitter in the second game.
No. 750:
(750-335-4, .691), March 8, 1991. UH 14, Murray State 7. Left-hander Bill Blanchette scatters 13 hits to win his fifth game without a defeat. Five 'Bows pair hits with Chris Dugger, Todd Takayoshi and Tim Albert contributing two RBIs apiece.
No. 775:
(775-339-4, .695), April 21, 1991. UH 7, Grand Canyon 5. Tyler Cheff and Erik Evans each knock in two runs and Rainbows survive a four-run ninth by Grand Canyon. Brady Perreira improves his record to 6-0.
No. 800:
(800-354-4, .693), March, 7, 1992. UH 11, Washington 3. Kevin Curtis is 3-for-4 with two RBIs as the Rainbows scored the first eight runs in the fourth (3) and fifth (5) innings after two were out. The 14th consecutive sellout includes the one-millionth fan to enter Rainbow Stadium. Right-hander Brady Perreira is the winning pitcher,
No. 825:
(825-360-4, .696), May 3, 1992. UH 6, San Diego State 4. Scott Craven is 3-for-3, including a homer, and has 3 RBIs. Levon Largusa gets the victory with relief help from Craig Tucker in the first game of a doubleheader at San Diego.
No. 850:
(850-374-4, .694), March 7, 1993. UH 11, Illinois 5. Kenny Harrison belts two home runs and knocks in five runs as UH salvages the finale of a three-game series. Ryan Fujitani has three RBIs and Corey Ishigo is 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Matt Apana improves to 6-0.
No. 875:
(875-388-4, .692), January 29, 1994. UH 6, California 3. Kirk Taguchi's sacrifice fly ties the score at 3-3 in the fifth. He doubles home two insurance runs in the eighth. Roger Mills earned the win with Andrew McNally picking up the save.
No. 900:
(900-417-4, .683), January 21, 1995. UH 9, UCLA 8. Corey Ishigo draws a bases-loaded walk to force home Robert Medeiros with the winning run in the 12th inning. Mark Johnson earns the win with five innings of relief. Jody Napuunoa is 3-for-6 and scores twice.
No. 925:
(925-435-4, .680), April 23, 1995. UH 5, Fresno State 3. Mark Johnson pitches a complete game and the 'Bows rally for four runs in the seventh. Chris Garnett's single scores Robert Medeiros and Jaime Ahu with the final two runs.
No. 950:
(950-466-4, .670), March 28, 1996. UH 4, Wright State 1. Daven Hermosura makes his long-awaited debut and pitches a six-hit, complete game with one walk and seven strikeouts. Robert Medeiros goes 3-for-4 with three RBIs.
No. 975:
(975-495-4, .663), April 20, 1997. UH 7, San Jose State 2. Darren Blakely and Michael Dartt each knock in two runs in support of Andrew McNally's four-hit pitching over eight innings.
No. 1,000:
(1000-511-4, .661), March 22, 1998, UH 6, Fresno State 5: Randon Ho pitched into the eighth inning before Jamie Aloy, the third reliever in the inning, threw an inning-ending double-play ball to halt the FSU rally. Darren Blakely had two RBIs and hit his third home run of the season. Kramer Aoki, Matt Wheeler, Scott Chan and Joe Whitsett also knocked in runs.
No. 1,025:
(1025-524-4, .661), February 19, 1999, UH 4, Wichita State 2: The Rainbows, ranked No. 25 won the opener of what became a three-game series sweep of the No. 2 Shockers by scoring twice on WSU errors and Michael Dartt's two-run single. Jamie Aloy got the win with an inning of no-hit relief each from Gavin Garrick, Ian Jones and Rich Snider.
No. 1050:
(1050-540-4, .660), May 15, 1999, UH 4, New Mexico 2: The Rainbows scored three runs in the sixth inning after two were out to break a 3-3 tie. Michael Dartt doubled down the right-field line scoring Corey Miller, Lane Nogawa and Sean Takamori. Dusty Bergman got the win with two innings of hitless relief from Randon Ho. The win clinched a Western Athletic Conference tournament berth for the Rainbows.
No. 1075:
(1075-569-4, .654), May 5, 2000, UH 15, Hawaii-Hilo 4: The Rainbows scored five runs in the eighth inning and seven more in the ninth to break open a close game. Patrick Scalabrini tripled, homered and drove in four runs. Kenn Wakakuwa and Aaron Pribble each had three RBIs. Jamie Aloy got the win with relief help from Grant Sato and Bryan Lee.
No. 1079:
(1,079-569-4, .654), May 13, 2000 (UH 9, Hawaii-Hilo 6): Randon Ho picks up the victory and Sean Yamashita the save as the Rainbows take an early lead, then answer with more runs every time the Vulcans draw close. Nate Jackson, Kenn Wakakuwa and Aaron Pribble each have two RBIs while Darin Baker goes 3-for-4.
UH Athletics
Ka Leo O Hawaii
