Wednesday, February 20, 2002
’Bows set to renew The Hawaii vs. Brigham Young baseball rivalry lasted for 19 years until BYU was one of eight schools to exit the Western Athletic Conference following the 1999 season.
rivalry with BYU
The teams will add to their
baseball history in a 3-game seriesBy Al Chase
achase@starbulletin.comLes Murakami and the Rainbows won their first WAC title in 1980 by sweeping the Cougars here, behind the pitching of Chuck Crim and Bryan Duquette.
The Cougars, coached by Gary Pullins, returned the favor the following season when Radford High School graduate Peter Kendrick threw 257 pitches to pitch a complete game and win both ends of the championship doubleheader in Provo, Utah.
The Rainbows have played while snow was falling in Provo, and the Cougars rarely came to town without a Hawaii connection. This year, Iolani graduates Doug Jackson and Kainoa Obrey start for BYU and David 'Boy' Eldredge is in his fourth season as an assistant coach. Eldredge is a Punahou graduate and was behind the plate for Kendrick's effort.
But, things are different this year. Now, both teams are trying to get ready for the upcoming conference season.
The Cougars, as they do every year early in the season, have played all road games and have a 3-10 record. The Rainbows surprised everyone last weekend by sweeping a three-game series with UCLA to even their record at 5-5.
Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso continues to tinker with the starting rotation and will use junior college transfer Chris George as the No. 3 starter against BYU. Bryan Lee and Aaron Pribble will start tomorrow and Friday.
"Chris' stuff dictates that he should be in the starting rotation. He's getting into shape to where we think he can be extended to go five innings," Trapasso said.
When he arrived on campus the day of the alumni game, George hadn't faced a batter since last August. He threw on his own last fall while completing his academic requirements at Cypress College.
"The first time he threw here, he was a little tender," said Trapasso. "It's so different when you are throwing in the bullpen and when you're throwing to hitters. So, we brought him along slow and worked on improving his arm strength.
"He has the makeup of a person who starts. He needs to set the tempo, which he can't do coming out of the bullpen.
"Chris has good fastball command. He needs to relax and use that so he can make use of his breaking pitches."
The Rainbows will try to build on the confidence they gained last week when they whacked the ball around Murakami Stadium at a .398 clip.
What was the difference from the week before against Sacramento State?
"I think they weren't as tentative. We talked before the game on Friday about getting that look back in our eyes the way we were in January," said UH assistant coach Josh Sorge.
"We didn't have that against Florida State and definitely didn't have it against Sacramento State. We just tried to come out and be a little bit more aggressive. It was a situation where we were trying not to get out instead of trying to hit the ball hard.
"We got a lot of good pitches to hit (in the UCLA series), and I think the difference was when we got the good pitches, we actually did something with them. That all just goes to the frame of mind you're in. We know they can hit, but it all starts here," Sorge added, pointing to his head.
Trapasso just wants to see the confidence carry on for the remainder of the season.
"I told the players 'I hope you are starting to realize how good you can be and how good you are.' There should be very few instances when you feel like you are out of a game."
Most of the starting positions have been nailed down. Scooter Martines will stay in left field. This allows Trapasso to use Danny Mocny as the DH. Mocny was in a battle with Lane Nogawa for the second baseman's job, but he won't get it this year, according to Trapasso.
Kevin Gilbride and Tim Montgomery could platoon in right field once Montgomery corrects some technical problems.
"I'd like to get Chad Boudon and Derek Honma more at-bats, but right now we've got a little bit of a numbers problem in the outfield," Trapasso said.
Note: The collegiate career of Rainbows right-handed reliever Ian Jones, who will have surgery on his elbow soon, is finished. The senior redshirted last year with the injury, but the arm did not respond.
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