When Mike Trapasso took over the Hawaii baseball program, he preached what every learned baseball man preaches -- pitching and defense. Defense key for UH
By Jerry Campany
jcampany@starbulletin.comWhile the pitching has not been exactly stellar after 12 games, the fielding has.
Lost in Hawaii's 10-run explosion last night was the Rainbows committed only a single error, one more than they had in the past two games when they played perfect baseball in the field.
"From day one, we have tried to make defense our identity," Trapasso said. "It is our main focus, as a team we can take pride in that."
And it is a relatively new thing around Murakami Stadium, as the Rainbows would have been the worst fielding team in the WAC if it weren't for Hawaii-Hilo. Hawaii made the routine plays only 96 percent of the time last year, while it went into last night's game fielding at a .973 clip.
It's still early, but if that number can hold up for the rest of the season Trapasso will have put his thumbprint on one of the school records he holds most dear -- regular-season team fielding percentage.
Hawaii's best year of fielding came in 1989, when the Rainbows compiled a .9699 percentage.
They have only committed 14 errors in the first 12 games of the season, with six of them coming last Saturday in a win against UCLA.
They have been strongest on the left side of the infield, where shortstop Cortland Wilson and third baseman Brian Cook have graduated from solid performers to defensive stoppers.
"They are making the nonroutine plays," Trapasso said. "That's not what we ask of them, but they are doing both, making the routine plays we expect and the nonroutine plays we don't."
Along with second baseman Lane Nogawa and first baseman Gregg Omori, the starting infield has turned more double plays (10) than has committed errors (9).
Hawaii's lone mistake last night came in an area that has bothered it all season, throwing down to second on a steal attempt. Catcher Brian Bock was forced into his team-leading fifth error when Ranger Weins stole second in the fourth inning. Three of those have come with runners trying to steal, but Trapasso says that it is a team problem rather than all on Bock.
UH Athletics
