Rainbows hoping for The 27th Ohana Hotels & Resorts Rainbow Easter Tournament at Murakami Stadium begins tomorrow and runs through next Sunday.
a good time this Easter
Hawaii hosts the Easter
The teams
tournament for the 27th time
Spartans beat 'BowsBy Al Chase
achase@starbulletin.comThere are three games daily starting at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6:35 p.m. It's heaven for the baseball junkie, a reason for the pro scouts to spend a week here checking the collegiate and prep talent and a good time for the parents of mainland players to enjoy the friendship and hospitality of local families.
The champion this year will be crowned based on standings. The format has the teams playing a single round robin with the team compiling the best record taking home the championship trophy.
The three local collegiate baseball teams, the host Hawaii Rainbows, Hawaii-Hilo Vulcans and Hawaii Pacific Sea Warriors, are joined in the tournament field by the San Jose State Spartans, the Lewis-Clark State Warriors, the UC Riverside Highlanders and the Birmingham-Southern Panthers.
Last year the tournament was separated into two divisions, with Lewis-Clark State and UC Santa Barbara winning titles.
Ed Cheff's Warriors also won in 2000, 1988 and 1984. Hawaii has won 11 championships in the tournament, which has been played every year since 1975 with the exception of 1982.
The Panthers, who are in their first season as an NCAA Division I program, and the Warriors know each other well. They battled for the NAIA World Series title last year at LC State's Harris Field, with the Panthers beating the Warriors twice in the tournament, including an 8-3 victory in the final, to exit the NAIA as the No. 1 team.
The Panthers, members of the Big South Conference, come here with a seven-game losing streak that follows a 12-game winning streak. That came soon after they opened the season by losing two one-run games and a two-run game to then-No. 5 Louisiana State.
The Vulcans, making their 10th appearance in the tournament, have been off for a week since their stunning four-game sweep of the visiting 'Bows. Starting here, Hilo concludes its season with 15 road games.
If coach Mike Trapasso needs to experiment further, the tournament offers that opportunity. Otherwise, the UH staff will look for consistent play from the designated starters, who will be counted on to carry the load the remainder of the season.
After hosting Nevada the week after the tournament, the 'Bows play 15 of their last 21 games on the road.
The Sea Warriors fashioned an 11-game winning streak in February, but are just 3-7 in March.
"We're hovering around that .500 mark that everyone seems to live and die by," said HPU coach Allan Sato.
The Sea Warriors are hitting .292, but their earned run average is 7.38 although Sato said his pitching staff has improved since the start of the season.
Lewis-Clark State, 11-time NAIA national champion and ranked No. 1 in the latest NAIA poll, has posted a 56-36 record in this tournament and usually is in contention for the title.
The Highlanders had defeated Michigan, Oklahoma and Washington each twice before getting swept in a three-game series by Long Beach State last weekend.
UC Riverside and Birmingham-Southern are appearing in the tournament for the first time.
The records and statistics are through Friday's games for the 'Bows and Spartans, who played last night and play again today at 1:05 p.m., and the Warriors, who played Albertson in Seattle yesterday.
BACK TO TOP
|
BIRMINGHAM-SOUTHERN
2002 record: 13-11
Coach: Brian Shoop (523-222, 13th season)
Players to watch: Infielder Connor Robertson, .409 average, 8 home runs, 33 RBIs; outfielder Michael Cline, .357; outfielder Adam Pease, .327, 23 RBIs, 10-for-10 in stolen bases; right-hander Jon Renfro, 3-1, 3.07 earned run average, 29 strikeouts.
HAWAII
2002 record: 8-16 (through Friday)
Coach: Mike Trapasso (8-16, first season)
Players to watch: Third baseman Brent Cook, .375, 11-for-12 stolen bases; Lane Nogawa, .344, 8 doubles; Scooter Martines, .330, 15 RBIs; Will Quaglieri, 2-2, 3.60, 29 strikeouts.
HAWAII-HILO
2002 record: 8-25-1
Coach: Joey Estrella (513-603-4, 26th season)
Players to watch: Center fielder Kaliko Oligo, .350; right fielder Darren Chu, first baseman Keola Park and third baseman Johnny Dudoit, all with 15 RBIs; left-hander Jason Castro, 2-3, 5.66 ERA, reliever Joel Zimmerman, 1-1, 4.21 ERA.
HAWAII PACIFIC
2002 record: 17-16
Coach: Allan Sato (132-125-1, 7th season)
Players to watch: Right-hander Brandon Kahale, 4-0, 5.46 ERA; second baseman Wade Taguchi, .400, 6 HR, 32 RBI; infielder Nicholas Longpre, .350; center fielder T.C. Everett, .345.
LEWIS-CLARK STATE
2002 record: 16-6
Coach: Ed Cheff (1,282-348-2, 26th season)
Players to watch: Outfielder Tory Haven, .429; second baseman Micah Furtado, .429; first baseman Zeph Zinsman, 8 HR; outfielder Mark Gallagher, 30 RBIs; right-hander Andy Torres, 4-0, 2.43 ERA.
SAN JOSE STATE
2002 record: 17-9 (play UH today)
Coach: Sam Piraro (508-376-4, 16th season)
Players to watch: Catcher Adam Shorsher, .354, 10 HR, 27 RBIs; second baseman Gabe Lopez, .356, 30 RBIs; designated hitter Hector Zamora, .371, 24 RBIs; left-hander Jahseam George, 4-0, 3.31 ERA, 29 strikeouts.
UC RIVERSIDE
2002 record: 15-10
Coach: Jack Smitheran (1,008-711-3, 33rd season)
Players to watch: Outfielder Tim Faulkner, .404; third baseman Tony Festa, .388; catcher Jimmy Anderson, .316, 6 HR, 25 RBIs; right-hander Chris Smith, 4-3, 2.37 ERA, 45 strikeouts.
Tomorrow Tournament schedule
Lewis-Clark State vs. Birmingham-Southern, 10 a.m.; San Jose State vs. UC Riverside, 2 p.m.; Hawaii Pacific vs. Hawaii-Hilo, 6:35 p.m.Tuesday
San Jose State vs. Hawaii Pacific, 10 a.m.; Hawaii-Hilo vs. Lewis-Clark State, 2 p.m.; Birmingham-Southern vs, Hawaii, 6:35 p.m.Wednesday
Hawaii-Hilo vs. San Jose State, 10 a.m.; Lewis-Clark State vs. Hawaii Pacific, 2 p.m.; Hawaii vs. UC Riverside, 6:35 p.m.Thursday
Hawaii Pacific vs. Birmingham-Southern, 10 a.m.; UC Riverside vs. Hawaii-Hilo, 2 p.m.; San Jose State vs. Hawaii, 6:35 p.m.Friday
UC Riverside vs. Lewis-Clark State, 10 a.m.; Birmingham-Southern vs. San Jose State, 2 p.m.; Hawaii vs. Hawaii Pacific, 6:35 p.m.Saturday
Lewis-Clark State vs. San Jose State, 10 a.m.; Birmingham-Southern vs. UC Riverside, 2 p.m.; Hawaii vs, Hawaii-Hilo, 6:35 p.m.Sunday
UC Riverside vs. Hawaii Pacific, 10 a.m.; Hawaii-Hilo vs. Birmingham-Southern, 2 p.m.; Hawaii vs. Lewis-Clark State, 6:35 p.m.
BACK TO TOP
|
The San Jose State Spartans exploded for 17 hits to defeat the Hawaii Rainbows 11-7 in a Western Athletic Conference baseball game at Murakami Stadium last night. Quaglieri comes down
By Al Chase
achase@starbulletin.comThe Spartans ruined sophomore Will Quaglieri's first collegiate starting assignment for UH by tagging the right-hander for 12 hits and seven runs in 4 1/3 innings.
The Hawaii defense also suffered, making one error in SJSU's three-run second and two miscues in the Spartans' seven-run fifth when they manufactured an 11-1 lead. Conversely, the Spartan infielders made several outstanding plays with diving stops to take hits away from the 'Bows.
The Rainbows did give the 1,734 fans something to cheer about when they responded with five runs in the sixth inning and an unearned run in the eighth, but SJSU relievers Andy Cook and Michael Malott held UH in check the remainder of the game.
"We didn't play fearless early in the game and our defense let us down," said UH coach Mike Trapasso. "It's the add-on runs that beat us. We started feeling sorry for ourselves hoping to get out of the fifth inning. The mark of a good team is to shut an opponent down after they've got the runs they've earned.
"The secondhalf of the game we played like we did Friday night, but sometimes it's easy to play fearless when you're down 10 runs."
After retiring the Spartans on three ground balls in the first inning, Quaglieri was touched for three runs in the second with one down.
Consecutive doubles to left field by Ryan Adams and Adam Shorsher brought in the first run. With two outs, Nathan Corrick beat out an infield single toward second base. However, Lane Nogawa's throw to first was wild, allowing Shorsher to score and Corrick to take second. Travis Becktel took a strike, then lined a run-scoring single to center.
The Rainbows got one run back in the third inning when Kevin Gilbride lined a single to right and scored when Brian Bock doubled high off the left-field wall.
San Jose State regained the three-run advantage in the top of the fourth when Shorsher doubled down the left field line, continued to third when Derek Honma bobbled the ball in the corner and scored on Bryan Baker's double to left-center field.
The game then turned into a laugher when the Spartans scored seven runs in the fifth to take an 11-1 lead.
"I was using too much offspeed and they made the adjustment from the night before. I should have used my fastball more," said Quaglieri. "In the fifth, things just didn't go my way and I came inside too many times on the guy (Adams) who got the double."
Hawaii finally got to SJSU starter Jahseam George in the sixth inning when the first six 'Bows reached base safely, sending the senior left-hander to the showers. An unearned run in the eighth brought UH to the final margin.
WAC standings
Conference Overall W L Pct. GB W L Pct. Rice 5 0 1.000 -- 22 4 .846 Fresno St. 4 1 .800 1 16 12 .571 San Jose St. 4 4 .500 2 1/2 18 9 .667 Hawaii 1 4 .200 4 8 17 .320 Louisiana Tech 1 4 .200 4 13 13 .500 Nevada 0 2 .000 3 1/2 11 13 .458 Yesterday
San Jose State 11, Hawaii 7
Fresno State 2, Louisiana Tech 0
Rice 7, Nevada 2
Today
San Jose State at Hawaii, 1:05 p.m.
Fresno State at Louisiana Tech
Nevada at Rice
San Jose State 11, Hawaii 7
SJSU (18-9) AB R H BI Hawaii (8-17) AB R H BI Becktel rf 6 1 2 1 Guillen cf 5 0 0 0 Quintero cf 4 1 0 1 Cook 3b 3 1 2 0 Lopez 2b 5 0 2 2 Nogawa 2b 5 1 1 0 Zamora 3b 4 1 1 1 Martines dh 5 1 1 0 King 1b 4 1 2 0 Honma lf 2 0 1 0 Bergstrom 1b 1 0 0 0 Boudon ph/lf 3 1 1 1 Adams ss 5 2 2 2 Wilson ss 2 0 0 0 Shorsher c 5 2 3 1 Carlson ss 3 1 0 1 Baker dh 5 1 3 1 Omori 1b 4 0 2 2 Corrick lf 5 2 3 0 Gilbride rf 2 1 1 0 Mongmry ph/rf 1 1 1 1 Bock c 3 0 1 1 Totals 44 11 18 9 Total 38 7 11 6 San Jose State 030 170 000 -- 11 18 3 Hawaii 001 005 010 -- 7 11 4 E -- King, Adams, Shorsher, Nogawa, Honma, WIlson, Gilbride. DP -- SJSU 1, Hawaii 1. LOB -- SJSU 8, Hawaii 8. 2B -- Adams 2, Shorsher 2, Baker, Omori, Bock. CS -- Becktel. SF -- Montgomery.
San Jose State IP H R ER BB SO George (W, 5-0) 5.0 10 6 5 0 3 Cook 1.0 0 0 0 2 1 Malott 3.0 1 1 0 1 2 Hawaii IP H R ER BB SO Quaglieri (L, 2-3) 4.1 12 7 6 0 1 Bauer 4.2 6 4 3 1 5 George faced 6 batters in the 6th.
BK -- Quaglieri. HBP-- by Bauer (Zamora). Umpires -- Montalbo (plate), Bayne (first), Garman (third).
T--3:15. A--1,734.
UH Athletics
