CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Hawaii Pacific freshmen Jeffrey Say, Grandon Costa and Brandon Sato are part of a young group of Sea Warriors who will be heavily relied upon this season.
It doesn't sound right. At least not at first. Young and Restless
The Sea Warriors' squad of rookies
is "anxious" to bring home some winsBy Brandon Lee
Special to the Star-BulletinHawaii Pacific baseball coach Allan Sato started his eighth season yesterday with the youngest and most inexperienced team he's ever had. He is starting three freshmen -- most ever -- and three other first-year players in the field, and four of his six starting pitchers and his top reliever are also first-year Sea Warriors.
Still, the HPU skipper is confident that the Sea Warriors are prepared to begin reversing a downward trend of losing seasons in each of the past three years.
Sato concedes that his players are young, but he also believes that they are skilled and tough enough to win right away.
"Defensively, I'm confident we can compete with anybody," said Sato, who has a 133-140-1 career record. "As for pitching, this is the best staff we've ever had.
"We decided to go with the approach of bringing younger guys in here," he added. "Those guys will be thrown to the wolves from Day 1. It's a good way to test a young guy, test his heart. We aren't going to baby these guys."
HPU will continue its season-opening series with Sonoma State with doubleheaders today and tomorrow at Hans L'Orange Park in Waipahu. Next week, a run of six games spread over 12 days against Hawaii-Hilo will start, to be followed by a single game with the University of Hawaii on Feb. 26.
A Division II independent, HPU is coming off an 18-31 season a year ago and 16-17 campaigns in 2000 and 2001. The Sea Warriors will have to cope with life without second baseman Wade Taguchi, who finished his career last season as HPU's career home-run leader (17).
Taking over the pivot for Taguchi will be Saint Louis School's Brandon Sato (5-foot-10, 150 pounds), one of the three freshmen positional starters. The others are third baseman Grandon Costa (5-9, 170), also from the Crusaders, and Geoffrey Say (5-10, 160), of Moanalua High School, in center field.
But "there's no pressure," said Brandon Sato, the coach's nephew. "It's the same as high school -- just go out there and play the game how it's supposed to be played. I'm going to go out there and try my hardest."
The other new starters on defense for the Sea Warriors are juniors Bryan Daguio (shortstop, 6-0, 175), Scott Hunter (left field, 6-0, 180) and Tyler Ward (right field, 6-0, 200) -- all JC transfers. The two returning starters are sophomore Alika Kuraoka (first base, 6-1, 200) and senior Shay Hirota (catcher, 5-8, 165).
In all, 10 freshmen are on the 27-man roster, as well as four sophomores, nine juniors and four seniors. Expected to be among the leaders of the relatively young group is junior Ikaika DuPont (5-9, 170), a team captain and the regular designated hitter, who can also spell Sato at second.
"I'm going to be a team player, support everybody and not hang my head about anything," DuPont said. "All of us are so anxious to get out there and play. We've been counting down the days for the last two weeks."
DuPont began with the Sea Warriors in 2001 as a freshman and enters his third year with the highest returning batting average (.313) and number of home runs (three) from 2002. Other solid numbers from last season include 10 doubles, 31 runs batted in and a .419 on-base percentage.
"I cannot say enough about the leadership of Ikaika DuPont," Allan Sato said. "He has always wanted to be a part of bettering the ballclub each year. He is the true definition of a Sea Warrior."
Offensively, DuPont, Kuraoka and Ward will be relied on for power and likely bat in the heart of the order, but the names in the rest of the nine spots are still being shuffled. Sato says he is not sure how the offense will perform, but that it is loaded with players who can lead off or hit at No. 9, and he will continue adjusting the order until one works well.
Perhaps most bold of all that Sato has said or done this year, however, is his assertion that the 2003 HPU pitching staff is the best since he has been the Sea Warriors' coach. In 1999, HPU finished 20 games above .500 and contended for a postseason bid, but the Sea Warriors' poor pitching since has been among the biggest reasons they haven't come close since.
Looking to better a 7.90 team earned-run average will be starters, in order: Blane Muraoka (left-hander, 5-9, 180, Sr.), David Zamarano (right-hander, 6-3, 190, Jr.), Brent Erickson (right-hander, 6-1, 175, So.), Matt Paulsen (right-hander, 6-0, 180, Jr.), Kai Austin (left-hander, 6-0, 200, Jr.) and Zach Blatties (right-hander, 6-1, 205, Fr.). First out of the bullpen will be freshman Cruz Hatanaka (left-hander, 5-11, 200).
"We had talent (for pitching) in the past, no doubt," Sato said. "But the difference between success and failure is heart. We're just as talented or more than before, but now, (starters Nos.) 1 through 6, our guys come in with fire. The question is always who's going to be the guy who is going to take the ball -- and they all want the ball.
"And the good thing going for this team is chemistry," he added. "These guys hang out together -- they even study together. If there is anything that can get us started on a positive note and on a bit of a roll at the beginning, it's that."
All in the family: Allan and Brandon Sato are not the only family members on the 2003 Sea Warriors. Dean Sato, Allan's brother and Brandon's father, is an assistant coach, and freshman Ikena DuPont joins older brother Ikaika. ... The Sea Warriors will not participate in the Rainbow Tournament this year, but will play another game with Hawaii on March 11 in addition to the Feb. 26 matchup. ... As an HPU player nearly 20 years ago, Allan Sato was the first (1985) and last ('86) Sea Warrior pitcher to beat the Rainbows.
HPU Sports
