Earning the ability to host an NCAA regional last week took a lot of work and a lot of luck. Host BYUH turned heads
By Jerry Campany
jcampany@starbulletin.comKeeping it required even more of both.
The NCAA West regional won by Cal Poly Pomona on Monday almost never was, at least almost never was held in Laie.
During the conference call before the teams left for Hawaii, a few teams expressed concerns about the distance from the tournament hotel in Waikiki to the gymnasium in Laie. They tried to invoke a rule that requires the hotel be within 30 miles of the tournament site, hoping to switch the event to California.
"It was really close, very close to never happening," BYUH athletic director Randy Day said. "The teams were kind of split, but those wanting it moved really wanted it moved."
The Seasiders put the bid in with the nearby Turtle Bay Resort as the tournament hotel, but learned that it was completely booked on one of the four days of the tournament, forcing the school to go with the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki.
Day and coach Ken Wagner closed the distance a little bit by providing bus transportation for each team, holding a banquet and providing guest passes to local tourist attractions.
Day says those are things that he has never seen at a regional tournament, and believes that each of the visiting coaches walked away impressed.
That was almost as important to Hawaii as winning games, as many saw the tournament as a test of Hawaii's ability to pull off the event.
Luckily for the state, one of the most experienced schools in the field earned the right to host.
"Having held the Pearl Harbor Classic for years saved our bacon," Day said. "We just had to dust off our protocols. I did tell Ken that if he is the No. 1 seed next year then I'll quit. The stress of making sure everything goes right is too much."
Foyle falls: BYUH forward Alexus Foyle's bid to become the nation's leading scorer ended with his six-point performance in the Seasiders' first-round loss to Cal State Bakersfield.
Foyle finished his final collegiate season with a scoring average of 26.7, just behind Ron Christy's 27.2 for Teikyo Post. Foyle led Christy -- who was not playing in the tournament -- after the regular season.
Sea Warriors streaking: The Hawaii Pacific baseball team has shaken off a 4-10 start with an eight-game winning streak, outscoring opponents 58-29 since being swept in two games by Hawaii.
The Sea Warriors received their boost from an unlikely source over the stretch, getting 25 innings out of their bullpen and surrendering only two earned runs.
Josh Ervin took the ball five times in the eight games and Brent Erickson came in three times.
Seasiders still around: The Brigham Young-Hawaii softball team beat No. 11 Western New Mexico 1-0 at Laie this week, dealing the Mustangs their first loss of the season. Last year, the Mustangs won every game they played against Oahu schools.
The Seasiders scored the shocker thanks to pitcher Echo Hatch, who is originally from New Mexico and handing the Mustangs their first shutout since last year's national tournament.