DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
UH recruit Kaimi Mead went 5-1 for Roosevelt with a 0.78 earned run average this past season.
Rainbows carry control
over to recruiting class
Fourteen of the 15 recruits who have signed to play baseball for the Hawaii Rainbows this fall compiled excellent statistical resumes for their high school and junior college teams this spring.
The unfortunate exception was Jonathan Serapion, a right-hander from Pearl City who broke his right ankle sliding into second base during a preseason game and saw little action for the Chargers this year.
He was an OIA all-star his junior year and also was selected to the Hawaii Select baseball team last summer.
Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso announced the signing of his 15th recruit yesterday. He is Darrell Fisherbaugh, a right-hander from San Marin High in Novato, Calif.
Fisherbaugh helped his team to the upcoming North Coast championship game with a 12-2 record and 0.64 earned run average. In 122 innings, he has struck out 119 and walked 32 so far this year.
Brandon Bailey played the outfield for Sacramento City College, which won its third consecutive Golden Valley Conference title this year. Bailey hit .292 with nine doubles, five triples, six home runs and 39 runs batted in. He was among the conference leaders with a .562 slugging percentage.
Mark Rodrigues, a left-hander, compiled a 6-5 record for Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, Calif. Rodrigues had a 3.10 earned run average, walked 34 and fanned 71 in 95 2/3 innings. The Kauai High School product was named to the Bay Valley West All-Conference team this year.
Evan MacLane, a left-handed pitcher for Feather River Community College, had a 13-2 record with a 2.21 ERA a year ago. He led the state in wins and was an all-conference and All-Northern California pick.
This year he was named Golden Valley Conference Player of the Year. MacLane was 11-1 with a 1.31 ERA going to the California junior college final four. In 102 2/3 innings, he had 105 strikeouts and just 14 walks.
Stephen Bryant, Feather River's No. 2 starter, posted a 7-2 record with a 2.93 ERA entering the final four of the California junior college playoffs. The right-hander struck out 67 and walked 22 in 61 1/3 innings.
Nate Thurber is a right-hand hitting outfielder at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Junior College. The Hespeia, Calif., resident led the Golden Norsemen with a .422 batting average. He had 19 home runs, 59 RBIs, 61 runs scored and 140 total bases.
Andrew Castillo, a slick-fielding middle infielder from Cerritos College, finished the season with a .243 batting average and was successful in 16 of 18 stolen base attempts.
Steven Wright, a right-handed pitcher and third baseman, had a tremendous senior season for Valley View High School in Moreno Valley, Calif. His batting average was .481 with 18 doubles and six home runs in 26 games for the Eagles. On the mound, he posted a 9-0 record in 10 appearances. Wright walked 10 and struck out 90 in 60 innings and finished with a 1.05 ERA.
His coach, Matt Davis, expects Wright to be named Riverside County Player of the Year and be a first-team All-California Interscholastic Federation pick. He already has been honored as most valuable player in Valley View's conference, the Ivy League.
Matthew Buck, a 6-foot-2 left-handed pitcher, is a two-time honorable mention, all-conference player for Cactus Shadows High School in Cave Creek, Ariz.
"Matt had a great season for us, never had a bad outing," said Cactus Shadows coach Tom Scala. "The thing I liked most, the thing we worked on most was his location. He threw three pitches -- cut fastball, change-up and slider -- for strikes.
Buck compiled a 7-2 record with a 1.26 ERA. Both defeats, by 4-2 scores, were in games the opponent managed three unearned runs. He struck out 58 in 55 2/3 innings.
Travis Denker, an infielder from Brea Olinda High in Fullerton, Calif., earned All-CIF and all-state honors in 2002. He followed up this year by hitting .425 on 34 hits in 80 at-bats and only fanned five times. Denker had good power stats, with 11 doubles and a like number of home runs, knocked in 22 runs and had a .975 slugging percentage.
He was named to the All-Century League first team and awaits word on whether he repeats as an All-CIF and all-state member.
Derek Dupree, an outfielder from Shorecrest (Wash.) High School, batted .433 this year with seven doubles, a triple, six homers and 20 RBIs. He had a .493 on base percentage and a .883 slugging percentage. Dupree was recently named to the All-WESCO first team for the third consecutive year.
"Derek batted third for us the last two years, but with his speed and ability to get on base, he bounced between the number one and two spots this year," said Shorecrest coach Brett Medalia.
Kaimi Mead, a left-handed pitcher, helped the Roosevelt Rough Riders gain a berth in this year's state tournament. He fanned 14 opponents in three different games and fashioned a 0.78 earned run average to go with his 5-1 record.
Kala Ka'aihue, a catcher from Iolani, concluded his career with the Raiders by hitting .408. He had 10 doubles, a triple, four homers and 22 RBIs. He also drew 20 walks.
Jeffrey Pry Jr. did not pitch as much as he would have liked because of inclement weather in Portland, Ore., and a tired arm, but he still had a 0.57 ERA, a 1-1 record and an average of two strikeouts per inning for Franklin High.
He was a Portland Interscholastic League first-team pick and hit .620 while playing the outfield, a state record, according to Pry.
