[ RAINBOW BASEBALL ]
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
The Hawaii right-hander Ricky Bauer went 3-2 in the Cape Cod League.
’Bows hone skills
in summer leagues
A number of returning Hawaii Rainbow baseball players spent the summer working on their game in leagues from Alaska to Massachusetts.
Ricky Bauer went cross country to pitch for the Brewster Whitecaps in the Cape Cod League. The right-hander compiled a 3-2 record with a 3.66 earned run average in 51 2/3 innings to help Brewster finish in a tie for first place in the Eastern Division.
"It was pleasant up there and I enjoyed it," said Bauer. "I was a little rusty my first start and it took a while to get back in the swing of things."
Bauer pitched the game that clinched a playoff berth for the Whitecaps.
Guy McDowell pitched for the El Dorado (Kan.) Broncos in the Jayhawk League, a team that just finished seventh in the National Baseball Congress tournament in Wichita, Kan. The right-hander started one game, but the remainder of his two-month stay was spent as a setup man.
"I was doing real well but came home early because of a little tendinitis in my arm. It's nothing serious and I'll be ready for fall practice," said McDowell. "Kansas is flat and hot and I'm not saying anything bad about the place because I really enjoyed the experience. I'm glad I went."
Matt Inouye and Keahi Rawlins played in the Alaska Baseball League for the Mat-Su Miners and Anchorage Bucs, respectively.
Inouye did double duty as a catcher and outfielder for the Miners, who finished 23-24. He played in 45 games, hitting .247 (38-for-154) with nine doubles, three triples, a home run and a team-leading 25 RBIs.
"Considering 24-hour daylight and the coldness compared to here, it was all right. I would do it again in a heartbeat," said Inouye. "The experience was really good. It made me realize how many good ballplayers there are in this country. There were pitchers who were Saturday or Sunday pitchers (collegiate No. 2 and No. 3 starters) throwing every game."
Rawlins, a right-hander, started two of the 10 games he appeared in for the Bucs and finished with a 1-1 record and a 6.87 ERA.
First baseman Andrew Sansaver put up excellent numbers for the Salinas Packers in the California Coastal League. In 40 games, he hit .381, going 43-for-113 at the plate.
Also in the CCL, second baseman Isaac Omura hit .294 for the Santa Barbara Foresters with nine doubles, a triple and one home run. However, Omura hit .341 with runners on base and was 5-for-7 (.714) with a runner on third and fewer than two outs.
The Foresters won the league title with a 23-5 record, were 44-8-1 overall and qualified for the NBC tournament. They battled through the loser's bracket to reach tonight's championship game against Taipei. Last night, the Foresters beat the Wichita (Kan.) Braves 6-2.
Catcher Steve Bell-Irving had a great summer playing for the Wenatchee (Wash.) Apple Sox in the Pacific International League. He was 25-for-60 (.417) at the plate with eight doubles, three homers and 25 RBIs.
Clary Carlsen pitched in the same league for the Seattle Studs. He had a 3-3 record with a 5.87 ERA.
Two Rainbows, left fielder Jaziel Mendoza and shortstop Brian Finegan, decided to rest this summer due to injuries. Infielder Shafer Magana opted for summer school.
Mendoza, who missed a month of action during the 2003 season with a stress fracture of the fibula in his right leg, wanted to strengthen the leg in preparation for the coming season.
Finegan was sidelined by inflammation in his right arm and was advised to rest by doctors.
