[ RAINBOW BASEBALL ]
Fisherbaugh fitting
in well as a closerThe former starter has adapted
to a new role by holding opponents
to a .169 batting average
Darrell Fisherbaugh had no idea what role he might fill on the Hawaii pitching staff when he committed to the Rainbow baseball team last spring.
The freshman right-hander was a starting pitcher for three years in high school, but the UH coaches wanted to see what kind of transition he would make jumping to NCAA Division I. They observed Fisherbaugh during fall practice and checked to see how ready he was when spring practice began in January.
Back then, the plan was for Clary Carlsen to continue as the closer. But with Mark Rodrigues lost for the season and a couple of other potential starters not ready, Carlsen joined the rotation.
Fisherbaugh files
Name: Darrell FisherbaughLikes: Bowling and playing poker
Favorite movie: "The Big Lebowski"
Favorite athlete: Curt Schilling
Biggest athletic thrill: Throwing two no-hitters in high school
Quote: "My dad (Daniel) taught me everything I know about baseball except what I've learned here."
That gave Fisherbaugh the opportunity to close, something he felt the coaches thought about in the fall.
"When we had intrasquad games in the fall, they had me working three innings, not five like some of the starters," Fisherbaugh said. "They wanted to see if I could come back. More recently, they have worked me to see if I can come back on back-to-back days."
He earned saves in the First Hawaii Title Rainbow Baseball Tournament against the Citadel and Oregon State in the championship game and saved the win at Rice.
"The tournament was really decisive in making him the closer," UH pitching coach Chad Konishi said. "Every time prior to that, he did a nice job.
"Darrell struggled a little in the fall. He could not throw his fastball for strikes, but he had really good stuff. I think the thing we knew about Darrell in the fall was he was very resilient arm-wise. His biggest growth has come in his composure. In the fall he would throw one bad pitch and blow up. Now when he takes the mound he is more under control."
Fisherbaugh said he would get overanxious and try to do too much earlier in the season, but that has changed.
"I've been trying to compose myself and just do what I can do to help the team," he said.
What he has done is strike out 31 opposing batters in 21 2/3 innings while issuing just eight walks and allowing 13 hits. He complements his fastball with a slider and a changeup that acts almost like a split-finger. Opponents are hitting .169 against Fisherbaugh.
He also was recruited by UC San Diego, San Francisco and St. Mary's, whose football coach wanted him to be the Gaels' long snapper. Unlike most recruits, Fisherbaugh did not take any official campus visits.
"I just didn't feel they were necessary. I pretty much had my mind made up to come to Hawaii," Fisherbaugh said. "My grandmother lived on the Big Island for a while and I visited her until I was 8. I just love it here."
When the Rainbows played a nonconference game at Sacramento State last April 30, Fisherbaugh pitched a two-hitter for San Marin (Novato, Calif.) High School, then drove to Sacramento State to meet with the UH coaches.
"I had talked with Coach K before. I really liked the rest of the coaches when I met them. We talked after the game, then I drove back home," said Fisherbaugh, who sent his letter of intent to UH two weeks later.
Fisherbaugh now demonstrates he is resilient when he has to forget a bad outing.
"He has the perfect makeup to close, in that he is a guy who can handle adversity and battle through failure," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "That is what you have to have as a closer because if you have a bad outing, you lose the game. Darrell is capable of just shaking that off and moving on."
Notes: Rainbow recruit Joe Spiers, a shortstop for Moreno Valley Canyon Springs (Calif.) High School, tied the California prep record by hitting in his 43rd consecutive game Wednesday. He can break the record set by Pittsburgh Pirate Jason Kendall (Torrance H.S., 1990-92) today. ... James Parr, a right-handed pitcher/first baseman who signed a letter of intent with Hawaii in November, is No. 85 on Baseball America's top 100 high school prospects. The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder plays for La Cueva High School in Albuquerque, N.M. ... The last time a Rainbow recruit made that list was C.C. Sabathia in 1998. The left-hander signed with the Cleveland Indians out of high school and has been in the major leagues since 2001.
San Jose State at Hawaii
When: Today and tomorrow, 6:35 p.m., Sunday, 1:05 p.m.Where: Murakami Stadium
TV: Sunday's game live, KFVE, Channel 5
Radio: All three games live, KKEA, 1420-AM
Tickets: $6 Orange, Blue levels. $5 Red level. $4 Seniors, children age 4-18, UH students in the Red level.
Parking: $3
Probable starting pitchers
Sunday's starting pitcher to be announced
Hawaii (17-10, 3-3 WAC) W-L ERA K RHP Ricky Bauer (Jr.) 5-2 3.21 37 RHP Stephen Bryant (Jr.) 3-2 2.55 39 RHP Clary Carlsen (Sr.) 5-3 3.31 24 San Jose State (14-13-1, 4-5) W-L ERA K RHP Matt Durkin (Jr.) 4-2 4.88 50 RHP Corey Cabral (So.) 3-3 4.97 42 Notes: The Rainbows and Spartans have played 56 games, with UH holding a 29-27 edge. ... In the last series, UH won two of three at San Jose, but the Spartans took the third game 8-5, in the 2003 season finale for both teams. ... Matt Inouye has 14 doubles in 27 games. He is on a pace to break the team single-season record of 25 set by Chuck Jackson (1984) and tied by Gregg Omori (2001). ... Brian Finegan has started 83 consecutive games at shortstop since joining the UH program last year.
