Many ’Bows join
summer teams

The conclusion of the Hawaii Rainbow baseball season today signifies the beginning of summer ball is near.

This is the time players try to work on deficiencies in their game, improve their skills and deal with wood bats.

Most of the 'Bows will travel to various locations coast to coast in the next 10 days to join summer teams.

Eight Rainbows will compete in the West Coast Collegiate League, a new circuit with former San Diego State coach Jim Dietz serving as commissioner.

Infielder Jonathan Hee and right-hander Ronnie Loeffler, who redshirted in 2005, will play for the Wenatchee (Wash.) AppleSox. Jayson Kramer, a right-hander from Mid-Pacific Institute who has signed a letter of intent with the 'Bows, also will pitch for the AppleSox.

Center fielder Derek Dupree will be close to his Seattle home playing for the Bellingham Bells.

The Spokane Riverhawks have four UH players: left-hander Isaac Kamai, redshirt first baseman Steve Bralver, outfielder Ryan Asato and redshirt second baseman Brad Wark.

Erik Ammon, who caught and played left field for UH his freshman season, joins the Aloha (Portland, Ore.) Knights.

First basemen Adam Roberts and Robbie Nelson will be home in Washington playing for the Mount Vernon Cardinals and Everett Merchants, respectively, in the Pacific International League.

Further north, the Alaska Baseball League's Anchorage Glacier Pilots have shortstop Joe Spiers and left-hander Myles Ioane on their roster.

Second baseman Isaac Omura and right-hander Steven Wright head East to the Cape Cod League, where they will play for the Orleans (Mass.) Cardinals.

Jonathan Combs, a first baseman/outfielder who redshirted this spring, will play for the Amsterdam Mohawks in the New York Collegiate League.

First baseman Jordan Ballard joins the Salinas Packers of the California Collegiate League that begins play Wednesday.

Third baseman/designated hitter Rocky Russo, shortstop Troy Hanzawa and right-hander Guy McDowell will play for the Palm Springs (Calif.) Power. This is a second-year independent team that plays most of its games against California Collegiate League teams.

Right-handers Harrison Kuroda and Dean Turner will be with the Maxim Yankees, an independent team located in San Jose, Calif.

The Solano Thunderbirds play an independent schedule against other California summer teams in what will be known as the Horizon Air Summer Series.

Joining the Vacaville, Calif., Thunderbirds are outfielder Jeff Piaskowski and right-handers Justin Costi and Darrell Fisherbaugh.

Catcher Esteban Lopez is set to play for the Kamuela Paniolos in the newly formed Hawaii Collegiate Baseball League that begins play June 11. The league games are at Aloha Stadium.

Some of these assignments could vanish depending on what happens in Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft June 7-8.

UH assistant coach Chad Konishi, who handles the summer placements, is still working on arrangements for outfielders Matt Inouye and Robbie Wilder.

Pitchers Kyle Thomas, Kaimi Mead, Mark Rodrigues, Keahi Rawlins and Rich Olsen are either rehabbing, attending summer school or just resting.

First baseman Luis Avila is going to summer school.