[ BASEBALL ]

Island Movers open
with Hawaii All Stars

The Hawaii Island Movers open their summer season tomorrow at Les Murakami Stadium with a game against the Hawaii All Stars at 6 p.m.

The Movers, in their 21st season, will play 18 home games, including eight in the two season-ending tournaments in July and August.

"We will play at least 15 games in Japan. There may be more because sometimes we show up at the field and they tell us were going to play two," said Movers coach Rich Olsen.

The games in Japan are scheduled in Hiroshima, Kyushu, Kansai and Osaka during the Movers' 20-day stay.

The roster is a mixture of college players and high school seniors heading to college this fall. Olsen and his staff will have 35 players although not all of them will make the Japan trip because of summer school and jobs.

"Keeping everyone happy is a matter of moving people around. It's hard for the kids coming home. They need a place to play or they have to go back to the mainland and that's where they just came from," said Olsen, in his third season as head coach.

"We hardly ever turn anyone down. They need a place to work out and improve their skills. We try to help them prepare for life after baseball. When we go abroad we want them to treat people with respect, to learn about other cultures and to have class."

There are 18 players on the roster who competed in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu, five from the Oahu Interscholastic Association and one each from Maui and Kauai.

The Movers normally have Monday off, practice Tuesday and Wednesday and play Thursday through Sunday.

"We also will have intersquad games and the loser has to clean the dugouts on weekends," said Olsen.

Island Movers roster

Pitchers: Right-handers, Marc Nobriga (Saint Louis, Hartnell), Yuji Tanaka and Atsushi Shinomoto (Osaka Gakuin U., Japan), Jeffrey Reekers (Ohlone JC), Sonny Harbottle (Kalaheo, Delta Valley), Brandon Hickey (Oral Roberts), Rich Olsen (Iolani, Hawaii), Jared Pate (Punahou, UC Irvine), Sean Paiva (Saint Louis, Hawaii Pacific), Kanekoa Texeira (Kamehameha, Saddleback) and Kirby Yates (Kauai). Left-handers, Michael Lamb (Oral Roberts), Kaimi Mead (Roosevelt, UH) and Robert Learned (Ohlone JC).

Catchers: Kevin Fujii (Roosevelt, UH), Kip Masuda (Mid-Pacific, Long Beach State), Noah Phillips (Punahou) and Max Young (St. Anthony, Notre Dame).

First basemen: Garrett Rice (Samford), Chester Wilson (Saint Louis) and Alvis Satele (Kamehameha, Hawaii-Hilo).

Second basemen: Michael Lam (Punahou, Creighton), Landon Nakata (Punahou, Penn State), Brandon Sato (Saint Louis, HPU).

Shortstops: Shaun Kiriu (Punahou, Puget Sound) and Ivan Fujii (Roosevelt, San Mateo).

Third basemen: Matthew Zablan (Saint Louis, Southern Utah State) and Danny Lee (Saint Louis, HPU).

Outfielders: Matt Alling (Samford), Bryson Tajiri (Aiea, Lewis-Clark State), Ben Price and Michael Gehringer (College of Marin), Mark Veneri (Punahou, UHH), Kelly Teramoto (Iolani) and Dayne Ogawa (Kamehameha, UHH).

Coaches: Rich Olsen, Les Loo, Scott Murray, Garett Yukumoto, Randy Yamashiro.

Island Movers schedule

June 16: Hawaii All Stars, 6 p.m. 17: Hawaii All Stars, 6 p.m. 18: Hawaii All Stars, 2 p.m. 19: Hawaii All Stars, 2 p.m.

June 22-July 13: Japan trip.

July 16: PAL All Stars, 6 p.m. 17: PAL All Stars, 2 p.m.

July 21: Cubs All Stars, 6 p.m. 22: Cubs All Stars, 6 p.m. 23: Cubs All Stars, 6 p.m. 24: Cubs All Stars, 2 p.m.

July 28-31: Tournament with Kyushu All Stars, Osaka Gakuin U., Hawaii All Stars and Island Movers.

Aug. 4-7: International tournament, with Sapporo Universities All Stars, Osaka Gakuin U., San Mateo Bulldogs and Island Movers.