JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COM Isaac Omura scored 36 runs this season, second only to Joe Spiers (45) among Rainbows batters.

Omura signs
with A’s

The All-WAC second baseman leaves
UH after a big season

Isaac Omura signed a contract with the Oakland Athletics yesterday, opting not to return to the Hawaii Rainbows for his senior season.

The second baseman was selected in the 17th round of the Major League Baseball 2005 First-Year Player Draft. He is the seventh player drafted since 1999 who played for Mid-Pacific Institute and the third to sign a professional contract.

"For me, the opportunity was there and I felt I had to take it," said Omura. "It was hard to walk away from UH because I had a good career there. I had fun playing at UH in front of my parents and friends."

Omura leaves tomorrow for Vancouver, British Columbia, where he joins Rainbows teammate Steve Bryant on the Canadians roster. Vancouver is in the short-season Class A Northwest League and starts its season Tuesday.

He signed a contract that includes a bonus and money to cover the cost of his finishing his undergraduate degree.

"I wasn't expecting to go that high in the draft," said Omura. "I'm happy with the contract. The bonus was more than what we were expecting."

He had been working out, hitting, fielding and throwing and said he hopes he'll get right back into the groove. Omura has played in wood-bat leagues the past two summers and doesn't expect any problem adjusting from the aluminum bats used in college. He endured some long bus rides playing in the Alaska Baseball League last summer, so he will be ready to see the Pacific Northwest from inside a bus this summer.

Omura led the Rainbows in nine offensive categories -- batting average (.369), hits (76), doubles (19), home runs (6), runs batted in (47), total bases (117), slugging percentage (.568), walks (37) and on-base percentage (.464) -- in 2005. He tied for the team lead with three sacrifice flies.

He had a .971 fielding percentage, making just eight errors in 278 chances in 2005.

In three seasons with the 'Bows, Omura played 138 games, compiled a .333 (165-for-496) batting average and had an excellent strikeout (71) to walk (61) ratio.

He was a Louisville Slugger freshman All-American, a second-team All-Western Athletic Conference pick as a sophomore and a first-team All-WAC selection this year.

Omura joins 2005 teammates Bryant and Ricky Bauer in the pro ranks. Bauer, who signed a free-agent contract with the San Francisco Giants, will get his assignment later this week.

The two Hawaii recruits selected in the draft have chosen different paths for the future.

Cody Allen of Elk Grove, Calif., taken in the 10th round by the Florida Marlins, has signed. He was projected to be the Rainbows' starting third baseman the first two games of each series and the starting pitcher in the third game.

Middle infielder Ryan Selden from Canyon Springs High School in Moreno Valley, Calif., did not qualify for enrollment at UH and will attend Riverside (Calif.) Community College. He was picked in the 41st round by the Philadelphia Phillies and is now a draft-and-follow choice.