Performing in front of an audience is nothing new for Sam Spangler.
The former University of Hawaii left-hander played three seasons for the Rainbows from 2008-10, occasionally pitching in front of 4,000-plus fans at Les Murakami Stadium.
In his new profession, Spangler again has to perform with a large crowd watching.
2013 UH BASEBALL ALUMNI GAME
Saturday, 1 p.m., Les Murakami Stadium
ALUMNI ROSTER
Playing
Jon Hee (2005-08); Darwin Nazarino (1997); Randy Vollmer (1990, ’92); Paul Ah Yat (1994-96); Sean Murphy (1997); Kolten Wong (2009-11); Jared Alexander (2008-09); Scott Karl (1990-92); Harrison Kuroda (2007-10); Craig Nealon (1989); Breland Almadova (2010-12); Lance Belen (1982-84); Derek Honma (1999-2002); Mark Rodrigues (2006-07); Sam Spangler (2008-10); Tyler Cheff (1991-94); Matt Sisto (2009-12); Kevin Fujii (2007-10); Blair Walters (2010-11); Chris Hampe (1993); Jay Holland (1989, 91-92); Kenneth Mackensie (1996-99); Chris Walz (1989-90, 93).
Attending
Carl Furutani (1974-77); Vern Ramie (1977-79); Derek Tatsuno (1977-79); Michael Chung (1981-83); Peter Ho (1981-84); Alan Higuchi (1985-87); Nelson Inabata (1985-87); Keith Ishibashi (1986-88); Mark Rasmussen (1987); Jeff Ball (1987-90); Alfredo Carganilla (1988); Larry Burigsay (1988-91); Donovan Oda (1988-90); Steve Otani (1988-91); Clint Kelson (1989-90); Brian Nuha (1989-90); Bill Blanchette (1990-92); Ryan Fujitani (1990, 92-93); Kenny Harrison (1990-93); Byron Makashima (1990); Logan Owan (1990-91); Adrian Moku Paiva (1990-93); Matt Apana (1991-93); Scott Craven (1991-92); Chris Dugger (1991-92); Dean Hashimoto (1993-94); Colby Kashimoto (1993); Robby Robinson (1994-97); Glen Higa; Hsiao Weh Shih; Les Murakami.
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The only problem is, he can’t actually see or hear them.
"But it’s still really similar actually," said Spangler, who works at KHON2 as a sports reporter and producer and has anchored between 15-20 sports broadcasts on the news. "You have that nervous excitement before you go on and then your adrenaline takes over and then if you do well, you’re in that euphoric kind of state when it’s over and if you do poorly and have a bad sportscast, it’s like when I would go out (to the mound) and get lit up."
Spangler is one of 23 ex-Rainbows scheduled to play in the annual alumni game Saturday at 1 p.m. at Les Murakami Stadium.
More than 50 alumni total are expected to attend the game along with former head coach Les Murakami, who retired in 2001.
Spangler is one of seven players from the 2010 team that won the Western Athletic Conference championship and advanced to an NCAA regional final on the alumni roster for Saturday.
After playing two seasons in the minors as a 41st-round draft pick of the Minnesota Twins, he returned to Hawaii last year to finish his degree at UH.
He got a job working for OC Sports, serving as an on-the-field commentator for the 2012 baseball season.
Once it was over, Spangler was preparing to return home to Albuquerque, N.M., when he received a last-minute request to appear as a guest on the Leahey and Leahey Show on PBS.
"It was supposed to be B.J. Penn (as a guest), but he bailed at the last second so I went on and it was a cool show," Spangler said. "After it was over, I was talking to Rob (DeMello) and he asked if I had ever thought about doing anything in sports media and I told him I was about to leave in a month to go to physical therapy school."
DeMello, now the KHON sports director, saw Spangler’s TV debut for OC Sports and was impressed. When Penn canceled on the PBS show, which DeMello produces, he immediately thought of Spangler as a possible fill-in. The two, along with KHON sports anchor and show co-host Kanoa Leahey, did the 30-minute show with his father, Jim Leahey, in Arizona broadcasting from the WAC baseball tournament.
"At some point, a lightbulb went on and I thought, ‘I wonder if he’d be interested in working at KHON,’ " DeMello said. "Everything kind of picked up from there."
Now on the other side of the microphone, Spangler is still getting comfortable in his new role.
Talking with coach Mike Trapasso as a media member instead of a player is still awkward at times.
"It’s very strange," Spangler said. "It’s weird because when he talks, I still get that feeling that he’s talking to me when he talks about what he’s looking for from his team.
"I have to catch myself and realize that I’m not the subject that he’s talking about anymore because it’s hard to break that coach and player bond."
Other alumni scheduled to play include MLB spring training invitees Kolten Wong and Jon Hee and minor leaguers Breland Almadova, Matt Sisto and Blair Walters.
"We have bats but if Sisto and Walters don’t pitch, then it’s basically Harrison Kuroda, Jared Alexander and Sam Spangler out there trying to get 27 outs," Spangler said. "Mark Rodrigues might pitch and he’s done well in the alumni game but the rest of us are washed up."
Sounds like the alumni are conceding defeat.
"No way," Spangler said. "We’ll still win 20-17."
