It’s got to be some kind of record, right?
Mike Trapasso finally posted a batting order he had used previously this season — last week, more than 30 games into the schedule.
The University of Hawaii baseball coach insists it was not intentional.
Whatever. It’s mostly worked, as at 21-12 (3-3 Big West) UH could be on its way to its first winning season since 2012.
“It hasn’t been drastically different, though it was different for lots of games in a row. It’s the same six or seven guys in the lineup, but I was really intent on getting all our guys involved,” Trapasso said. “We feel it’s a club that’s got more depth than we’ve had in a few years, in particular some freshmen, and we want to get them out there. It created healthy competition and made our older guys better, too.”
Now, just when you think he’s run out of different possible combinations of players, there’s a new piece to play with, and there will likely be a 32nd different lineup in UH’s 34th game of 2017.
Chayce Ka’aua is back from hernia surgery, and Trapasso said Thursday he would probably start the junior from Hilo at designated hitter against UC Davis tonight in the opener of a three-game series.
Ka’aua, who batted .260 as a regular in 2015, adds even more depth to what Trapasso agrees is UH’s best offensive team since Kolten Wong’s final season. That was 2011, when Wong batted .378 and was drafted in the first round by the St. Louis Cardinals.
The 2017 Rainbows are batting .271, compared to .276 in ’11. And while no one player is as talented as Wong, the ’Bows are balanced offensively.
With 13 homers this year (Alex Fitchett leading with four), Hawaii has a plausible chance to match or pass the 19 round-trippers of 2011. And back then, UH was playing in the high-altitude Western Athletic Conference, not the pitching-rich Big West. Also, college baseball now uses BBcor bats; they are much less lively than what was in use six years ago.
“I think it’s definitely the most balance we’ve had in a while,” Trapasso said. “We do have some (home run) power, and that has been showcased when we go on the road, although it’s a pretty small sample size. At home it’s more doubles and triples. We’re pretty good with lefties and righties, and the three freshmen (Adam Fogel, Dustin Demeter and Logan Pouelsen) in particular have done well. And obviously Kekai (Rios at catcher) is a mainstay with another awesome year. Guys like (Josh) Rojas and Fitchett in particular and Johnny Weeks as well have made natural progression.”
As the season heads toward a stretch run with a Big West schedule back-loaded with what at this point appears to be the conference’s best teams, Trapasso hopes three returnees he was counting on heavily headed into the year — Marcus Doi, Ethan Lopez and Eric Ramirez — heat up at the plate.
They hit .274 last year, and Lopez led the team in slugging at .488. But they’re batting a combined .185 headed into this weekend, as the three have been plagued by a combination of injuries and others at their positions performing better.
“If you told me before the season that past the halfway point they’d be struggling I would’ve been concerned. I definitely think through the last six weeks if we can get them going it’d be big,” Trapasso said. “The funny thing about Marcus is he’s swinging well against left-hand pitching but struggling against right-handers. And the last few weeks we haven’t gone against lefties. … The makeup of this club and the emergence of young guys taking at-bats doesn’t diminish that he’s given us value.”
Doi and Lopez are outfielders. Ramirez is a three-year starter at first base who hurt his knee early this season.
“Ramirez, he’s healthy, fine now. It’s been tough for him and there’s no question we need him,” Trapasso said. “We need Marcus, we need Ethan. (Lopez is) such a competitive kid. He can really run, brings a lot to the table. We’ve still got a lot of season to go.”
So, don’t expect a set lineup, even now. But that might be a good thing.
“We’ve finally encountered a good problem,” Trapasso said. “We were conscious of trying to get guys involved. We’ve got lots of guys who can help. Now that we’re in league it’s put the best lineup out there we can win today’s game with.”
Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. His blog is at Hawaiiwarriorworld.com/quick-reads.