The obstacle course that is Hawaii’s baseball schedule will get steeper this weekend.
A week after being swept at UC Irvine, the Rainbow Warriors will play host to UC Santa Barbara in a four-game series that starts this afternoon at Les Murakami Stadium. The Gauchos are No. 28 in the NCBWA poll. This is the ’Bows’ third nationally ranked opponent this season.
“Every publication saw them as the team to beat in the league this year,” UH coach Mike Trapasso said of the Gauchos, who are 15-7 overall and 6-2 in the Big West. “They’re living up to it.”
In Andrew Checketts’ decade as head coach, the Gauchos have developed a program rich with power-armed pitchers. A preference in recruiting pitching? “Big,” Checketts said, indicating an athletic pitcher with a big frame who can throw strikes can increase his velocity through training. Each of the Gauchos’ 21 pitchers is at least 6 feet.
The Gauchos will be without Zach Torra (1-0, 3.68 ERA), their usual series-opening pitcher. Torra, who has not pitched since March 19 because of an ailment, averages 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings. Michael McGreevy will start tonight; Cory Lewis and Rodney Boone will pitch in Saturday’s doubleheader, and freshman JD Callahan is Sunday’s starting pitcher.
McGreevy, a right-hander, is the Gauchos’ top pro prospect. His four-pitch menu is rooted in a fastball that tops at 95 mph. McGreevy is 3-0 with a 3.03 ERA and per-nine-inning average of 10.4 strikeouts. Lewis, who has a 1.03 ERA, surrendered seven walks in 261⁄3 innings. Boone, who is 4-1 with a 1.42 ERA, has twice won the Big West’s weekly award for pitching.
“They are reflective of a staff of elite arms, of power arms,” Trapasso said.
But the Gauchos’ late-inning pitching has been troublesome. They squandered three leads against Oregon, and a 7-4 advantage against Cal State Fullerton. Christopher Troye has made a successful recovery from Tommy John surgery.
He struck out the first six batters he faced this season, with one of the pitches touching 99 mph. But he has not been able to retain that velocity the past three weeks. His 17.6 strikeouts per nine innings is offset by a 5.87 ERA.
“What’s impressed me is their offensive numbers,” Trapasso said. “They’ve played good teams and their offensive numbers are outstanding.”
The Gauchos are batting .287 with 21 homers and 45 doubles. They have 29 steals in 38 attempts. The Gauchos’ best hitter, Marcos Castanon, is unavailable because of a hand injury. But third baseman Cole Cummings has provided power at the leadoff spot (seven homers); outfielders Broc Mortensen, Zach Rodriguez and Steele Ledford are each hitting over .300, and infielders Jordan Sprinkle and Jason Willow are a combined 12-for-13 on steals.
Trapasso said he is hopeful the ’Bows will return to playing what he termed “clean” baseball of limiting walks and errors.
“I know it sounds like coach-speak and a broken record, but we’ve shown in the first five weeks, when we’re throwing strikes down in the zone and taking care of the baseball, we’re in every game until the last out,” Trapasso said. “And when you’re playing a team like Santa Barbara, like when you’re playing Arizona State or Long Beach, if you’re in those games late, you have a chance to win. That’s all you can ask for. We didn’t do that this past weekend (against UC Irvine). We did it the previous weekends.”
UH catcher Dallas Duarte will miss this series while recovering from a subluxed right (throwing) shoulder. Third baseman Dustin Demeter’s availability is in question because of a foot ailment. Jared Quandt will join the mix at catcher. Aaron Ujimori, who had been splitting time at second with Stone Miyao, is an option to rotate at third with Matt Campos.
