UH’s Dustin Demeter named to All-Big West first team for baseball
Jamm Aquino / jaquino@staradvertiser.com Hawaii infielder Dustin Demeter celebrated with teammates after his home run against the UC Davis Aggies during the first inning of a baseball game on Saturday, April 24, 2021, at Les Murakami Stadium in Honolulu.
University of Hawaii infielder/designated hitter Dustin Demeter completed a comeback with today’s selection to the All-Big West Conference’s first team for baseball.
“That’s awesome,” Demeter said. “Sweet. That’s cool … That award means a lot to me. I’m not going to sugarcoat it.”
Demeter was the only Rainbow Warrior selected to the first team.
Center fielder Adam Fogel and right-handed pitcher Cade Halemanu were named to the second team.
Right-handed pitcher Aaron Davenport received honorable mention.
Demeter missed the 2019 season after undergoing surgery to both hips. He returned for UH’s pandemic-abbreviated 2020 season. He was granted a third junior year when the NCAA granted a waiver allowing baseball players to retain their 2020 class standing this season.
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Demeter missed 13 games this season because of a foot injury. But Demeter, who was forced to move from third base to designated hitter because of the residual effects of the injury, went on a hitting tear when he re-entered the UH lineup. In a four-game series against Cal State Fullerton, Demeter went 11-for-19 with two home runs and 14 RBIs. He had drove in six runs each in back-to-back games. Collegiate Baseball Newspaper named Demeter as the national player of the week.
Demeter hit .325 for the season.
Fogel hit .323 and played solid defensively.
Halemanu was 5-2 with a 3.60 ERA. He emerged as a draft prospect after hitting 96 mph in a game against Fullerton. Davenport was UH’s Friday starter, averaging 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings. He allowed only 21 walks in 86 2/3 innings.
