Weather or not, the Hawaii baseball team is not looking past today’s opener of a three-game road series against UC Santa Barbara at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.
With a storm expected to drench California’s Central Coast this weekend, the start of today’s game was moved up an hour, to 3:35 p.m local time (12:35 p.m. in Hawaii). According to UH coach Rich Hill, there is a contingency plan for a Sunday doubleheader if rain were to wash out Saturday’s game.
But Hill said the ’Bows’ focus is on the Gauchos, who were nationally ranked earlier in the year.
“Every game from now on is Game 7,” said Hill, whose ’Bows have won three in a row to improve to 19-11 overall and 4-5 in the Big West. “It’s all hands on deck. It’s Game 7, here we go.”
For the first time in his two-season UH tenure, left-hander Randy Abshier has been named the series-opening starter. This also will be his first Friday start for a series that does not begin on a Thursday. Last year, Abshier had a 3.86 ERA in three Friday starts and 4.42 ERA on Saturdays. This season, Abshier is 1-2 with a 5.72 ERA. He averages 11.7 strikeouts per nine innings, and has a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 3.9.
“It’s not about Friday or Saturday or being dependable on one day or the other,” Hill said of Abshier. “I feel he’s our best guy. … He’s our best option, then TBA, TBA.”
Abshier made 40 appearances, all in relief, in three seasons through 2021 at Arizona. He sat out the 2022 season, then went 6-3 with a 4.29 ERA with the ’Bows last year.
“I think the key to Randy this year is he’s been able to pitch inside, really been able to pitch to the glove side,” Hill said. “Before, he opened up a little. Everything (was) kind of up and away. He’s figured out how to stay in front and through it.”
Abshier will be the ’Bows’ third series-opening starter this season, following Harrison Bodendorf and then Alex Giroux. In his first Friday start, Giroux pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings against Cal State Bakersfield. But he struggled in his next three starts, allowing a combined nine earned runs in 10 innings. But last Sunday, Giroux rebounded to pitch three scoreless innings of relief.
When asked if Giroux was better suited as a starter or reliever, Hill said, “I don’t like to paint guys with that brush. To me, I’ve never bought into it, and a lot of pitching guys do. Like ‘Is this guy better out of the pen?’ Or ‘Is this guy better as a starter?’ Well, that means there’s a mental issue there. It’s all about stepping on the rubber and executing a quality pitch, whether it be out of the pen or as a starter. … He’s one of our top guys. we rank all our pitchers. We tell them: ‘Don’t save anything for the swim back. We’re not going to ask you to do anything more than you’re capable of. Go out there and shove, whether it be five pitches or 105.’”
The Gauchos were projected to have their best pitching staff in Andrew Checketts’ three seasons as UCSB head coach. But Matt Ager (2-3, 5.94 ERA), projected as a second-day draft prospect (rounds 3-5), has had an uneven first half.
Ryan Gallagher (2-1, 3.19 ERA) and Mike Gutierrez (5-0, 2.86) “are as good as it gets in Division I,” Hill said.
Freshman closer Jackson Flora, who has four saves, pitched 31⁄3 innings on Tuesday — a hint he might be a candidate to also start. Hudson Barrett, who was named to several Freshman All-America teams last year, has made only two appearances this year, the last on March 8.
The Gauchos are batting .291 but have endured health issues.
“They’ve had some injuries,” Hill said. “I hope they don’t find their stride until after we leave town.”
BIG WEST BASEBALL
At Caesar Uyesaka Stadium, Santa Barbara, Calif.
HAWAII (19-11, 4-5 BW) VS. UC SANTA BARBARA
(18-10, 5-4 BW)
>> When: 12:35 p.m. today, 12:05 p.m. Saturday, 10:05 a.m.
Sunday
>> TV: None
>> Radio: 1500-AM on Friday, 1420-AM on
Saturday, Sunday
>> Streaming: ESPN+
