Hawaii baseball: Yamazaki named to Big West first team; Scott wins frosh award
Shortstop Maaki Yamazaki today was named to the All-Big West first team as a utility player. Yamazaki hit .308 while striking out a team-fewest 7.6 percent of his at bats. After suffering a shoulder injury on April 24, he was used at second base and designated hitter. He hit .324 after incurring the injury.
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Outfielder Scotty Scott was named the Big West’s Freshman Field Player of the Year. He hit .291 while leading the ‘Bows in runs (36), triples (four) and steals (six). He played in all 50 games as the leadoff hitter.
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Pitcher Dylan Thomas and third baseman Ethan Lopez were named to the second team. In 20 appearances, Thomas averaged 9.89 strikeout per nine innings. He had a 1.14 ERA in Big West games. Lopez led the ‘Bows with 20 extra-base hits, including team highs in doubles (13) and home runs (five).
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GO WARRIORS !!!
Congrats to all the BaseBows !!!
MWC recruiting news:
RB/LB Isaiah Newell was offered by Hawaii
JUCO DB Rejzohn Wright was offered by Hawaii
while its great to see all the offers — it would be better if those offered committed — gives some of us, not me, a better look at 2020 and beyond
Hill looking to be the punter/kicker of the future? up to 2024 or 2025 [ if he red-shirt in 2019 ]?
Just looked up today’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser sports section, and it says, quote unquote, that Trap has “produced teams whose NCAA Academic Progress Rates, a metric of progress toward graduation, surpass the national average for his sport.”
I understand if it’s about the success of his team from an academic standpoint, but let’s focus on the TRUE facts. He’s one loss away from 500, lost the final 6 games (Including to last place LBSU), and has NEVER got a winning conference record ever since joining the BWC.
I appreciate his methodology on trying to be successful in terms of academics, but I wish he would translate that to WINNING GAMES! He’s gotta make sacrifices if he is to really keep his job because from the look of things, he might not be around when 2020 rolls around. The fans could be starting riots, more scary than the ones you see from the Michigan-Ohio State football games, and that’s where the thin red line lies. Trap is basically between a rock and a hard place, and he’s gotta make a 180-degree change once 2020 rolls around (And yes, his final year officially, from the looks of things), otherwise, he’s done.
As much as those awards are nice, I would ponder over with what Coach Trap is going to do next year. What is he going to change in 2020? What kind of recruiting could he be planning? Is 2020 his last time as coach? There’s peaks and valleys to where this can go, but he knows that he’ll be pretty much in the weeds if he can’t find a way to get to winning in conference. We’ll just have to wait and see.
I think its something some student should do a study on. “The acceptance of mediocracy here in Hawaii”. I don’t mean to disparage the thought process involved in settling for mediocre. Its all part of a larger, complicated dynamic that accepts being just “good enough” here. Hawaii people don’t like change, especially when there is risk involved with the alternative. But for UH Athletics its even more complicated.
Fire Bob Wagner and get Von Appen? Fire McMackin and get Norm Chow? Don’t extend Riley Wallace and set the program back some. Bob Nash and Gib Arnold were mediocre (or worse) in their different ways. Ganot’s mediocracy is even more complicated with his perfect APR. Beeman? I thought she was a godsend at for a moment. And for Trapasso… His ability to get draft ready players to commit (many opt for Pro career unfortunately) and still have a pretty well above average APR but yet .500 record is complicated for sure. What are the alternatives? Hard for Hawaii people to make changes like this.
I hope Trapasso can figure it out. His teams are just missing that transcendent “something”. Ganot is just missing athleticism. They both have a lot of work to do but I think they will figure it out. Seems Coach Rolovich has, I think Ah Mow is going to get better as well. Football drives the bus now. Let them take UH to places they’ve never been. All of them. All of Us.
New post: https://www.hawaiiwarriorworld.com/?p=49803