IRVINE, Calif. – The Big West Preseason Coaches Poll, released on Wednesday, tabbed the University of Hawai'i baseball team to finish seventh in the conference.
The Rainbow Warriors were off to an 11-6 start in 2020 before the pandemic halted the season. Three Hawai'i relief pitchers departed for professional baseball following the truncated season including fourth round draft pick
Jeremy Wu-Yelland.
All eight starting position players return from the 2020 team that beat defending national champion Vanderbilt in Nashville. Led by junior shortstop
Kole Kaler's .407 average last year, Kaler ranked sixth in the country in doubles (9) and 74th nationally in average (.407). Sophomore outfielders
Scotty Scott and
Tyler Best return to the outfield with redshirt junior outfielder
Adam Fogel fully back as well.
The Rainbow Warriors were picked to finish fourth by
D1Baseball.com in their Big West Preseason Preview analysis.
Coaches Poll
1. UC Santa Barbara – 119 (10)
2. Long Beach State – 96
3. UC Irvine – 95
4. Cal Poly – 94
5. Cal State Fullerton – 78
6. CSUN – 64 (1)
7. Hawai'i – 61
8. UC Davis – 39
9. UC San Diego – 33
10. UC Riverside – 29
11. CSU Bakersfield – 18
() First place votes
