HONOLULU – The University of Hawai'i baseball team opens the 2021 season on the mainland for the first time since 1973 and the first time in a true away series in program history when the Rainbow Warriors open the season at Arizona State Friday, Feb. 26.
| PROBABLE STARTERS |
| HAWAI'I |
|
ARIZONA STATE |
| Name |
Yr. |
|
(Rec., ERA) |
DAY |
Name |
Yr. |
|
(Rec., ERA) |
| Aaron Davenport |
So. |
RHP |
(0-0, 0.00) |
Fri. |
Cooper Benson |
R-Fr. |
LHP |
(0-0, 0.00) |
| Cade Halemanu |
So. |
RHP |
(0-0, 0.00) |
Sat. #1 |
Tyler Thornton |
R-So. |
RHP |
(1-0, 1.59) |
| Logan Pouelsen |
Sr. |
RHP |
(0-0, 0.00) |
Sat. #2 |
Erik Tolman |
R-So. |
LHP |
(0-0, 1.80) |
HEAD COACH MIKE TRAPASSO
Overall record: 512-505 (20th season)
At Hawai'i: same
SERIES VS ARIZONA STATE
Overall record: 19-29
In Arizona: 0-7
Streak: Arizona State, 8
Last Hawaii win against ASU - 1993
FIRST PITCH
- Hawai'i will open the 2021 season in a true away game on the mainland for the first time in school history. (The 1973 Rainbows played in the UC Riverside Tournament but did not play a full D-I schedule in 1973.). The Rainbow Warriors will open the season on the road for just the second time under Mike Trapasso (2016 at Hawai'i-Hilo).
- Aaron Davenport was named a preseason All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Davenport ranked 2nd in the country in wins (4-0) in 2020 and had a 2.15 ERA.
- Four freshman local products stayed home in 2021 adding to the six local freshman from 2020. Hawai'i has 18 local players on its roster in 2021.
- Hawai'i topped a top-five team for the first time since 2013 (#3 Cal State Fullerton, April 26) when they upset #2 Vanderbilt Feb. 29, 2020.
- Hawai'i finished third in the nation in sacrifice bunts (18) and sacrifice flies (14) in 2020.
- Hawai'i recorded its first shutout since April 15, 2018 when the Bows shutout NDSU 8-0 (2/17/20).
- Kole Kaler became the program's first All-American since 2011, when Kolten Wong and Lenny Linsky were All-Americans, after being named a Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Third-Team All-American in 2020. Kaler ranked sixth nationally in doubles (9), 10th in triples (3) and ranked inside the top 100 in the country in batting average (74th), hits (76th), RBI's (83rd), slugging percentage (91st), total bases (82nd), sacrifice bunts (14th) and sacrifice flies (78th).
- Jeremy Wu-Yelland became Coach Trapasso's sixth top five round draft pick after being selected in the 4th round by the Boston Red Sox.
- Carter Loewen and Cade Smith were both undrafted free agent signings by the San Diego Padres and Cleveland Indians, respectively.
NCAA EXTENDS EXTRA YEAR TO SPRING SPORTS ATHLETES
All returning college players were granted an additional year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic that ended the 2020 season six weeks into the season. All NCAA athletes (D-I, D-II and D-III), and junior college athletes keep their athletic standing from the 2020 season. Thus a freshman in 2020 is a freshman in 2021. A redshirt junior in 2020 stays a redshirt junior in 2021.
Hawai'i has decided to label all athletes as their athletic eligibility rather than advance their eligibility or add on additional confusing language such as "second-year freshman" or "sixth-year junior."
Incoming freshmen are as listed, freshmen.
HOMEGROWN TALENT
Head coach Mike Trapasso has built a strong contingent of talent from the Hawaiian islands, and brought in some of the top names from the 2020 class, including the second-ranked recruit in the state. In total, 18 of the teams' 3 roster spots are Hawai'i high school graduates, 10 of which are from O'ahu.
| NAME |
HOMETOWN (HIGH SCHOOL |
YEAR |
POS. |
| Bubba Akana |
Honolulu, O'ahu (Saint Francis) |
Fr. |
INF |
| Tai Atkins |
Kohala, Hawai'i (KS-Hawaii) |
Fr. |
LHP/OF |
| Naighel Calderon |
Lanai City, Lanai (Lanai) |
Fr. |
OF |
| Matt Campos |
Waipahu, O'ahu ('Iolani) |
Jr. |
INF |
| Nainoa Cardinez |
Kapa'a, Kaua'i (Kapa'a) |
Fr. |
C/UTL |
| Dallas Duarte |
Ke'eu, Hawai'i (KS-Hawai'i) |
So. |
C |
| Tyler Dyball |
Honolulu, O'ahu (Kaiser) |
Fr. |
RHP |
| Cade Halemanu |
Pearl City, O'ahu (Pearl City) |
So. |
RHP |
| Blake Hiraki |
Honolulu, O'ahu ('Iolani) |
Fr. |
C |
| Trevor Ichimura |
Honolulu, O'ahu ('Iolani) |
Fr. |
RHP |
| Jacob Igawa |
Hilo, Hawai'i (Waiakea) |
So. |
UTL |
| Stone Miyao |
Hilo, Hawai'i (Waiakea) |
Fr. |
INF |
| Konnor Palmeira |
Kahalui, Maui (KS-Maui) |
Fr. |
C/UTL |
| Li'i Pontes |
Honolulu, O'ahu (KS-Kapalama) |
So. |
RHP |
| Austin Teixeira |
Waimanalo, O'ahu (Saint Louis) |
Fr. |
LHP/OF |
| Aaron Ujimori |
Honolulu, O'ahu ('Iolani) |
Fr. |
INF |
| Safea Villaruz-Mauai |
Hilo, Hawai'i (Waiakea) |
Fr. |
INF |
| Matt Wong |
Honolulu, O'ahu (Saint Louis) |
Jr. |
OF |
Complete game notes »
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