UHBB Marcus Doi or Julienne Jones?

[GoBows2014]

Well, Rainbow baseball fans, we have a whole new season. Tough 0-4 series against #6 Ducks, then 4-0 against a surprisingly tough Albany team.

First game against Albany, they were obviously shaking off their snowed in winter, looked like our 1st game against Oregon, errors on routine plays. By the 2nd game with Albany, it started getting interesting. But for the 3rd and 4th games? Wow! Some genuinely great baseball! Good offense, *great* D, and both teams going at it like a 15-round heavyweight fight, trading the lead with hits and runs on both sides. But I'm wondering, Marcus Doi was the headliner in the opening series, but then got hurt? sick? benched?

Coach Trap playing with the lineup, Connor George was out then in. Stephen Ventimilia was in then out. Marc Flores started the year in LF then moved to 1st and taking Marcus Doi's position. Starting 2B has been Stephen Ventimilia's slot since Kolten left but if this were pre-season tryouts, Julienne Jones has been absolutely magic with the glove *and* the bat!

Flores was like 0-15 in the first four games, double-clutching his swings, then seemed to find his rhythm against Albany. Today (Sunday) he ripped the hide off a zinger down the 1st base line with 2 men on, just inches foul. I think that hit alone scared the Albany coaching staff so bad they started bringing in new pitchers every inning after that when Marc was up. Overall his hitting or not is a huge factor in the 'Bows offense but we have lots of other hitters this year, so nice a change from last year when we had almost no hitting to speak of.

Ka'eo and Kalei (Kalei now batting leadoff with Marcus on the bench) have been great at leading off, both of them hitting almost every pitcher on the hill. Coach still looking for that kind of dependability in the #3 and #4 hole, but with Julienne Jones we may have the answer!

Poise at the plate is the question...and Marcus Doi, for a freshman, sure has that. Under pressure, or behind on the count, never a problem. We saw incredible maturity at the plate and a dependable glove at 1B, so that looked set for the season. But then Doi is out of the lineup, nobody is really sure why yet. So Marc is back at 1B and digging/scooping some really junk throws proves he has the glove for that position...and now that his bat is coming around might be in the lineup for good.

2B Stephen Ventimilia has been the all-around player and appeared to have a lock on that slot, but Julienne Jones has been stellar on D and better yet brings a bat to the plate that the 'Bows needed so badly. Today's game, it was J.Jones with clutch 2-run hit in the late innings that sealed the win. Up to that point, the Great Danes from NY were pesky but relentless, even a 2-run lead not enough to keep them down, they kept coming back.

Biggest surprise was moving Kalei to lead off, with him and Ka'eo 1-2 in the batting order, that just seems to work, local boys are a winning combo to lead it off.

Kudos to Coach Trapp for being fearless at mixing up the starting positions and lineup. And a major-cajones call with a double steal in today's game, well with Kalei and Ka'eo at 1st and 2nd they could run on almost any team. Both kids were on base in the same position later, proving their dependability to lead things off.

So, after 8 games, the 0-4 'Bows are now 4-4. Deserving some respect maybe? But only a couple of positions appear locked up at this point, Ka'eo in CF and Wobrock at short for sure. Alan Baldwin behind the plate for all the opening and 2nd games. Marc Flores might have 1B locked up after today.

3B is tough. LJ Brewster had a few errors on D, and *continues* to drop the ball on routine infield hits...but dang, that kid has an arm! Each of the balls that he dropped? He then picked it up and gunned down the runner at 1st. Zero men got to 1st for the dropped balls. Wobrock had an incredibly insane play today, knocked one down. Did a 360. Then got the ball to 1st for the out. D had been just fantastic to watch, even if old school was to catch the ball 1st <g>.

But back to the lineup. Kalei in LF, esp. now that he is hitting well in the leadoff spot. But with Julienne Jones the new hero at 2B on D and offense, will Marcus Doi still have a spot on the starting lineup?

Only 3B and LF up for grabs, but Coach Trapp has to be loving it, he has lots of young talent on this year's team, and regardless of who ends up in the regular starting position, 'Bows are looking good for 2014!

'Bows Fan Out

[ubercow]

nice writeup. I'm going to have to go to a game this year.

[Ulchiro5ga]

Doi pulled a groin muscle on friday nite and they held him out. No practice today, and he'll be evaluated by medical staff. Hopefully, its not serious and a couple days rest he'll be ok. Next series against Pepperdine starts Wed thru Sat (all night games).

[GoBows2014]

ubercow, thanks for the kudos. Just writin' 'em up after each game.

And we had some good games, some not easy to capsulize

for friend/foe of 'Bows Baseball this this weekend is litmus test

Oregon out of our league? Did we play them tough enough?

Albany expected by many to be a gimmee x4? Anything but.

Some really great baseball. And showed some true grit from UH.

So this next series, that many expect to be an even matchup?

Might be the make or break for the 'Bows this year

no pumpkin chariot after midnight? or are these boyz the real deal??

I'm all in on real deal. We have energy, spunk, faith, confidence,

superb ball handling and hitting skills. I'm thinking it is gonna' get

*real* good from here on out, we'll see.

Can't wait to see Quentin T-C on the hill, that will complete the

package the 'Bows need for the championship run this year!

[seasider]

Will Marcus Doi still have a spot on the starting lineup?

The top four hitters after 8 games:
Adam Hurley, .600 – 6 for 10
Marcus Doi, .417 – 10 for 24
Juliene Jones, .381 – 8 for 21
Kaeo Aliviado, .343 – 12 for 35
Austin Wobrock, .296 – 8 for 27
Kalei Hanawahine, .241 – 7 for 29
Jordan Richartz, .214 – 6 for 28

Doi hit a remarkable .417 against probably the best collegiate pitching staff.

Held out of the Albany series, Doi, if he had played in that series would've eaten alive Albany's pitching...LOL. JMHO, no pun intended to Albany's pitching.

[seasider]

http://www.staradvertiser.com/sportspre ... =249182401

Excerpts from the above link:

After starting on Friday for the first time in seven games, freshman Marcus Doi was held out of all 15 innings played on Saturday.

His injured groin flared up again in Friday's loss, and Trapasso said he might hold him out until the Big West opener at UC Santa Barbara in three weeks.

"I don't want this lingering into conference," Trapasso said. "We'll get him home and get him looked at and I'm inclined to sit him out all the way until then if that's what it takes."