What's up with UH Baseball this year?

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What's up with UH Baseball this year?

Post by shrek2 »

Coming off three solid pitching performances against Air Force and Hawaii is back again against BYU 3-2. Jackson Rees again scattered the hits, no big innings. Hitters came through in the clutch. If I were to change the lineup any, I would have people struggling with strikeouts bat lower in the order. Making contact with the ball is important for the beginning of the lineup. Otherwise, Way to go Bows!

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Re: What's up with UH Baseball this year?

Post by shrek2 »

This has gotta be the best game in town after basketball. This year's team seem to be able to battle up to the end. Even after BYU scores in the top half, they still come back with a rally. BYU seems to be serious about winning as they deployed a lot of pitchers last night to keep UH from scoring so they must see something I think the fans already see which is a potent offense and solid pitching.

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Re: What's up with UH Baseball this year?

Post by shrek2 »

Solid pitching again against BYU. It looks like Hawaii could play against any team and compete this year. I like the fact that Calicdan and Kakugawa did well in their play against BYU. LSU will be the real test for UH.

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Re: What's up with UH Baseball this year?

Post by shrek2 »

Hawaii plays LMU this weekend and it's always a thorn in my side because in 1986, UH beat UCLA and UCSB in the western regional. LMU lost one going into the UH game with UH needing only one win to take the Western regionals. UH lost both games because LMU batters were stepping into the pitch to get hit by the pitch and the fact that LMU pitched the same pitcher who probably blew out his arm after pitching 18 innings of two straight games. The pitcher for LMU was from Hawaii and probably blew out his arm after the Western regionals. It was the best LMU has done in its baseball history. LMU is proud that they had the best baseball season because they had so many HBP's and pitched the same pitcher in two games. After quite a few HBP's on LMU players the umpires started calling strikes on the HBP but it was too late. Those were the days when you didn't have to get out of the way.

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Re: What's up with UH Baseball this year?

Post by shrek2 »

It sounds like LMU had more of a cheering section than UH did in the first game of the series. It looks like they were outcoached. The error at third was the key to the rally in the ninth. No sync between the 2nd baseman and shortstop on the guy stealing second. Pitching looked solid but there doesn't seem to be a flame thrower in the bullpen. The umpires also seem to favor LMU for some reason. Call at second for interference and balls and strikes. Some pretty low ones thrown to Fogel not call strikes on LMU but called against Fogel.

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Re: What's up with UH Baseball this year?

Post by shrek2 »

It appears that Ethan Lopez is uncomfortable with playing third base. He tightens up in critical situations and its tough when Hawaii relies on its pitching the defense has to be solid. It takes Trapasso a while to make the appropriate changes. He is focusing on calling pitches as opposed to being a manager of the team. The team needs a better batting coach and a bit more enthusiasm in the game. I like Tyler Murray but the catchers have to try to frame a little better.

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Re: What's up with UH Baseball this year?

Post by shrek2 »

Its obvious that Hawaii is a pitching team and has to rely on their defense to play error free ball. Nobody tells the players to shorten up on the swing with men on base or choke up to make contact. Its going to be a nice match up with LSU which will give UH an idea of how they'll fare in the BWC.

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Re: What's up with UH Baseball this year?

Post by shrek2 »

Damn, Hawaii beat #13 LSU on the road 4-2. It went down to the last inning. Dylan Thomas gets another save in a row. Three home runs by Yamazaki, Lopez and Pouelsen. The only question in my mind is why Demeter did not bunt Yamazaki over in the first inning instead of calling for a hit and run especially when Demeter is hitting on the H1. This could have dampened the spirits early on but it did not. Another solid performance by Rees.

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Re: What's up with UH Baseball this year?

Post by shrek2 »

The Honolulu Star Bulletin says LSU got revenge over Hawaii but in reality the score was not 13-0 but 5-1. Hawaii came back in the late inning to get that one run. LSU's BA is .300 and Hawaii's pitching and defense is getting that average down. Hawaii was not out of game 2 of the series. UH did not have any blowout innings. Hawaii pitching is still strong and the highlight is Jedd Andrade get his first call of the season and goes 2 for 3 against a Power-5 team.

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Re: What's up with UH Baseball this year?

Post by Lackofskill »

Rees was awesome keeping LSU down. Smith was good in his 3 innings. Keeps working on the off speed and he will be dominant. Yelland has a great fastball. It is almost unfair to throw that slider.
LSU seemed to really want Hawaii to avoid the fastball so they threw a ton of 12-6 Curveballs.
Be interesting to see how the team bounces back this coming weekend at home. Go Bows

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Re: What's up with UH Baseball this year?

Post by shrek2 »

One thing I like about the 14-1 loss against LSU is that Jeff Andrade never gave up and drove in the one run. Maaki Yamazaki is a contact guy and he never seem to have given up either. All the other position players need to make contact with the ball. Strike outs are rally killers and they need to think next man up rather than hit for power.

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Re: What's up with UH Baseball this year?

Post by shrek2 »

Cade Smith threw strikes with excellent control of his fastball. First 10 men up went down. This is great especially for a team that averaged 9.6 runs per game with Illinois State who just beat Washington 3 out of 4. Tyler Murray looked like a big league catcher against Illinois State hitting the ball on a rope every time at bat although a couple got caught. Fogel needs to layoff the high fastball as that seems to be the trick of all major league catchers is to call high fastballs for the third strike.

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Re: What's up with UH Baseball this year?

Post by shrek2 »

Exciting game. Illinois State scores two in the ninth inning to break a tie and makes it 6-4. Hawaii kids loaded the bases after one out with Kaaua (infield single), Kekai Rios (single down right field) and Troy Kakugawa (walk). Murray strikes out and Alex Baeza hits a double clearing the bases and Hawaii wins in the bottom of the ninth 7-6 walkoff. Best show in town.

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Re: What's up with UH Baseball this year?

Post by shrek2 »

One word of advice for anyone struggling at the plate is to follow the ball to the catchers glove so they can picture the swing they would have taken on the pitch that was thrown. Also for those pitches out of the strike zone that the umpire calls strikes, they don't realize that it was a bad call if you walk away too soon. Shorten up the swing on two strikes by eliminating some of the movement in the swing.

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Re: What's up with UH Baseball this year?

Post by shrek2 »

UH wins a double header against a school coming in beating U Washington 3-1. Amazing. Chayce Ka'aua gets my vote for player of the first game with 4 rbi's and Johnny Weeks gets my vote for player of the second game going 4 for 5 with 3 rbi's. The best thing is that they were down in the second game by 5 runs and never gave up. Just the best show in town. Pitching is still the strong suit for Hawaii but the kids are scrappers.

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