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As Team Gray wrapped up its three-game Ohana World Series sweep on Sunday, the winning players tried to empty the Gatorade cooler on the leaders.
Although the move was only partially successful, the University of Hawaii baseball team’s fall training was a success.
“The competition was intense, and we went after it and had a lot of fun,” shortstop Jordan Donahue said of fall practice, which ended with the intra-squad series. at Les Murakami Stadium. The Rainbow Warriors will return to training in January before their opener against Wright State in February.
“In the fall, it’s heavy evaluation by the staff, real intensive teaching and finding the answers to the test with players able to grow without consequence,” said Rich Hill, who was hired as head coach in June 2021. “I think it’s important.”
With several pitching candidates, particularly at the start, Hill dubbed the staff “Tropical Swarm”. There’s no set order among relievers either, though left-hander Tai Atkins is seen as a prime candidate for closure. “Tai took a leap under (pitching) coach (Mathew) Troupe this fall,” Hill said. “I think the summer rest has done him good.”
Hill said Ben Zeigler-Namoa, a Baldwin High graduate who played at Yavapai College in Arizona, impressed as a two-way player this fall. Under-recruited during the pandemic, Zeigler-Namoa went to Yavapai, where he produced as a first baseman/outfielder (.386, with four homers) and pitcher (3-1 with 24 strikeouts in 281⁄ 3 rounds).
Outfielder Sean Rimmer also provided power this fall. At Yavapai last season, Rimmer was named a junior college All-American after ripping 18 home runs and hitting .402. On Sunday, infielder Zachary Storbakken, a transfer from Madison (Wisc.) College, threw a home run to the right.
Hill praised Dan Cox, the assistant scouting coach, for helping reload the roster.
Last week, the ‘Bows finalized the first phase of their recruiting class for the 2024 season. One gem is 6-foot-2, 190-pound Itsuki Takemoto, one of Japan’s highest-rated baseball prospects. It was Agent Don Nomura who alerted Cox to Takemoto, who throws right-handed and beats left-handed.
Takemoto has five pitches: cutter, slider, curve, change, and a fastball that hits 92 mph. At the Perfect Game All-American Scrimmage at the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Chase Field in July, Takemoto retired six of the nine batters he faced. Takemoto will graduate from Chiben Wakayama High next month and enroll at UH in January. He will join the ‘Bows for the fall semester of 2023 and play in 2024.
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