Trapasso looks to shake off ‘mini funk’

Hawaii baseball coach Mike Trapasso wishes for extra innings.

“I wish we could play 100 games,” said Trapasso, whose 26-22 Rainbow Warriors end their regular season with a three-game series against UC Santa Barbara beginning Thursday night at Les Murakami Stadium. “I wish we could keep going through the summer. … This is one of my favorite groups I’ve ever coached. It’s a special group of players. I know they’ll finish up with the same passion and toughness they’ve had all year.”

Outfielders Marcus Doi and Alex Fitchett, third baseman Josh Rojas, and pitchers Brendan Hornung, Casey Ryan, Kyle Mitchell and Isaac Friesen participated in UH’s spring commencement ceremony on May 13. The past four years, every ’Bows senior graduated.

This year’s seniors helped ensure the ’Bows’ first winning season since 2012, their final year in the Western Athletic Conference.

“They helped build a culture,” Trapasso said. “I want us to play well because I want our seniors to go out on a good note. I want them to have success.”

The ’Bows have lost five in a row, or what Trapasso termed as a “mini funk.” Four of those losses had one-run margins.

“I feel the last few weeks now, as strange as it sounds for a Hawaii team, we’ve become almost too reliant on the home run,” said Trapasso, referring to the three homers that accounted for four of UH’s six runs in a three-game sweep to Long Beach State last weekend. “We need to be able to score in other ways. We’re trying to focus on that a little more this weekend.”

Trapasso is awaiting word on the availability of center fielder and lead-off hitter Dylan Vchulek, who was scratched from the last game’s lineup because of a foot injury.

Trapasso also has not decided on Friday night’s starting pitcher. Brendan Hornung will pitch on Thursday and Jackson Rees on Saturday. Trapasso said he will review more scouting information before deciding between Dominic DeMiero and Neil Uskali for Friday’s start. “I’ll sleep on that for a couple more days,” Trapasso said.

DeMiero has made three appearances, including two starts, after exiting the rotation because of tenderness in his left (pitching) elbow four weeks ago. “The last couple starts, (DeMiero) has struggled the third time through the lineup,” Trapasso said.

Against DeMiero the past three games, opponents are hitting .217 the first time through the lineup, a combined .271 the first two times through the order, and .500 the third time in the lineup. “When Dom’s on, he’s as good as anyone we have,” Trapasso said.

Trapasso said Uskali, who has been used as a long reliever the past two weeks, has “given us some tremendous starts over the year. … The reality is both more than likely will be pitching in that game (on Friday). We’ll see how that goes.”

The Gauchos played in the 2016 College World Series. Clay Fisher, regarded as one of the nation’s top shortstops, has played in only 15 games this season because of an injury. But first baseman Austin Bush is on a breathtaking streak. In the past nine games, he has hit eight home runs, or a homer every 4.25 at bats. With three doubles, Bush’s slugging percentage is 1.176 during this surge.