UH’s defense measures up, but overall Titans too good

They keep coming. You might wonder why, since the University of Hawaii baseball team is now 9-29 after its 3-0 loss to Cal State Fullerton on Sunday.

Nearly 1,600 went through the turnstiles to see the Rainbows get shut out again, on a perfect day for the beach or to just kick back at home and watch it on TV.

On Saturday it wasn’t televised; the crowd was announced at 2,880 and empty seats were hard to find at Les Murakami Stadium. The Rainbows were coming off that 4-3 series-opening win on Friday against the Titans, who are ranked as high as third in the nation.

Some were there to see Fullerton. Its athletic director, Jim Donovan, was among those who made the trip from California.

It was interesting sitting with him for a few innings. Well-wishers and old friends stopped by to chat with Donovan and his wife, Tracy, who still works at UH. So did new friends from Fullerton.

Each time he reacted positively to good fortune for the visitors, I was momentarily taken aback. And it’s going to take some getting used to seeing the former UH football player, baseball stadium manager and athletic director not attired in green.

EXCEPT FOR a couple of malfunctions Friday night, Fullerton baseball is machine-like. Efficient and relentless. Fundamentally sound and supremely talented. I told Donovan he should get ready for a trip to Omaha, Neb.

As it has most of the season, Hawaii displayed sub-par hitting (especially with runners on), no power, but some gutty pitching from an injury-depleted staff.

There was one area where the Rainbows matched and sometimes surpassed the Titans in this series, and that is defense.

Shortstop Austin Wobrock finally made his first error on Saturday, but he sparkled on Sunday. Outfielders Kaeo Aliviado and Conner George turned in back-to-back great catches in the Friday night win, while errors hurt Fullerton.

"For the most part, even with the struggles we’ve got with pitching depth we still throw strikes," coach Mike Trapasso said. "We’re still top 30, 40 in walks-per-game average. We want to use our defense. We knew from the start of the season that’d be the strength of the three phases. That’s going to keep you in games if you’re not walking guys and not making errors."

On Friday, they got a rare break as Wobrock’s check swing went for the game-winning RBI single. A dribbler a few feet down the line accomplished what all those hard-hit double play balls could not.

Trapasso said I was wrong when I sensed a letdown on Saturday, that the Rainbows were far from flat and happy after Friday’s win and that he was proud of the way they prepared all week, including for Sunday’s game.

"Their goal was to do something no other team has done this year and take the series from Fullerton. They were up for the task."

But, he added, Fullerton’s stellar No. 2 and No. 3 starters, Justin Garza and Grahamm Wiest, had a different idea.