UH’s Wong picked as hitter of week

Any number of Hawaii baseball players could have earned the honor.

Ultimately, junior second baseman Kolten Wong was chosen as the Western Athletic Conference hitter of the week yesterday.

Wong hit .538 (7-for-13) with nine runs scored, eight RBIs, three doubles, six walks and a stolen base in a four-game split at New Mexico State.

The two wins gave Hawaii a share of its first regular-season WAC championship since 1992.

Wong has won the award three times in his career, including twice this season.

He wasn’t the only Rainbow to put up huge numbers as Hawaii scored 51 runs in four games against the Aggies.

Sophomore outfielder Breland Almadova was 10-for-19 with 11 runs scored, three doubles and three RBIs, setting a career high with five hits in a 24-3 win on Saturday that extended his hitting streak to 10 games.

Zack Swasey, who had a career-high six RBIs in the same game, finished the series 6-for-17 with five runs, a triple and eight RBIs.

Junior Collin Bennett hit .500 (7-for-14) with four runs and five RBIs and Jeff Van Doornum went 8-for-17 with five runs, nine RBIs and two homers, giving him 23 for his career, tied for the third most in school history.

Hawaii will open WAC tournament play at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Ariz., on Thursday.

The Rainbows went 4-1 in the tournament last year to win its first WAC tournament title in 19 years. Hawaii advanced to the NCAA tournament before losing to No. 1 seed Arizona State in the Tempe regional final.