Hawaii baseball coach Mike Trapasso had his entire 2015 team exactly where he wanted on Monday.
No, it wasn’t the doctor’s office.
2015 UH BASEBALL ROSTER
Newcomers (18)
C: Alex Jondal, Fr.; David Noworyta, Fr.
INF: Jonathan Weeks, Fr.; Eric Ramirez, Fr.; Alex Sawelson, Jr.; Conner Linebarger, Fr.; Jacob Sheldon-Collins, Jr.
OF: Matt LoCoco, Jr.; Fred Williams, Fr.
LHP: Alex Hatch, Jr.; Matt Valencia, Jr.
RHP: Josh Pigg, Jr.; Ben Mora, Fr.; Tyler Brashears, Jr.; Jordan Baker, Fr.; Cody Culp, Jr.; Eli Davidann, Jr.; Kyle Von Ruden, Jr.
Returnees (16)
C: Alan Baldwin, Jr.; *Chayce Ka‘aua, Fr.; Steven Pollakov, Sr.
INF: Stephen Ventimilia, Sr.; *JJ Kitaoka, Fr.
OF: Kaeo Aliviado, Sr.; Jordan Richartz, Sr.; Marcus Doi, So.; Matt Miller, So.
LHP: Quintin Torres-Costa, So.; Jarrett Arakawa, Sr.; Andrew Jones, Sr.; *Lawrence Chew, Jr.
RHP: Juliene Jones, Sr.; LJ Brewster, Jr.; Eric Gleese, Sr.
*Did not play last season
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Trapasso, entering his 14th season at UH, had his full complement of players on hand at Les Murakami Stadium as the Rainbow Warriors opened spring practice for the 2015 season, which begins in 31 days at home against Oregon.
Other than left-hander Jarrett Arakawa, who could still pitch opening weekend after his second labrum surgery in three years, everyone was basically a full go.
That includes pitchers Quintin Torres-Costa, Andrew Jones and Lawrence Chew, who have all had Tommy John surgery in the past two years.
Senior Jordan Richartz had labrum surgery after the end of last season and sophomore Marcus Doi missed most of fall practice with a groin injury that required surgery in November.
"Everybody that has been injured is back and healthy and close to 100 percent," Trapasso said. "(Arakawa) is the only guy still in the throwing program, rehabbing, but is starting his fourth week off the mound today and as long as he’s pain free, he will perform well."
It bodes well for a baseball team struggling to find success since the move to the Big West in 2013.
UH had eight 30-win seasons and nine winning seasons overall in a 10-year span from 2003 to 2012, but is 38-66 — including 17-34 in the Big West — over the past two years.
Trapasso was given a three-year extension in the offseason and has brought in 18 new players, including much-needed depth in the pitching staff, to try to right the ship in a difficult baseball conference.
"The fact that we have so many new players is a positive," Trapasso said. "Some years you have little turnover, sometimes you have a lot, sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s not, but I think it’s good because the kids we’ve brought in are talented."
UH will need to replace 70 percent of its innings pitched from last year and could have as many as six new position starters on opening day.
Seniors Kaeo Aliviado and Stephen Ventimilia have combined to start 285 games over the past three years and are back for one last go.
Ventimilia hit .293 as a freshman and rebounded from a sophomore slump to hit .296 with 34 runs scored as a junior.
Aliviado hit a career-best .310 in 2014 after hitting under .240 his first two seasons.
"We’ve got a good team this year and we’ve got to just go out there and show (people)," Aliviado said. "(My approach) is the same as any other year, and that’s just to go out and play hard and compete."
No returning pitcher other than Arakawa threw more than 281⁄3 innings last year. UH lost right-handers Matt Cooper and Scott Kuzminsky to graduation and lefty Scott Squier signed as a junior draftee.
Hawaii brought in nine new pitchers and has moved third basemen Juliene Jones and LJ Brewster into full-time pitching roles this year.
Arakawa, who sat out for the third straight fall, was impressed by the mix of new arms with the returnees who are getting healthy.
"As a pitcher, I tend to watch the pitchers mostly and I think we’ve got a lot of good, new arms," Arakawa said. "We’ve got some returnees that are getting healthy, but some of the new guys are really good that we’re going to be counting on to step up and they did that in the fall."
The ‘Iolani alum went 2-1 with a 2.42 ERA as a junior despite pitching the entire season with a torn labrum that needed a second surgery in July.
He contemplated whether to even try to return for a fifth year.
"I had a talk with my parents and Coach Trap about the situation and tried to be really real about it," Arakawa said. "(Not playing) was definitely in the back of my mind, but obviously I love this team and I want to win here and contribute and feel like I can still pitch at a high level."
Hawaii opens against Oregon at home on Feb. 13.