Stephen Ventimilia could have used a few name cards back when Hawaii held its first practice of the fall.

To his left was a true freshman at first base. To his right were a pair of junior college transfers manning third base and short.

If it weren’t apparent to Ventimilia at the time, it quickly became so.

This UH team was a lot different than the ones he’s been on in previous years. Six or seven of the nine position starters Friday night against Oregon will be newcomers. Ventimilia is one of only two four-year seniors.

“We know that this is our year; we need to step up and be leaders,” Ventimilia said of himself and Kaeo Aliviado. “We’ve tried to step up our game and be leaders to the young guys, who have been awesome in stepping up their games and pushing us even more.”

At one time, the thought of Ventimilia as a leader might have concerned Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso.

But after three years of much personal growth, Ventimilia has changed his coach’s tune when it comes to the maturity of his second baseman.

“I think he’s grown up a lot and it’s very noticeable,” Trapasso said. “I couldn’t be more impressed with the job he’s done embracing a leadership role and trying to be that guy.” 

Ventimilia started every game as a freshman and hit .293 with a team-high 42 runs scored and 14 stolen bases. He continued on to play a full summer league schedule and the number of games for a player one year removed from high school took its toll.

He lost his starting spot to begin his sophomore year.

“It made me realize how lucky I was to be in the lineup every day,” said Ventimilia, who won the job back by the time conference play started. “It pushed me to work harder to get better every day and not take anything for granted.”

Since then, Ventimilia has added something to his game each offseason. He became a switch-hitter as a junior and the added dimension of hitting right-handed against lefties allowed him to bat a career-best .296.

Entering his senior year, he’s added some pop to his bat. No, he won’t be calling home run shots a la Babe Ruth in the 1932 World Series, but he has shown in practice he’s capable of driving runners home.

Only 14 of his 141 career hits have gone for extra bases.

“I think what people will see this year is a guy who is capable of driving the ball out of the infield,” Trapasso said. “A lot of his hits the first three years have been of the speed variety, but this year he’s going to be able to drive the ball a little bit because he’s significantly stronger.”