As the 2014 MLB draft started winding down, the one name Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso didn’t want to hear was called.

The Milwaukee Brewers selected prized recruit Eric Ramirez in the 37th round. A year after the draft resulted in five UH commits all turning pro instead, Trapasso was faced with the potential of losing another.

The only thing was, college was about much more than just baseball to the Oxnard, Calif., native.

“I’m the first one in my family to go to college and I wanted to make sure I stuck with that,” Ramirez said. “I wanted to make my parents happy and I wanted to experience college baseball. I knew the whole time I was going to come here.”

Trapasso knew he still had a good shot to keep Ramirez on board, but has learned over the years never to feel safe until the signing period is over.

“You’re always worried, absolutely. When a kid gets drafted it doesn’t matter where they’re drafted and what they’re telling you, you’re always holding your breath because if you stay in this business long enough, you’ll end up losing kids at the deadline,” Trapasso said. “We’re excited for our fans to see him because he’s a good player who they’re going to see right away how smooth he is around the bag and how smooth his swing is.”

Ramirez, a first baseman, will be one of four new position players around the diamond.

Junior Jacob Sheldon-Collins fills in for departed senior Austin Wobrock at shortstop after playing at Iowa Western Community College last season.

He hit .326 for the Reivers, who won the junior college national title. Sheldon-Collins was named the outstanding defensive player of the tournament.

“He’s different personality-wise from Austin, very reserved, but the thing that’s most impressive about him to me is he makes such difficult plays look so easy,” second baseman Stephen Ventimilia said. “To the naked eye people won’t see that. They will think it’s a routine play when it’s such a difficult play and people are in for a treat watching him this year.”

Junior college transfer Alex Sawelson will get the first crack to bring in some offense to a third base position that was a struggle for UH last season.

The Rainbow Warriors started four different players throughout the season at third, and they hit a combined .144 (22-for-153).

Redshirt freshman J.J. Kitaoka has also worked out at third.

Nobody has had a more difficult time waiting to play than catcher Chayce Ka‘aua, who was all set to start as a true freshman last year before finding out just three weeks before the season opener he was ineligible due to an academic issue.

Forced to watch from the stands and unable to go on the road, the Hilo High alumnus had plenty of time to imagine what finally getting on the field in 2015 would be like.

“I’m hungry, man, hungry to come out and play,” Ka‘aua said. “It was tough finding out the week before the alumni game I couldn’t play. I couldn’t do anything to help — watched from the stands.”

Ka‘aua will carry most of the load with backup Steve Pollakov out with an elbow injury. Alan Baldwin, who will also play in the outfield, can back up Ka‘aua. 

“We’re comfortable with Chayce and we’re excited for him after having some bad luck last year in his eligibility issues,” Trapasso said. “He used that year wisely to get better and he’ll be up to the challenge.”