UC Santa Barbara is first in the Big West in hitting, first in pitching and first in defense.
Its starter on Friday night? He’s a first, too. The potential first overall pick in June’s MLB Draft.
Right-hander Dillon Tate, the No. 2 overall draft prospect according to Baseball America, will pitch against Hawaii after missing last week’s scheduled start with a minor trapezius injury for No. 8 UCSB, which hasn’t been ranked this high in 29 years.
The Gauchos (29-9, 6-3 Big West), who currently trail Big West leader UC Irvine by 21⁄2 games, are considered the league’s only lock for a postseason berth with five weeks left in the season.
UCSB has won 98 games since the start of the 2013 season, but is the only Big West team not to win a series against Hawaii (14-24, 5-7) since the Rainbow Warriors joined the conference two years ago.
The Rainbow Warriors are 4-2 against the Gauchos in league play, winning the series 2-1 in Hawaii in 2013 and coming within a run of potentially sweeping UCSB last year in Santa Barbara, Calif.
"Last year, that was probably the best we played all year, but that has nothing to do with this year," Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso was quick to point out. "They’re a good team; they’re a better team, but the better team doesn’t always win. The team that plays better that day is the one that’s going to win and that’s what our guys have to understand."
UCSB is second in the country with a 2.25 ERA and leads the conference with a .298 batting average and an average of 5.7 runs scored. Defensively, the Gauchos are also tops in the BWC with a .977 fielding percentage.
Tate, who gave up five hits in a two-inning save against UH last year, was converted into a starting pitcher this season and has flourished.
In nine starts, he is 5-3 with a 1.73 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 671⁄3 innings pitched. He’s gone a full nine innings in two of his past three starts.
Hawaii will counter with junior L.J. Brewster, also a converted starter who had one of his better performances of the season in a 1-0 win over Cal State Northridge last Friday.
Brewster, who had walked 20 in his previous four outings, allowed three hits over seven innings with only one free pass and five strikeouts.
Before Wednesday’s practice, he said he wasn’t even aware Tate was scheduled to start Friday.
"I heard that kid got hurt last week so I don’t even know if he’s pitching," Brewster said. "We can’t control what they’re going to do. We face good competition week after week and all we can focus on is throwing strikes and playing our game."
Seven innings will be key for Brewster with sophomore closer Quintin Torres-Costa on a tear out of the bullpen.
Torres-Costa hasn’t allowed a run in eight straight appearances covering 14 innings. He’s allowed five hits and six walks with 22 strikeouts.
He’s averaging 12.84 strikeouts per nine innings, which would rank fourth in the country. Pitchers need to average an inning a game to qualify for official NCAA rankings.
"It’s comforting to know someone is back there to close the door, even if you come out of the game in the middle of an inning with runners on base," Brewster said.
UCSB is the only Division I team with four starters who all have winning records and ERA’s below 2.61.
Hawaii’s top two starters, Brewster and Tyler Brashears, have a combined 2.28 ERA.
Brashears has given up one earned run or fewer in six of his past seven starts and is fifth in the conference walking only 1.52 batters per nine innings.
He’s also 13th in strikeouts with 50.
"We couldn’t ask for anything more out of a Friday and Saturday guy because they’ve given us a chance to win every game all year," Trapasso said. "Both of those guys have been really impressive."
RAINBOW WARRIOR BASEBALL
At Les Murakami Stadium
>> Who: Hawaii (14-24, 5-7 Big West) vs. No. 8 UC Santa Barbara (29-9, 6-3)
>> When: 6:35 p.m. Friday; 6:05 p.m. Saturday; 1:05 p.m. Sunday
>> TV: OCSports, Friday only
>> Radio: KKEA
Probable starters
UH: RH L.J. Brewster (5-3, 2.35 ERA); RH Tyler Brashears (5-4, 2.20); LH Jarrett Arakawa (2-2, 3.26)
UCSB: RH Dillon Tate (5-3, 1.73); LH Justin Jacome (6-1, 2.61); RH Shane Bieber (5-3, 2.12)
