’Bows’ toughness surfaces as team tops the Big West

Nobody had a specific answer at practice Wednesday for when or where things began to turn for the Hawaii baseball team.

What was unanimous among the Rainbow Warriors was that it eventually would.

Even at 6-12 following a sweep at the hands of Michigan, there was an unusual amount of confidence for a team that seemed poised for a fourth straight losing season.

Thirteen games later, this same UH squad is above .500 and in sole possession of first place — yes, first place — in the Big West heading into a three-game series against Cal Poly starting tonight at Les Murakami Stadium.

“I don’t think it’s surprising at all,” senior outfielder Matt LoCoco said. “Early in the season maybe we didn’t live up to the potential this team was capable of, but as the season progressed we kind of knew what we were as a team and things just clicked and started to come around.”

Hawaii jumped to the top of the standings after three wins at UC Davis last weekend. UH pulled out the opener in 10 innings after falling behind 5-0 and completed the sweep with a 7-2 win on Sunday.

That victory featured a strong performance from senior Alex Hatch, who allowed no earned runs and just four hits over seven innings.

It was his best outing of the season and came just seven days after failing to record a single out in a loss to UC Irvine the week before.

“It happens. It’s part of pitching,” said Hatch, who is 3-3 and will start Sunday. “You can’t question anything you do. You have to come out and trust yourself and your ability and if you do that, things shouldn’t always go wrong.”

Both of those wins showed a toughness Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso has said all year this team possesses.

Hawaii has pulled out two wins when trailing after seven innings and had a third against the Wolverines taken away by a bad call at the plate.

“We knew we were more talented physically and were bigger and stronger, but more importantly, there’s not a single “I guy” here or selfish guys here,” Trapasso said. “Trust me, we still have got a long way to go and will encounter more adversity as we go, but the even-keel approach this group has is because they have a faith and confidence in each other to prepare and work hard and we have some leadership that has been missing the last couple of years.”

Hawaii enters the series against the Mustangs with all nine position players hitting .280 or better and ranking in the top 38 in the conference in batting average.

Of pitchers to start at least five games this season, the series will feature four of the top 10 in the Big West in ERA.

Hawaii’s Kyle Von Ruden (5-1, 2.39 ERA) and Brendan Hornung (3-5, 2.58) rank third and fifth in the conference, while Cal Poly’s Erich Uelmen (4-0, 2.77) is eighth and Kyle Smith (4-2, 2.81) ranks 10th.

The third game, which most times decides the series, will come down to the Rainbows’ Hatch, who is 3-3 with a 4.67 ERA but has posted quality starts of at least six innings and two earned runs or less allowed in five of his last seven outings.

“Our biggest thing has been Sunday games are the toughest, but if we have two good games in the beginning and then I come out and do my job, it makes things easier on everyone else,” Hatch said.

Cal Poly will counter with right-hander Jarred Zill, who has made four starts in six appearances and is 2-1 with a 2.74 ERA in 23 innings.

All three of Hawaii’s starters have thrown at least 44 innings. They’ve pitched into the seventh inning in 17 of 26 starts.

“You don’t win series unless you have a chance of winning on Sunday, and it’s a key for you because everyone is on their third starter and you’re looking for a guy that throws strikes and keeps you in the game,” Trapasso said. “Most of the time you try to win it with your offense, but when you have a guy like Hatch throwing the way he did this past Sunday, it will give you a chance to win every time.”