With the unofficial start to its season a week away, the University of Hawaii baseball team appears to have crafted a starting-pitching rotation.
Brendan Hornung, a senior right-hander, is projected to start against the alumni in an exhibition on Feb. 11 and against North Carolina State in the Feb. 17 season opener.
Two junior college transfers — Jackson Rees and left-handed Dominic DeMiero — are the leading contenders for the next two rotation spots.
But those are just starting points, coach Mike Trapasso cautioned, and the roles of the 15-pitcher staff will be solidified after the first 20 games.
“We’ll have guys competing for roles, and the best way to compete is in games,” Trapasso said.
A bug in the works was a recent flu-like bug. Trapasso said several players were stricken, forcing Neil Uskali to miss a pitching turn and abbreviating recent intrasquad scrimmages to six innings. Trapasso said Uskali, a No. 4 contender, lost 11 pounds from the illness and is “a little bit behind in his” pitch buildup. The goal is for starter contenders to make up to 90 pitches in their final outing before their first regular-season game. Uskali threw 45 pitches Wednesday. “We’ll try to get him up to 80, 85 (pitches),” Trapasso said.
DeMiero also missed a pitching turn because he went to Seattle to undergo a “medical procedure.” He is expected to resume his normal pitching schedule this week.
In the first week of training, the pitchers worked mostly on fastball command and change-ups. This past week, they were allowed to use their full repertoire.
Rees has four pitches — fastball, curve, change-up and cutter. Each pitch has added bite because the 6-foot-5 Rees has an over-the-top motion. “It’s harder (for batters) to drive the ball because of the downward angle,” Trapasso said.
In a recent scrimmage, Rees’ cutter was at 86 mph — slightly below his 88- to 91-mph fastball — but with a 6- to-8-inch break.
“The cutter is a true out pitch,” Trapasso said, and one that Rees does not always have to place in the strike zone. “We want to get a guy to chase.”
Matt Richardson, whose right arm appears to be wired with elastic, is a contender for a closer and starter jobs.
“He has one of those great arms that can throw every day,” Trapasso said. “He can throw a breaking ball for a strike. He can pitch ahead in the count. He holds runners. He fields the position. He gives you the things you like.”
