So far, UH infielders fitting in like a glove

The University of Hawaii baseball team’s glove story began with a simple proposition.

“We wanted to make the routine plays,” coach Mike Trapasso said.

Despite a restructured infield, routine plays became routine and, after 11 games, the Rainbow Warriors have committed nine errors and achieved a fielding percentage of .979, slightly above the .975 goal. “That’s what our focus is,” Trapasso said. “It’s defense first.”

The ’Bows have turned seven double plays, helping the pitching staff escape jams, and made some SportsCenter-worthy stops. They also have been successful without their best defender, first baseman Eric Ramirez, whose left knee will be examined today. Ramirez, who has played a half-inning in the past five games, is iffy for tonight’s first of four games against Sacred Heart at Les Murakami Stadium.

But Logan Pouelsen, Ramirez’s substitute, has meshed with second baseman Johnny Weeks, shortstop Dustin Demeter and third baseman Josh Rojas. Weeks and Rojas have switched positions this season, and Demeter is a freshman. “We’ve got a lot of innings together in the fall (training period), and we kind of jelled as a unit,” Demeter said.

Weeks’ background as a shortstop has been helpful in reading batted balls and expanding his range. He said he relied on reacting when he played third. Assistant coach Russ McNamara tutored Weeks on making the proper pivot at second base on potential double plays. “I feel really comfortable now,” Weeks said.

Trapasso described Rojas as the “best first-step third baseman I’ve seen in a number of years.” The usual advice is for a third baseman to “get wide, get low” in a defensive stance. But Rojas has found a middle ground, between a crouch and upright stances, and bends to where his cap is about shoulder-high.

“I feel I’m more explosive from there,” said Rojas, who is 6 feet 1.

Rojas accepts the challenge of playing the appropriately named hot corner. “The best thing is it’s reactionary,” Rojas said. “It’s not something where you have time to get out of the way. … You catch it or it’s hitting you. It’s real defense over there.”

Rojas, Demeter and Weeks use 111⁄2-inch gloves. Demeter and Weeks said the slightly smaller gloves make it easier to pull out the baseball quickly and cleanly.

“I don’t like to get the ball caught in the glove on the turn,” Weeks said. “Second base is all about transferring.”

The usual third baseman’s glove is 113⁄4 or 12 inches. But Rojas said it felt clunky when he borrowed Pouelsen’s old third baseman’s glove, and decided to stick with a middle infielder’s mitt.

“I wear it off the hand a little bit,” Rojas said. “I feel I still get the length, but the ball has less room for error when you’re reaching for it.”

Demeter said he benefited from weekly yoga classes that Trapasso organized. Stephanie Keiko Kong, a registered yoga instructor, met with the team regularly during the fall semester.

“She worked on guys trying to understand their bodies and stretching and trying to work on recognizing a stiffness and how to work it out,” Trapasso said. “It was more designed for stretching and balance.”

Demeter said the stretching exercises expanded his fielding range, allowing him take longer strides and get into a lower stance.

Trapasso: “I’m glad to hear they saw the benefit from it. This is the first time we brought somebody in from the outside. She was wonderful, and understood this was to be adapted for baseball players and athletes. I thought she did a great job.”