As the University of Hawaii baseball team’s leadoff hitter, Dylan Vchulek sees all sorts of pitches. But at a fund-raising dinner in February, it was Vchulek who delivered a fat pitch.

Vchulek and his teammates helped distribute the door-prize tickets. Vchulek convinced sportscaster Jim Leahey to take one of his tickets.

“I’ll bet you this one is the winning ticket,” Vchulek told Leahey, who later won the grand prize of a Las Vegas trip.

Vchulek has proven to be a sure thing since transferring from Bellevue College in August. Vchulek has played center field and batted leadoff in each of coach Mike Trapasso’s 31 different lineups this season. Vchulek also has reached base in each of the Rainbow Warriors’ 33 games. His on-base streak is the longest since Robbie Wilder’s 36 in a row in 2006.

“It may be something I’ve done before, but I can’t remember it, and it’s never been tracked like this,” Vchulek said of his 33-for-33 streak. “It’s something I’m certainly proud of.”

In addition to 43 hits, Vchulek has 13 walks and been plunked eight times this season.

“’Take one for the team’ is the statement the team uses and baseball players use,” said Vchulek, who does not have time for the pain. “In the game, especially at the Les (Murakami Stadium), I’ve got the adrenaline flowing. When I get plunked by a pitch, it’s a different feeling. It’s not like being a football player and getting hit in the open field. It hurts a little bit, but you shrug it off, and then you forget about it when you get on base.”

Vchulek, who can dash 60 yards in 6.5 seconds, is a threat on the base paths. He leads the ’Bows with 11 steals (the team high was six in 2016) and 27 runs with a batting average of .319 and an on-base percentage of .405, second only to Kekai Rios’ 336 and .436.

Vchulek also sets the tone with what he often does not do. As the leadoff hitter, Vchulek sometimes will not swing at hittable pitches to provide visual aids for ensuing batters.

“You take pitches to really let your teammates know what the pitcher’s mentality is like, where he’s attacking you, what kind of speed he has, what are his out pitches,” Vchulek said. “There are many different things like that when it comes to the leadoff hitter.”

Vchulek said he pores through scouting reports and meets with the coaches before each game. “A pre-game thing is I’m focused,” Vchulek said. At 6 feet and 180 pounds, he relies on a compact swing and up-the-middle intent.

“I don’t have to be the guy who’s putting up the gaudy power numbers,” Vchulek said. “I can be fast, and have fun, and change the game my own way. That’s embodied my University of Hawaii career so far.”

Through high school, Vchulek was mostly an infielder and pitcher. At Bellevue, he became a full-time center fielder and leadoff hitter.

“Center field was a real challenge for me at first,” Vchulek said. “Now I feel really comfortable out there. It’s like a second home.”

He also has adjusted to his home field. Murakami Stadium has a spacious outfield with fickle crisscrossing winds and spitting rain.

“It was a tough puzzle to fix at first,” Vchulek said. “Now I’ve got an understanding and feel for it, and it’s almost more fun. There are certain situations where a hitter hits a ball and in normal parks it’s a for-sure hit. I know I’m in the right position, with a good scouting report and my senses reading a batter off the bat. It’s pretty awesome to ruin some kid’s day with a diving catch. That’s really fun to me. I love how excited the crowd gets when a good defensive play happens.”