Hawaii’s Thomas in line to pitch against Iowa

The Hawaii baseball team will have a mound of options for this weekend’s series against Iowa.

Coach Mike Trapasso said Dylan Thomas will be available to pitch in the four-game series and freshman right-hander Li‘i Pontes will start the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader.

Last month, Thomas was announced as the Rainbow Warriors’ opening-day starting pitcher. But against Portland, Thomas was held out because of a blister issue on the middle finger of his right (pitching) hand. The blister affected Thomas’ control of the slider, his best pitch.

But Thomas threw without discomfort during tossing sessions on Friday and Saturday, and a bullpen session on Monday. Trapasso said Thomas’ bullpen work was “OK, but not great. But the most important thing was there was no discomfort from the blister. I think it’s safe to say he’ll be available to us this weekend.”

Trapasso said Thomas is expected to be used as a reliever “and then we’ll go from there. It’s great to have him back.”

As a sophomore in 2018, Thomas led the Big West with 14 saves. He was named the top reliever in the Cape Cod Baseball League last summer. During fall training, he began the transition to starting pitcher.

Trapasso said Pontes was a consideration to start in last Sunday’s game against Portland. Trapasso went with Kash Koltermann, a senior. But Koltermann surrendered four runs in four innings before yielding to Pontes.

Pontes, a 2018 Kamehameha graduate, pitched five scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out two. He threw first-pitch strikes to 14 of the 17 batters he faced.

“He was ahead of the count,” Trapasso said of Pontes. “His first-strike percentages … it showed he was attacking the zone and he was aggressive. He just did a great job, and he earned himself the opportunity (to start).”

Trapasso said left-hander Jeremy Wu-Yelland will start on Friday, and freshman right-hander Aaron Davenport will pitch in the first game on Saturday. No decision has been made on Sunday’s starting pitcher.

It also was revealed that a controversial play should have gone UH’s way on Friday. Down 4-3 in the sixth, the ’Bows loaded the bases with one out. Maaki Yamazaki grounded to pitcher Cole Wilkinson, who threw home to catcher Dutton Elske for the forceout. Elske’s throw to first struck Yamazaki and rolled toward right field as Dallas Duarte raced home from second. After reviewing video of the play, the umpires ruled Yamazaki was on the inside of the base path. Yamazaki was called out, ending the inning and nullifying the tying run.

On Monday, it was determined the interference was not a reviewable play, and the initial ruling — Yamazaki was safe and Duarte scored — should have been allowed to stand.

“At the end of the day, they got the call right,” Trapasso said, acknowledging Yamazaki did interfere with the throw. “We really don’t have an argument because they got the call right. But going by the way the rules should be, there was a chance we could have gotten away with one.”

Trapasso added: “As Tony Soprano would say: ‘What are you gonna do?’ That’s the best quote I can come up with.”