Cole Cabrera has grown a little tired of finishing runner-up.
The Cal Poly junior outfielder has been on two consecutive Mustangs teams that finished second in the Big West Conference.
Last year, the BWC came down to the final game, with Cal Poly losing to UC Santa Barbara to finish tied with UC Irvine behind the Gauchos and out of the NCAA tournament.
Now in his third year with the program, the 2017 Punahou graduate has his sights set on getting the Mustangs back to an NCAA regional for the first time since 2014.
They’re off to a solid start with a 2-2 record that includes a win over defending national champion Vanderbilt in Arizona on Sunday.
“We’re trying to surprise a lot of people this year and we’re thinking we could do really big things,” Cabrera said in a phone interview before Tuesday’s 9-2 loss to Pepperdine. “We’re trying to get back to our winning and regional ways.
“We kind of showed our toughness against Vanderbilt. We were up and then we were down and came back to walk it off and showed we never give up.”
Cabrera, who has hit leadoff for Cal Poly in all four games, had three hits against the Commodores and tied the game in the ninth inning with a sacrifice fly before Cal Poly won on another sac fly.
He is 6-for-18 so far with four runs scored.
“I’m feeling really good. Came off of a really good summer and fall and winter,” Cabrera said. “I’ve been so excited (to hit) wherever Coach (Larry Lee) plugs me in the lineup, and as the leadoff guy I’m just trying to be the sparkplug for the lineup and get on base for the guys behind me.”
This past weekend was opening day for nearly every Division I college baseball team. Cabrera played against Mid-Pacific alum Wyatt Young, the starting shortstop for the Waves, on Tuesday and both hit leadoff in the game.
Hawaii talent is spread out around the country and it’s always exciting for Cabrera to run into and play against guys he grew up competing against.
“I love seeing Hawaii representing at the next level, and it makes that journey that much easier knowing we’re all going through the same thing,” Cabrera said. “Coming out of Hawaii you know who is from Hawaii and you know who is on this journey with you. Growing up and playing against these guys and then doing it again now on this level is great. It’s (a feeling that) can’t compare.”
Cabrera could get a chance to hit off Kamehameha alum Hunter Breault towrd the end of March when the Mustangs play at Oregon in their final series before the start of Big West play.
He will also get a chance to return home to play three games at Les Murakami Stadium against the Rainbows in April.
“I probably know the whole starting lineup at Hawaii, so it’s going to be awesome to go compete against all those guys I grew up with,” he said.
Here are some notes on other Division I baseball players from Hawaii:
>> Kyson Donahue, Punahou ’19: The Arizona freshman started at shortstop on opening day and went 1-for-2 with a double and a run scored in his first collegiate game. Donahue started all three games in a sweep of Albany and finished the series 4-for-8 with three walks, a stolen base and five runs scored.
>> Jacob Hinderleider, ‘Iolani ’19: The Davidson freshman started the first three games of the season at shortstop and went 1-for-3 with a double and four RBIs in a Game 2 win against Lehigh on Saturday.
>> Logan Williams, Punahou ’17: The Kansas junior singled as a pinch hitter for his first career hit with the Jayhawks in a 7-6 win over Belmont on Sunday.
>> Kaimana Souza-Paaluhi, Mililani ’16: The Kansas junior started his first game of the season at designated hitter in Game 2 of a series against Belmont and went 1-for-3 with an RBI in a 5-1 victory on Saturday.
>> Hunter Breault, Kamehameha ’17: The Oregon junior right-hander pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen, allowing one run and no walks with one strikeout in an 8-5 loss to Pepperdine on Sunday.
>> Wyatt Young, Mid-Pacific ’18: The Pepperdine sophomore shortstop went 2-for-6 with an RBI out of the leadoff spot in the win over Oregon to improve the Waves’ record to 3-0 with victories over the Ducks, Minnesota and San Diego to start the year.
>> Jake Tsukada, Punahou ’19: The Portland freshman started at second base and hit a solo homer in his first collegiate game, a 14-1 win over Nevada in the first game of a doubleheader on Friday.
>> Keith Torres, Saint Louis ’17: The Sacramento State junior shortstop finished 4-for-11 with a double, four walks and three runs scored hitting out of the leadoff spot as the Hornets lost two of three to UC Santa Barbara to start the season.
>> Nick Tabura, Kapaa ’14: The Sacramento State senior left-hander tossed a perfect seventh inning in a 4-2 loss to the Gauchos on Sunday.
