Hawaii sets rotation for Vanderbilt test

It is not just winning a national championship or having an SEC-record-tying 13 players selected in the 2019 Major League Baseball draft.

A mark of college baseball success is having theme music.

At every Vanderbilt home baseball game, whistling can be heard. The sound comes from the self-styled “Vandy Whistler,” which is actually two whistlers. Preacher Franklin whistles throughout games. Jeff Pack whistles in key situations.

The whistle blowers are among the challenges Hawaii will face in the three-game series against defending national champion Vanderbilt at Hawkins Field. Today’s first pitch is at 12:30 p.m. on the Commodores’ Nashville, Tenn., campus.

“It’s going to be a great experience,” said right-hander Logan Pouelsen, who will make his fourth start for the Rainbow Warriors.

Pouelsen will face Mason Hickman, one of three Vanderbilt starting pitchers who have not allowed an earned run this season.

Kumar Rocker, who is regarded as one of college baseball’s best pitchers, is set to start for the Commodores on Saturday. Rocker, who is 6-4 and 255 pounds, has a fastball clocked at 98 mph. He averages 15.8 strikeouts per nine innings.

“It’s going to be a great challenge,” said UH right-hander Aaron Davenport, who will start against Rocker on Saturday. “I’m going to go out and do my job and get the W.”

Pouelsen, Davenport and Brandon Ross, who will start on Sunday, face a lineup in which five hitters are batting at least .330. Catcher Ty Duvall is hitting .417. Austin Martin is hitting .397, with seven of his 13 hits going for extra bases for a .788 slugging percentage. Harrison Ray, who stole 21 bases last year, is 4-for-4 on steals this season. The Commodores have swiped 13 bases in 14 attempts.

The Commodores are more than just bells and whistles. After being ousted from title contention in 2018, they were on a redemption mission in 2019. “Once we came close and didn’t come up with it, that’s when the next year everybody had one goal in mind,” Ray said. “I think we all knew what we had and what we could do. It was just living in the moment. It was hard work (to win a national title). And I enjoyed every moment of it. It makes you sit back and see how fun of a ride it was.”

The Commodores regrouped for this season. They have won eight in a row to improve to 8-2. They are ranked No. 2 nationally.

The ’Bows (7-3) expect to have outfielder Scotty Scott ready to play. Scott ran into the right-field wall in last week’s opener against Washington State, then was beaned on the right ear flap in the following night’s game. He did not play in the final two games of the series.

“You know, medical terms nowadays, you can call it what you want,” Scott said. “I got hit in the head with a 91-mph fastball. … I think it was a collective decision to not play me on Saturday and Sunday. I feel better than ever right now. I can step on the field and play with my boys.”

Tyler Best, who replaced Scott in the top of the order and in right field, went 4-for-7 with three runs in Scott’s absence. With Scott back, Best is expected to return to left field.

Of this series, Scott said, “that’s a great challenge for us to go and play the best of the best in college baseball.”

Davenport added: “We’re both Division I programs. They have a great team. We have a great team. I’m expecting close games, for sure. But whoever’s a close-game warrior is going to come out with it.”