Hawaii baseball coach Mike Trapasso said infielder Dustin Demeter and relief pitcher Carter Loewen are ready to play at the next level.

Trapasso’s recommendations were made following Major League Baseball’s recent decision to conduct its draft for first-year players on June 10 with the signing deadline on Aug. 1. The draft will be five rounds — down from 40 rounds in recent years — with signing bonuses capped at $20,000 each for undrafted free agents.

Demeter and Loewen — both fourth-year juniors this past abbreviated season — are likely free-agent candidates who have the option of returning to UH for their senior seasons.

“We’ve talked to both of them several times, and they’re ready (to play professionally),” Trapasso said. “They want to go out and give it a shot.”

Both players are on track to earn bachelor’s degrees this year. Both overcame significant injuries.

After two productive seasons as a shortstop and then second baseman, Demeter underwent surgeries on both hips, forcing him to redshirt as a junior in 2019. After fully recovering, Demeter returned as the Rainbow Warriors’ starting third baseman.

“He’s such a great kid, and he’s been through a lot,” Trapasso said of Demeter. “We saw him come back this year with such a positive vibe because he was playing for the love of the game. He realized how quickly it can be taken away from you. That’s going to help him in whatever happens to him next year.”

As a freshman in the fall of 2016, Loewen underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right (pitching) arm. “It took him longer than most to get his arm action back,” Trapasso said.

Loewen redshirted in 2017, pitched one inning in 2018, and made 10 appearances in 2019. During fall training, scouts clocked Loewen’s fastball between 89 mph and 91 mph. But in a game this year, Loewen’s velocity touched 96 mph. He did not allow a run in six of seven appearances, and recorded a save against then second-ranked Vanderbilt.

“Carter has an opportunity to be a great story,” Trapasso said. “If he continues to do what he did for us the last couple weeks (of the season), he could be a tremendous story. He could pitch in the big leagues. He has a fastball and a cutter, and that cutter is a major league pitch.”

With their age and injury history, Demeter and Loewen should strongly consider signing, Trapasso said.

“They’re both healthy now,” Trapasso said. “They’re going to graduate. We’re rooting for them to get an opportunity. And if they don’t get an opportunity, we welcome them back.”

Jeremy Wu-Yelland, a junior left-handed pitcher, has a shot at being selected in the five-round draft. With the exception of Demeter and Loewen, Trapasso is hopeful other undrafted juniors will weigh free-agent offers with returning to school to improve their stock — and bonus potential — for next year’s draft. A 15th-round pick, for instance, could command a six-figure signing bonus compared to a $20,000 free-agent bonus this year.

“It’s their decisions, and we’ll support them either way,” Trapasso said.