University of Hawaii baseball players turn to long-distance work during Oahu shutdown

Each day, University of Hawaii shortstop Kole Kaler gets in a morning weight-lifting session, attends classes and then takes batting practice.

It is a schedule Kaler adheres to from Chandler, Ariz.

“I’d rather be there (in Hawaii) hanging out with the guys and working out with them, but it is what it is,” Kaler said.

With UH baseball coach Mike Trapasso’s blessing, Kaler and three Rainbow Warrior teammates returned to their home states — where pandemic-related lockdowns are not as strict — to train. Kaler, like all his teammates, is enrolled in online classes this semester.

Kaler is in Chandler, Ariz.; pitcher Buddie Pindel and center fielder Matt Wong are in Las Vegas, and freshman infielder Kenji Suzuki is back in Seattle. With Hawaii’s stay-at-home order, Trapasso noted, the players would be restricted in their physical activities if they remained here.

“The weight room’s closed,” Trapasso said. “The gyms are closed. You can’t go to a city park to throw. They’re able to go to the mainland where things are open and available to them. It’s a good idea.”

All are ready to return to Hawaii and go through quarantine protocol once restrictions are lifted and the ’Bows are permitted to train in small groups while adhering to social-distancing recommendations.

“All I know is what we’re able to do, and we’re not able to do anything right now,” said Trapasso, who still conducts study hall and team-culture meetings with his players through Zoom. “Hopefully in a few weeks, we’ll get green lit to come back. Our guys (on the mainland) are all ready to be here in 48 hours and get started whenever they tell us to. And they’re all looking forward to that.”

Kaler agreed, saying, “absolutely. That is the plan.”

Pindel and Wong were teammates at College of Southern Nevada, which is located in Henderson. Henderson and Las Vegas are part of Clark County. Wong, who is staying at Pindel’s family home in Las Vegas, is working out and continuing physical rehabilitation after undergoing surgery on his left ACL in April.

Kaler said he trains in the morning, then attends online classes. “It’s the computer all day,” Kaler said. “It is what it is.”

After his classwork is completed, Kaler heads to an indoor facility “and I hit over there.” He said there usually are two other players training there. “As of right now, it’s going good,” Kaler said.

During the abbreviated 2020 season, Kaler, a junior, hit .406 and was sixth nationally in doubles (nine) and 10th in triples (three). He was named to Collegiate Baseball Newspaper’s All-America third team.