For two years, Hawaii outfielder Scotty Scott has been waiting for the perfect pitch.
Not just UH starting pitcher Cade Halemano’s delivery, which is set for 6:35 tonight in the season opener against Washington State. But for that moment when cheers from a large baseball crowd at Les Murakami Stadium reverberate off the metal roof to create a jet-takeoff roar.
“Part of the recruiting process here is selling the Hawaii community, the fans, and the aluminum roof that echos the noise that makes it tough for opposing teams to come in and play,” said Scott, a fourth-year Rainbow Warrior.
The roof “definitely does play a role in the environment. I’ve played at Vanderbilt and been to LSU to watch games there, and there are 10,000, 15,000. But I tell you what, 4,000 screaming Hawaii people at the Les — I don’t know if it’s the fans or the roof or a little bit of both — it’s definitely an electric atmosphere.”
For the first time since March 8, 2000, the pandemic-related attendance restrictions have been lifted. Fans who are vaccinated or recently tested negative for COVID, as verified on the LumiSight UH app, will be permitted to attend. Tonight’s game marks the start of a season-opening, four-game series and the launch of Rich Hill’s tenure as the ’Bows’ head coach.
“We’re super pumped,” said center fielder Cole Cabrera, a Punahou School graduate who transferred from Cal Poly last summer.
“To kick off this new era of Rich Hill baseball and to do it in front of the home crowd and having fans back at full capacity, it’s going to be special. We’re looking forward to it a lot.”
It is a happy return for Halemano and Scott. After not being selected in the 20-round Major League Baseball draft last year, Halemano turned down free-agent offers to return to UH for a fourth season. Halemano has added a curveball and slider to complement his changeup and 97-mph fastball.
Scott entered the transfer portal, then withdrew his application after Hill was hired to succeed Mike Trapasso. Scott, who will play in left field, is part of one of UH’s potentially best defensive outfields in recent years. Scott is accustomed to the deceptive winds at Murakami Stadium.
“The trade winds blow from left field to right field, but in left field, particularly, the winds kind of ricochet off the stands,” Scott said. “The almost create a swirl that you can really see when it rains at night. I pride myself in taking extra reps out there when I first got here, and really try to learn the positioning and how the wind plays on certain days, and even checking the forecast sometimes.”
Cabrera is projected to start in center. According to assistant coach Dan Cox, whose many duties include recruiting and scouting, Cabrera’s plus-Division I fielding is key in a stadium where “power alleys are huge.”
“It’s a big outfield,” Cabrera said. “I’m able to use my speed to track down balls in the gaps. … It’s 365 in the gaps, but it plays bigger than that. You’ve got to get a good jump. The outfield’s pretty big, so you have to use your instincts to catch those balls.”
Wong was the ’Bows’ starting center fielder in 2020 before suffering a knee injury. He is fully healthy, but now is in right to take advantage of his powerful right arm.
“You talk about another guy who can cover some ground and has a cannon from right,” Cox said of Wong.
Naighel Ali‘i Calderon is a contender at all the outfield spots. Calerdon is the fastest ’Bow, clocking 6.32 seconds over 60 yards on Ching Complex’s artificial surface. Cox said Calderon’s speed will help “steal doubles and save runs — and really be an impact for us.”
