On Monday morning in San Diego, the members of the University of Hawaii baseball team went to an outdoor recreation area to go through their usual game-day breathing exercises.
Nearby, an outdoor samba class was in session.
After the players observed the samba steps, coach Rich Hill suggested a mash-up. “We were doing our Wim Hof and we were doing our performance breathing, and we had everybody stop and do their breath holds and samba at the same time,” Hill said. “I think they picked it up and went with it.”
For that night’s game against San Diego State, the Rainbow Warriors did a samba line in the dugout after each UH run. After winning 8-5 in 15 innings, a new tradition was started.
“Man, the vibe within the group is phenomenal right now,” Hill said. “Everybody’s playing for each other.”
The unity was apparent when Trevor Ichimura struck out Trevor Hazelhurst for the final out of the 6-hour, 14-minute marathon. Ichimura pitched 52⁄3 innings for the first victory of his UH career.
“Amazing,” Hill said of Ichimura’s 80-pitch outing, “and that’s no runs and three hits. That’s an incredible performance. By the end of it, he’s throwing 81 miles an hour just pitching on pure guts. It was a special performance.”
After UH lost the designated hitter because of several lineup changes, Ichimura batted twice. He was hit by a pitch and eventually scored in the ’Bows’ three-run 15th.
“You don’t see that very often in college baseball,” Hill said of Ichimura’s two plate appearances as a reliever. “He got hit by a pitch in that big inning. He was MVP of the night, for sure.”
The ’Bows are 4-4 despite injuries and a .219 batting average. But they have found ways to create offense, drawing walks (4.6 per game), absorbing beanings (2.8 per game) and being aggressive on the base paths (13-for-19 on steals). Seven of their 39 runs did not come with an RBI. The ’Bows also have been dependable fielders (six errors in eight games, and only three by infielders) and gritty pitching. Ichimura was UH’s ninth pitcher on Monday.
“Everybody played on this trip,” Hill said of the 2-2 road trip. “All the (healthy) position players played (on Monday). Nine pitchers. Rainbow Warrior baseball, baby.”
Hill said it was significant to beat San Diego State in the rematch (the Aztecs won on Friday) and top Fresno State on Sunday.
“But I think more than the wins and losses, we came together as a team a little bit,” Hill said. “We were (in San Diego) for a week. Guys got to know each other. We’re still learning about each other, this team.”
In his 35th year of coaching, and first season at UH, Hill said he was pleasantly surprised when Monday’s game featured a 14th-inning stretch.
“I thought that was kind of funny,” Hill said. “I’d never see that in my life. Then again, I think I see something new every day I’m on a baseball field.”
The ’Bows play host to fifth-ranked Vanderbilt in a four-game series that begins Friday at Les Murakami Stadium. Cade Halemanu’s first pitch is set for 6:35 p.m.
