Pennant fever strikes early as the Hawaii baseball team plays host to 20th-ranked UC Irvine in tonight’s opener of a three-game Big West series at Les Murakami Stadium.
Without a league tournament until 2025 and with the Big West earning only one postseason bid last year, there is increased importance for every regular-season series.
While UH coach Rich Hill has emphasized the ramifications of each pitch and at bat, he also acknowledged there are “consequences everywhere. Every series that we play now — there’s going to be eight of them (after this weekend) — are all series of consequence.”
Outfielder Ben Zeigler- Namoa said: “It’s going to be a fun one, for sure. We’re all looking forward to this. … Everyone’s excited. There’s a buzz going on right now. It’s a really good vibe right now.”
The Anteaters have been on a hectic schedule. After sweeping Cal State Bakersfield last weekend, they defeated Loyola Marymount on Tuesday night, then the next day departed the UCI campus for LAX at 6:45 a.m. ahead of the flight to Hawaii.
“It’s a busy week for us,” said UCI coach Ben Orloff, whose Anteaters are 19-3 overall and 5-1 in the Big West. “We know this will be a big series. And it’s always tough to go to Hawaii. Hawaii has been playing well. It’ll be a huge series on the island.”
Orloff added: “This should be one of the marquee series in the country this weekend.”
The Anteaters returned all their starting position players from last season, including outfielder Caden Kendle, the league’s co-Field Player of the Year. Kendle recently missed five games because of an ailment. But he returned to the lineup against Loyola Marymount, going 3-for-6 to boost his average to .429.
“His progression here, his career here, is nothing like I’ve ever seen,” Orloff said of Kendle.
Kendle suffered an ACL injury as a Marina High senior in 2020. He managed only 27 at bats as a UCI freshman. Kendle hit .328 as a sophomore in 2022 and .335 last year. The St. Louis Cardinals selected Kendle in the 10th round of last year’s MLB Draft. Kendle and the Cardinals did not reach a deal. Kendle was the only player selected in the first 10 rounds not to sign.
“He’s very tough, very competitive,” Orloff said of Kendle. “He’ll do anything to win. And all he cares about is the team.”
Shortstop Woody Hadeen, who hit .367 in 49 games in 2022, missed last season because of an injury. But this season, Hadeen has started all 22 games while hitting .383. He has stolen eight bases in nine attempts.
Left-hander Nick Pinto has emerged as the ace of a young UCI pitching staff. Pinto is 4-1 with a 1.98 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. He averages 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings.
“Nick Pinto is the guy who’s been around a long while,” Orloff said of the grad student. “He’s throwing really well (in series openers). Besides him, every single start on the mound has been made by a freshman.”
Trevor Hansen (3-0), who has matched Pinto with six starts, will pitch on Friday night. Brandon Luu, also 3-0, is scheduled for Saturday’s series-ending matinee. Orloff described Hansen and Luu as “big-time winners” in high school who transcended their three-pitch repertoire and calm demeanor to this level.
Another freshman, Ricky Ojeda, is a set-up pitcher who has twice gone at least three innings of relief.
UCI freshmen have accounted for 72 2/3 — 35.3% — of the 204 innings pitched this season.
“I don’t think there are any teams in the country who have pitched as many freshmen as we have,” Orloff said.
The ’Bows also have relied on youth, using seven freshman pitchers this season. Itsuki Takemoto, Danny Veloz, Isaiah Magdaleno and Zacary Tenn have accounted for nine of the ’Bows’s 15 victories. Last year, the ’Bows relied heavily on six pitchers. Last weekend, the ’Bows used seven different relievers in a three-game sweep of San Diego State. The ’Bows’ pitching is so deep that Tenn, who is 3-0 with a 2.00 ERA, was not used.
“Competition is everywhere,” Hill said. “The fact we’ve been able to stay injury free this year — and have guys compete for innings — has been very healthy.”
BIG WEST BASEBALL
At Les Murakami Stadium
Hawaii (15-7, 2-1 BIG WEST) vs. UC Irvine (19-3, 5-1)
>> Schedule: 6:35 p.m. today, Friday; 1:05 p.m. Saturday
>> TV: Spectrum Sports (today only)
>> Radio: 1420-AM/92.7-FM today, Saturday; 1500-AM Friday
>> Streaming: None
