In the latest shuffle to the University of Hawaii baseball team’s pitching rotation, Cade Halemanu is back as the ace for this weekend’s three-game series against UC Irvine at Les Murakami Stadium.
UH coach Rich Hill said Halemanu will pitch on Friday, Andy Archer on Saturday, and “the rest is to be announced” for Sunday’s series finale.
“We had a really good talk with the team (on Tuesday), and we bounced around ideas as a staff and how we want to set (the rotation) up,” Hill said. “Basically, it boiled down to ‘let’s put ourselves in the best position possible to win that day.’ It’s the dollar-bill mentality. We’ve got one dollar, it’s the seventh game, who’s our best? … You go with your best on Friday. You don’t leave anything for the swim back, and you roll with it.”
For now, Halemanu presents the highest currency.
Halemanu, who turned down a free-agent offer to return to UH for his second junior season, struggled in his first two Friday starts to open the 2022 season. He allowed three runs in four innings against Washington State and four runs in five innings against San Diego State.
A blister on a finger of his right (pitching) hand moved Halemanu’s start to the fourth game against nationally-ranked Vanderbilt. Halemanu held the Commodores to a run in 5 1/3 innings. Halemanu relinquished eight runs in 2 1/3 innings against Rutgers. As the No. 2 starter in last week’s three-game series against Long Beach State, Halemanu allowed one run while striking out five in six innings.
Prior to the Long Beach start, Halemanu spent time on self reflection, according to Hill.
“He came back just kind of a different guy mentally,” Hill added. “Much more focused, much more businesslike, much more professional. That confidence you saw at Long Beach, just kind of stepping on the mound, stick the chest out, riding tall in the saddle. He was very aggressive. He was kind of a different guy, which was great to see.”
Buddie Pindel is an option as a reliever, Sunday starter or both. In three starts, Pindel has a 0.97 ERA and 0.89 WHIP. He pitched five scoreless innings, allowing three hits and a walk, in Sunday’s start against Long Beach State.
Pindel also has been flexible. Twice this season, he has come back to pitch on one day’s rest. In his second appearances of a series, he has not allowed a run in 4 2/3 innings.
UH right fielder Matt Wong is credited with being the point recruiter for Pindel. For two years, Wong and Pindel were roommates at the College of Southern Nevada. Wong, a Saint Louis School graduate, already had committed as part of the Rainbow Warriors’ 2020 recruiting class. Wong said Pindel had options, but “he wanted to find a place he truly loved and a place he’ll be comfortable.”
When a UH prospect was selected in the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft, that opened a slot on the ’Bows’ pitching staff. Pindel committed to the ’Bows.
“He’s still my roommate to this day,” Wong said.
