Two Manoa certainties are mist and Hawaii outfielder Matt Wong’s name on a lineup card.
When healthy, Wong has not missed a baseball game in three UH seasons — a total of 115 appearances. Wong, a super senior, will complete his Rainbow Warrior career with this week’s three-game series against UC Santa Barbara at Les Murakami Stadium.
“It’s been a crazy ride,” Wong said. “It’s kind of surreal looking back. These are the last three games … here at UH. It’s everything I wanted to do as a kid. It’s a dream come true.”
Wong appeared ready to pursue pro opportunities or other endeavors at the end of the 2022 season. But medical hardships and the COVID-19 exemption gave Wong the option of returning for a sixth year. After participating in last year’s senior festivities, Wong decided it was not time to bid aloha.
“I was done, but I was having a lot of thoughts,” Wong recalled. “I know injuries took away two years. COVID took away one year. I pretty much missed out on three whole years of baseball. And just knowing I had one full year to go, I thought, why not use it? So I used it.”
This season, Wong is hitting .310 with a team-high eight home runs. He is tied for the lead with 40 RBIs. He also has fulfilled his parents’ rule that when roll is called, “present” is the response.
“No matter what,” Wong said, “you’ve got to get up and attack the day, every day.”
In baseball, Wong said, that meant “if you’re ready, then you’d better be ready to go at any moment. Obviously, if you’re hurt, you can’t go on the field. But if you’re not hurt, and you’re able to play, you play, no matter how you feel.”
Wong, a 2017 Saint Louis School graduate, missed his first season at College of Southern Nevada after suffering a torn right ACL while playing pick-up basketball. During the 2019 season, UH made an offer. In 2020, Wong played in all 17 games of a season that was abbreviated because of the pandemic. While working out, he suffered a torn left ACL. Wong did not miss a rehab session.
“Every day is tough when you’re going through a knee rehab,” Wong said. “It’s keeping the mindset that it’s all worth it. You have to keep working hard and trusting it. It’s not a fun time. It’s nine months of the same thing. It’s all about being positive. Once you get to the ninth month, it means everything to you. It’s worth it.”
Wong did not play in 2021 while recovering from the injury. But he played all 52 games last year, and is a productive leader at the plate, on the field, and in the dugout this season.
“When I watch him on TV, I’m so happy for him,” said George Gusman, who was Wong’s head coach at Saint Louis. “He’s worked for all the successes he’s had. It hasn’t just come naturally. His work ethic was pretty phenomenal. He can throw the ball. He’s got a cannon for an arm. He can run, and he’s fit.”
Gusman recalled Wong was a 5-foot-6 freshman at Saint Louis. He was 6 feet as a senior. Wong is now 6-2.
“It was incredible how much he grew physically and how he grew in the entire game of baseball,” Gusman said. “I can’t say enough good things about Matt.”
Through injuries, rehab sessions and a season’s roller coaster, Wong has remained hopeful. “From my own experience, I feel I’ve been through so much,” Wong said. “Sometimes I’m down on myself. But I’ve always found the light. No matter what, I feel you always have to keep moving forward, putting one foot in front of the other, and eventually you’ll get there.”
Big West Baseball
At Les Murakami Stadium
Who: UC Santa Barbara (35-17, 18-9 BWC) vs. Hawaii (26-20, 15-12 BWC)
When: 6:35 p.m. Thursday, Friday, Saturday
TV: Spectrum Sports
Radio: 1420-AM / 92.7-FM
