In the Manoa reign, there is one certainty.
“The umbrella that covers this senior class,” Hawaii baseball coach Mike Trapasso said, “is they are all quality, quality guys who come from quality families. That’s where it all starts.”
For five seniors, it all ends this weekend at Les Murakami Stadium. Friday’s series opener against sixth-ranked UC Santa Barbara will mark the final home games for third baseman Ethan Lopez, shortstop Maaki Yamazaki and pitchers Dominic DeMiero, Kash Koltermann and Colin Ashworth. The Rainbow Warriors conclude the regular season with next week’s road games against Long Beach State.
“It’s important to know all five guys are going to graduate,” Trapasso said. Lopez, Yamazaki, DeMiero and Koltermann participated in last Saturday’s graduation ceremony. Ashworth, who earned a bachelor’s degree in economics last year, recently received a graduate certificate in public administration.
Those five will be honored in a senior ceremony following Sunday’s game. Pitchers Kyle Hatton, Scott Bellina and Dylan Thomas qualified for degrees, but they still each have a season of eligibility remaining. Thomas, a fourth-year junior, is expected to be selected in the early rounds of next month’s Major League Baseball’s Draft for First-Year Players.
Lopez said it has been surreal as he nears the conclusion of his four-year UH career. He remembered being a La Mirada High (Whittier, Calif.) student when he received a call from Rusty McNamara, who was a UH assistant coach at the time.
“He called me about coming out to Hawaii,” Lopez said. “I didn’t know what was out here. But I got to check out the stadium and facilities (during the recruiting visit) and I got to meet the coaches. I knew it was the right fit for me. The coaches made it feel like it was home. The players I got to hang out with — Kyle Von Ruden took me around on my visit — I got to meet a lot of the guys, and I felt really comfortable here.”
Lopez was an infielder in 2016, an outfielder as a sophomore, a third baseman last year, and a leader this year. After center fielder Adam Fogel and second baseman Dustin Demeter suffered season-ending injuries, Trapasso noted, “Ethan picked up the slack. He’s really been our run producer (team-high 40 RBIs). … Ethan has been tremendous. Of our seniors, he’s the one who has been a leader for us.”
One of Trapasso’s most successful recruiting jobs was answering the knock on his office door. Yamazaki, who was born and reared in Japan, wanted to join the ’Bows after completing his studies in Oregon.
“I was nervous a little bit to talk to him,” Yamazaki said. “It was nice. Everyone was nice.”
Trapasso offered Yamazaki a spot with the intent he could help defensively. After redshirting in 2017, Yamazaki led the ’Bows in hitting last year.
“He’s been our mainstay,” Trapasso said. “When you talk about the Big West, it’s a pitcher-and-shortstop conference. For him to be the first-team, all-conference shortstop last year, with the competition he was facing, was a great accomplishment. He’s been a great player for us offensively and defensively.”
DeMiero had an immediate impact when he joined the ’Bows as a sophomore. That 2017 pitching staff led the nation in fewest walks per nine innings. That season, DeMiero allowed 1.31 walks per nine innings. DeMiero has experienced arm issues during his UH career, but has pitched well recently.
“Dom’s a guy I’m really close to,” Trapasso said. “He’s a lefty. He’s Italian. Right out of the gate, that puts him near and dear to my heart. That kid’s been through a lot. Go back to him two years ago, he was our Friday guy. He was a legit Big West Friday starter. Some injuries over the years have kind of taken their toll. He threw well on our (recent) trip in limited action. I’m hoping over the next two series, he can come in and help us.”
DeMiero said: “Just playing every game with the boys, with your family, it’s fun to go to battle with them and compete with them in a place like Hawaii. It’s been an amazing experience.”
In middle school, Koltermann made a mental list of his dream schools to play baseball. UH made the cut. After attending Bellevue College, which has served as a pipeline to UH, Koltermann’s goal became a reality.
“You’re talking about a quality person who has been really consistent in coming out of the bullpen in spots and throwing strikes,” Trapasso said of Koltermann. “With Kash, you know what you’re going to get.”
Koltermann said: “Just the experience of representing a whole state and really feel like it’s a community is pretty special.”
Koltermann said earning a degree is “one of the biggest accomplishments I’ve been able to do personally. I think I’m the first person on both sides of my family to be able to graduate from college. It feels good to finally get a degree.”
Ashworth’s senior season was abbreviated last year when he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in a moped accident. But he qualified for a medical redshirt, making him eligible for a sixth season. “So when coach renewed my scholarship, why not start a master’s and go out on my own terms,” Ashworth said.
Ashworth began his college career at Arizona State, following the cleat-steps of his uncle, Floyd Bannister. Bannister was the first overall pick in Major League Baseball’s amateur draft in 1976. Bannister pitched 15 seasons in the majors.
A coaching change prompted Ashworth to transfer from ASU. After a season at Orange Coast Community College, Ashworth joined UH. He has been a dependable reliever this season. His next goal is to record more saves … as a firefighter. His aha moment came after earning his bachelor’s degree last year.
“I graduated in economics, and I felt I wasn’t the kind of guy — being on a baseball field my whole life — who was meant to sit behind a desk,” said Ashworth, who is in the interview stage with the Orange County Fire Authority. “I think fire service brings the team camaraderie that I’m looking for and community service. You get to show up on people’s worst day and make it a little better. I think I can find some purpose in that.”
BIG WEST BASEBALL
>> Who: No. 6 UC Santa Barbara (41-7, 15-3 BWC) at Hawaii (20-24, 8-10)
>> When: 6:35 p.m. Friday, Saturday; 1:05 p.m. Sunday
>> Where: Les Murakami Stadium
>> TV: Spectrum Sports
>> Radio: KKEA 1420-AM Friday, Saturday; KHKA 1500-AM Sunday
