Warrior Beat: Dylan Thomas to start opener
UH baseball coach Mike Trapasso announced that Dylan Thomas will be the Rainbow Warriors’ opening-night starting pitcher.
Thomas, a fourth-year junior, led the Big West with 14 saves last season.
He turned down an offer to sign with the Minnesota Twins this past summer to return to UH.
In preseason training, Thomas has cross-trained as a starter and reliever. He is averaging 60 pitches a session and is on track to reach the 90-pitch threshold for starting pitchers entering the season opener. Trapasso said Thomas has shown enough to merit the role as a Friday starter, the job reserved for an ace. Trapasso said the pre-conference schedule is an opportunity to experiment before heading into Big West play. Thomas can return to the bullpen if needed, Trapasso said.
Let’s do this Dylan!
GO BASEBOWS !!!
ST is pulling TRIPLE duty – FOOTBALL, basketball, baseball.
That means you are collecting triple PAY – right ?
GO ST !!!
Save Dylan for conference or don’t send him out to start too many games. Too many times our pitchers burn out when it’s time for the conference games.
islandman- YES!!!!!
Marketing finally figured out that the best songs for their karaoke segment are songs from the eighties. Everybody knows the lyrics to “Don’t Stop Believin'”. We didn’t need to follow the bouncing the ball; we know the lyrics. (I am the spokesperson for Generation X who cares about Hawaii athletics.) It is very hard to sing along to contemporary rhythm and blues. I have no idea what’s in the Top 40. Scandal’s “The Warrior” next, please.
A band who calls themselves Better Oblivion Community Center(Conor Oberst & Phoebe Bridgers) performed a song called “Dylan Thomas” on Colbert just last night. That is my music. Neo-folk.
Mamane Namahoe’s Uncle gave me a bag of limpids. Shelled some, put salt, peppers, and dash of sesame seed oil into bowl. Mix it with limpids and shined it myself. Neva share with nobody. ONOLICIOUS!!!
Northern Arizona hired Aaron Price as an assistant. Poor Slugger.
Whitey:
limpids, eh!
me like sum ‘opihi’ too!!!
I’ve brought this up before but I think it applies to Men’s and Women’s Basketball and to Baseball as well to some extent, but there needs to be more Locally produces player(s) to be on their rosters.
In the heyday of Reilly Wallace and Vince Goo teams their rosters were dotted with local products that made significant contributions. A lot of it had to do with talent (of these local recruits) but its basis was built on the “trust” (by Goo and Wallace)that they would make a contribution. I think the Men’s and Women’s Basketball programs should, like the Football program put some effort to hold skills clinics and basketball specific speed and quickness courses to kids of all ages. Design it to develop interest and instill the confidence (for both the player and the program) that he/she can, with some developed proficiency, aim to become a Rainbow Warrior. There is no reason that the “missing piece” that can get both these programs “over the (mediocrity) hump” (especially in the “JUNK” Big West Conference) cannot be produced here on the islands.
As the Football and both Volleyball programs strides it’s way toward profitability, both Basketball programs need to make it’s move while Football markets on it’s progress. And I believe (my opinion) that UH Basketball needs to regain that “sentimentality” of their past (Ohana brand?) to increase and maximize attendance like we remember it. The WAC was a so much more competitive Conference and UH was usually right there in the race. Wild crowds, rivalries, raucous student body sections and contributing locally produced players. It can come back. We can do this here again. Up to Beeman and Ganot (and Trapasso too) though. Gotta get profitable here. Soon. Hard to believe but its so possible. Amazing.
As far as my recollections of UH Baseball and it’s heyday under Murakami was that the Locally produced player was its base. Dotted with some power (arms and bats) and a different type of speed from mainland recruits the “brand” lent itself to an exciting(mentally tough/ resilient) style of play with a lot of visibly applied strategy and it was often exhilarating. Its different now but I wont blame Trapasso for that. Maybe because MLB scouting IDK, it’s just not the same. 10-12 years ago was close to the same feeling. Got to get back to that point. Somebody correct me (Cappie) if I am remembering wrong. We need to be more profitable (back to best in nation) for Baseball.
Imagine if…….
Men’s Volleyball top 10 in attendance (probable)
Women’s Volleyball top 10 in attendance (possible; soon be normal)
Men’s Basketball 6000-7500 per game (maybe someday soon?)
Baseball near capacity/SRO (Matlin should aim for nothing less)
Football 35000-40000 (can with on field success and marketing)
Women’s Basketball 3500+ (with some on court success and a different marketing angle)
Can?
UConn women’s basketball averaged 10,026 in 2017-18 but ended with a financial deficit. Must be due to the high amount they pay to the coaches.
Col A, if and when I make it to tailgate, I will bring a bag of limpids.
Hawaii baseball misses (altho he retired long ago) Coop Derenne. Great recruiter! Too bad his son went to the mainland as well. Don’t know what happened but UH baseball went down slowly after he left. Also, they need more hitters
An ex-player from San Diego U, 3-4 yrs ago, told us that “Trapp” favors more mainland players. He didn’t mention prejudice or
bias but we kinda caught his drift. That was only his opinion and really cant say for sure if it is true. You try figure.
What’s up with this …
San Diego State football gets a commitment from Hawaii product Liloa Kapiko.
san diego state ??? … how come ???
Comparing local high school basketball and baseball talent is like comparing avocados and mangoes.
I think it’s just a matter of time before the High School (Prep Aged) Basketball “stigma” that exists here (as far as developing next level talent) begins to erode. But it will take some effort from evaluators representing “next level” institutions to lend advice and “guidance” to these Teens (and their parents) so they can acquire the skills necessary to advance. University of Hawaii should be at the forefront and provide the “spark” for these kids just as they do for Football. All they need is the proper tutoring and instruction (not necessarily coaching) so they can fit in that certain “role” moving forward. We can make Big West talent here. I’m certain of it. Hawaii developed players of WAC talent back in the day. Just need to be prepared to fit into your “role” in College. Got plenty talent here, Just a matter of time.
The thing is that many of the top local HS basketball players also play football or volleyball and go that route. Then there’s guys like Brandon Brooks who played water polo, or Chance Kalaugher. There are lots of kids that can play Division 2 basketball but end up being marginal at Division 1. The good ones like Derrick Low, Clifton Jones, or Tolu Smith go away. It’s tough and will take awhile.
suckabooya- I like that you described our athletic programs as “mediocre”. That is exactly how I would describe it. If you, say, look at a complete list of the schools in the men’s college basketball RPI, you get perspective. Hawaii is ranked 198th out of 353 schools. That puts Hawaii in the middle. In other words, the mediocrity zone. Hawaii has a better chance than Delaware State at moving into a better neighborhood. People are so indifferent(they really are!!!) to Hawaii sports because there is the perception that we are in the, pardon the derogatory term, “slums”. Hawaii can’t be Duke. But Hawaii, with just a little more financial support(Hawaii needs a sugardaddy), could be an amalgamation of St. Mary’s(no football program) and, damn, I have to go outside the west region to make my point, say, Troy, Western Michigan, or Coastal Carolina. Hawaii can be a mid-major that is competitive in football and the so-called “minor sports”. It is not a bridge too far if you compare the program to other low-mid-major programs instead of the Power 5 schools. Mike Trapasso is a pretty good recruiter. The ball park cripples offensive numbers. Move in the fences. A smaller field will make Hawaii’s pitchers pitch smarter and get them better prepared for venues where the ball carries.
I am making a bold prediction. Laura Beeman’s squad will make the NCAAs.
This is sort of Hawaii-related.
Megan Huff is the reason Utah is in the Top 25. She has a shot at second-team All-American. The backup center. Sorry, I can’t let this go.
The real good players here are “stars”, but next level they will be “complimentary” role players so they may need to “focus” on a specific skill that will enhance their value. Even Brandy Richardson had to adjust her game and fill a defensive/rebounder role on a good (not great) college team.
By seventh grade you can tell which players will have next level size so that’s when they should focus on a specific skill (mid range, defense, corner 3, cut and slash, etc.). And always be able to handle the ball no matter your position. It might be a while before this State develops a star player like Derrick Low, but once someone guides this generation of talent to certain “roles” (what if Kalaugher had a knock down mid range game or Kupaa could handle the ball like a guard) the “stigma” will begin to fade. Matter of time, and guidance.
Cappie
That is quite the Bold Prediction.
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