'Bows playing in Hawai'i league
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
Rainbows, future Rainbows and a number of homegrown talent dot the six rosters of the Hawaii Collegiate Baseball League.
The league begins its third season June 15. It is counting on using Les Murakami Stadium, but won't know its availability until later because of planning involved with the replacement of the stadium's artificial turf. Otherwise, other fields will be used, league chairman Al Kam said.
The summer league was displaced from Aloha Stadium, which won't switch to the baseball configuration, the league was told. The league played at Aloha for the past two summers.
The league had plans on expansion to eight teams, but because of the uncertainty of a venue, Kam said he kept the league at six. The teams are the Waikiki Surfers, Hawaii Aliis, Oahu Paddlers, Kamuela Paniolos, Kauai Menehunes and Waimea Bay Waves. There are 203 players, 34 on each of five teams and 33 on one. The rosters are set and are not expected to be increased at this late juncture.
Hawai'i Rainbows in the league are catcher Kevin Fujii (Waikiki), catcher Bryan Ruff (Hawaii), outfielders Brandon Haislet and Derek DuPree (both of Hawaii), and pitchers Harrison Kuroda (Kauai) and Nick Rhodes (Waimea Bay).
The future Rainbows are JC transfers Shane Hoey (Hawaii) and pitcher Jared Alexander (Oahu).
There also are three pitchers from Hawaii Pacific: David Chow (Oahu), Aaron Kent (Kamuela) and Kaimi Mead (Kauai). There also is one from UH-Hilo in John Holley (Kauai).
There are 16 players from Hawai'i high schools in the league who play at schools on the Mainland. (See accompanying rosters.)
There also are some recent high school graduates who will play, such as Kamehameha outfielder Waylen Sing Chow. He is planning to attend Nevada, where he said will get a tryout in the fall. Although Sing Chow will be one of the youngest in the collegiate league, he feels it will help him in the tryouts.
"It will give me a better picture of the competition at the next level," he said.
Sing Chow said even if he does not make the Wolf Pack, he will stay for the education.
Two other recent high school graduates are from the Mainland with plans of playing at San Diego.
Some of the coaches in the league are familiar with Hawai'i. Former HPU coach David "Boy" Eldredge will coach the Oahu Paddlers; he is coach at Southern Utah. Hawai'i-Hilo assistant Kevin Kane will coach the Waimea Bay Waves. Carl Fraticelli will coach the Hawaii Aliis; he is a former Kalaheo and Loyola Marymount standout.
Other coaches with ties to Hawai'i are Waimea's Ikaika DuPont (HPU graduate assistant), Kauai's Shannon Hirai (Kalani High coach), Kamuela's Mark Hirayama (Kamehameha assistant) and Waikiki's Todd Koishigawa (Pac-Five coach).
The players are scheduled to arrive here June 13 with the first games two days later. The players will be housed at Kalo Terrace near UH. Should the games be held at Murakami, it will be convenient for the players. All six teams will be in action each day with tripleheaders scheduled if all of the games are at a single site.
The league has players from various collegiate levels, ranging from Division I to Division III, NAIA, junior colleges and even a few recent high school graduates.
The league's Web site is: www.hawaii-cbl.com.
Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.