By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
Hawai'i pitcher Jeff Coleman ambles to the beat of a different boom box.
Here’s a guy who quit baseball his senior year in high school, even while nationally ranked teams like Long Beach State were ringing his phone.
This is the same fellow who basically relied mostly on a fastball and curve through two seasons at Mount San Antonio junior college.
But all that matters is Coleman is the Rainbows’ most reliable and consistent starting pitcher this season. His 3.59 earned run average is more indicative of his ability than his 1-3 record indicates. As frustrating a season as it has been, especially during the team’s record-tying nine-game losing streak, he has maintained his composure.
"He was a wrestler (in high school), so that mentality of competing is there," UH acting coach Carl Furutani said. "He takes that to every game that he pitches. What is unique is that he’s able to control himself. He doesn’t show how upset he is. He keeps that under control."
For Coleman, control isn’t just balls and strikes. It has determined his destiny.
At San Dimas (Calif.) High, he lettered in football, wrestling and baseball. Feeling burned out by year-round sports, he quit the baseball team after five games.
"I just wanted a year off from sports," Coleman said. "My dad didn’t like the fact I wasn’t playing ball at the time."
Especially when Long Beach State called his home and he had to explain that he wasn’t playing ball.
But Coleman played summer ball before enrolling at Mount San Antonio, where he earned West Coast Conference honors.
At the junior college, Coleman said he threw mainly his fastball and curve. He had always known that throwing a slider and split-finger could lead to elbow injuries. He said he had known too many friends who had blown out their arms because of throwing too many sliders.
But on Saturday against Rice, Coleman threw the slider for the first time in his seven starts for the Rainbows. He said he showed it to Furutani last Wednesday at practice.
"That’s why I’ve had a fastball and a curve ball," Coleman said. "I don’t want to injure my arm. But it’s getting to that point in my career where I need another punch-out (pitch)."
Perhaps his decision to not throw the slider until he had matured physically is the reason he has no history of arm problems.
"I think he’s stronger now," Furutani said. "This is the first year somebody put him on a pitch count and he feels good about himself."
Coleman turned down Pepperdine, Cal State-Northridge, Cal State-Fullerton and Lewis-Clark State for UH.
"It was a good package, a chance of a lifetime to live in Hawai'i," Coleman said. "The facilities really made a big difference, too."
Coleman said Hawai'i fits his life style.
"It’s real relaxed," he said. "Growing up in L.A., everything is real rushed."
UH-MANOA
 Horned Frogs next: With the losing streak in their rearview mirror, the Rainbows will try to start a winning one against Texas Christian in a Western Athletic Conference series starting Saturday at Rainbow Stadium.
Hawai'i (8-13, 3-9) will revert to its normal starting rotation of Coleman at 12:05 p.m. Saturday and Sean Yamashita at 1:05 p.m. Sunday. Monday’s 6:35 p.m. starter hasn’t been determined yet.
The top two starting pitchers for the Horned Frogs (13-9, 5-2 WAC) are right-handers Chad Durham (2-0, 2.86) and Chris Bradshaw (4-1, 3.25).
UH-HILO
On the road again: The Vulcans (3-17, 2-10), trying to snap a nine-game losing streak, play a three-game WAC series at Nevada (10-12, 5-6) starting Friday.
HAWAI'I PACIFIC
Series continues: The Sea Warriors continue their series against Teikyo-Post (Waterbury, Conn.) at 4 p.m. tomorrow and Friday at Hans L’Orange Park in Waipahu.
AROUND THE HORN
On schedule: Need to know when No. 5 Nebraska is playing?
For Nebraska residents, all they need to do is look for pitcher Shane Komine. The 1998 Kalani High graduate is on the cover of the Cornhuskers’ pocket schedule for the second consecutive year. He also shares the cover with teammates on the media guide.
Komine (4-1, 5.23 ERA), the 2000 Big 12 Player of the Year, has won his last three outings after starting the season 1-1 with a 10.24 ERA.
Komine, who already owns single-season school records for strikeouts (159) and innings pitched (124á), is closing in on the school career strikeouts record. He is 13 away from tying Mike Zajeski's 289. Zajeski set that mark in four season. Komine is a junior.
Cardinal ace: When Justin Wayne (Punahou ’97) signed with the Montreal Expos last summer, not all Hawai'i ties to Stanford (18-5) were severed.
The Cardinal’s newest ace, sophomore Jeremy Gutherie, has relatives here. Gutherie, whose mother is from Hawai'i, went to high school in Oregon. During spring breaks as a junior and senior in high school, he would come here to visit his grandmother. During those visits, he worked out with Kailua and Kalaheo baseball teams, according to a relative.
Gutherie threw the first complete-game of his collegiate career Friday, beating USC, 2-0. He is 5-0 with an ERA of 0.94.
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