Hawai'i Pacific signs six players, Hawai'i-Hilo one
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
Three Hawai'i high school seniors are among six early signees for the Hawai'i Pacific University baseball team, the school announced yesterday.
St. Louis School middle infielders Grandon Costa and Brandon Sato, and 'Aiea High shortstop Chase Nakamura will join HPU for the 2003 season.
The Sea Warriors also signed three players from Orange Coast College — third baseman Ryan Marcos, outfielder Greg Trimble and pitcher Brett Erickson.
Costa, a shortstop, batted .325 last season and Sato, a second baseman, batted. 320. They were Interscholastic League of Honolulu honorable mention selections.
Marcos hit .330 and led his team with four home runs and 47 RBIs; Trimble batted .306 with 10 doubles; and Erickson, a right-hander, was 3-1 in six starts and had one save.
The Sea Warriors open their season Jan. 19 against Sonoma State at Hans L'Orange Park. They also have one game against nationally ranked Florida State, which will play University of Hawai'i-Manoa and UH-Hilo during its trip to Hawai'i. Hawai'i Pacific also will play in the 27th Rainbow Easter Baseball Tournament, March 25-31.
UH-HILO
Vulcans get infielder: Hawai'i-Hilo got Northern California high school shortstop Mark Drever during the early signing period. He will join team for the 2003 season.
Drever was a two-time all-league selection and played on a 16-and-under Junior Olympics team and a Junior Goodwill Team that competed in Australia. He is a switch hitter.
The Vulcans, now an NCAA Division I independent, open the season Jan. 15 against Sonoma State. But they have an ambitious schedule that includes Florida State, San Diego State, Oral Roberts, UCLA, Pepperdine, Brigham Young, Santa Clara and the Rainbows.
CLINIC
Pros on hand: Some of Hawai'i's top pro prospects will be conducting a clinic 9 a.m. Saturday at Hans L'Orange Park in Waipahu, according to organizer Dexter Sardinha.
Bronson Sardinha, an infielder in the New York Yankees farm system, and pitcher Brandon League of the Toronto Blue Jays organization are among the pros who will work the clinic.
A session for children ages 11-and-under will be held from 9 a.m. to noon; a session for those 12-and-older will be held from 1 p.m. to 4.
Participants need to bring shoes, gloves and caps. Those in the morning session are advised to arrive by 8:30 a.m. to sign waivers. There is no charge for the clinics.
Other pros expected to attend are catcher Dane Sardinha (Cincinnati), pitcher Kahi Kaanoi (Kansas City), shortstop Bryce Uegawachi (Cleveland), catcher Mike Tejada (Colorado) and pitcher Hubert Pruett (Milwaukee).
Also helping out will be Pepperdine infielder Duke Sardinha, a former Kamehameha Schools player.
Coaches attending are Les Akeo Sr. and Les Akeo Jr., and former UH player Kenny Harrison.
