Hawai'i baseball adds two recruits

Advertiser Staff

The University of Hawai'i baseball team has added a catcher and an infielder to its recruiting haul for the upcoming season.

Grady Symonds, a catcher from Triton (Ill.) Community College, and Jason Carlson, a high school infielder from Lompoc, Calif., have committed to the Rainbows, family members said yesterday.

In addition to Ricky Bauer, a Mid-Pacific Institute graduate who announced his decision last month, they are the first recruits to commit to the Rainbows since Mike Trapasso become head coach in May.

Symonds and Carlson visited UH this past weekend.

Trapasso declined comment, citing NCAA restrictions.

But Bob Symonds (pronounced Simmons), head baseball coach at Triton, said his son selected UH over Creighton and Southwest Missouri State. He said his son hit .390 with eight home runs and 65 RBIs during a 59-game season.

He said his son, a 6-foot-2, 180-pounder, chose UH because, "we can get several of their games off the (satellite) dish," and they like Trapasso's teaching approach to the game.

Grady Symonds is expected to pick up the slack left by the loss of catcher Jacob Flick, who is moving to Oregon with his family and hopes to become a firefighter. He will compete with junior Brian Bock for the starting job.

Carlson, a 5-11, 175-pounder, hit .385 for Lompoc High where he was a starter at shortstop for the past three seasons. He said he also considered Cal State-Northridge. Carlson is expected to help shore up the middle of the infield, which was a defensive liability last season.