Three players commit to UH baseball

By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

Three recent high school graduates from the West Coast have verbally committed to play baseball for the University of Hawai'i.

Infielder Danny Mocny and right-handed pitcher Jason Piepmeier, both of the Bay Area, and left-handed hitting first baseman Derek Snell, of Washington, will sign with the Rainbows.

Mocny, 5 feet 10 and 175 pounder, played primarily third base for Maria Carrillo High in Santa Rosa, Calif. He also has played shortstop and second base during his three-year varsity career, according to his father, Chris Mocny.

Mocny batted .429 with 20 home runs and 90 RBIs during his three varsity seasons. He batted .472 with three home runs and 29 RBIs this past season. Mocny's home run total dropped as teams pitched around him, his father said.

Mocny also was being recruited by San Jose State, San Francisco and Long Beach State.

Piepmeier, 5 feet 11 and 170 pounds, was 10-3 overall and 5-3 with a 1.67 earned run average in Western Athletic Catholic League play for Serra High in San Carlos, Calif.

Both Mocny and Piepmeier said they were being recruited by new UH assistant Chad Konishi, when he was still an assistant at San Francisco.

"I loved the idea of playing for a new coaching staff," Piepmeier said. "It was a chance to go to a Division I school and Hawai'i's a great place to live."

Chris Mocny said his son took a recruiting visit to UH the weekend of July 14-15.

"Chad Konishi was trying to get him for USF," Chris Mocny said. "But Danny didn't want to play in a city situation, so he told Coach K, 'thanks, but no thanks.' Then he came out to Hawai'i."

Snell played for Rogers High in Puyallup, Wash., where he batted .390 and was 19-of-19 in stolen base attempts.

Snell said he had played well in summer tournaments in Nevada and Washington. Konishi had been scouting at both tournaments, said Snell, who also was being recruited by Nevada.

All are expected to sign letters of intent this week.