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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, June 30, 2001

Trapasso signs Mid-Pac's Bauer

By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

It didn't take long for new University of Hawai'i baseball coach Mike Trapasso to land his first recruit for his debut season.

Mid-Pacific graduate Ricky Bauer was drafted in the 39th round by the Boston Red Sox earlier this month.

Advertiser library photo • May 2001

Mid-Pacific Institute all-state pitcher Ricky Bauer said yesterday that he will sign with the Rainbows. The 6-foot-2, 165-pound right-hander was 6-2 with a 1.69 earned run average in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu. He also was being recruited by California-Irvine.

"I'm happy to stay home," Bauer said. "UH was my first choice. I'm just happy to play for them now."

Bauer was drafted in the 39th-round by the Boston Red Sox earlier this month.

Bauer said he and his parents went to meet Trapasso at Murphy's Bar & Grill when the coach was the guest of a radio show.

"I knew he was a pitching coach, so I just wanted to go down and meet him," Bauer said.

Bauer also had a partial offer from Cal-Irvine, which is reviving its program under coach John Savage. Savage was in Hawai'i earlier this month scouting at the annual Sugar Mill Classic senior all-star game at Hans L'Orange Park.

Bauer was told he would be used as a starting pitcher. He will fill a vacancy left by junior right-hander Jeff Coleman, who signed with the Oakland Athletics after he was drafted in the 21st round. Starting pitchers Sean Yamashita and Chad Giannetti, both right-handers, will return for the 2002 season.

Bauer's commitment comes less than a month into Trapasso's tenure as successor to the retired Les Murakami.