Isle File
Scalabrini is UH baseball's MVP
Advertiser Staff
Two seniors and two juniors claimed the top awards at the annual University of Hawai'i baseball awards banquet last night at the Japanese Cultural Center.
Retiring UH coach Les Murakami, who was honored at Saturday night's game, made an appearance at the banquet.
Senior third baseman Patrick Scalabrini, of Quebec, Canada, was named Most Valuable Player. He is the only Rainbow to play all 56 games. He led the team in runs (46) and batted .319 with 14 doubles, seven home runs, 38 RBIs and 19 stolen bases.
Senior Matthew Purtell, a walk-on junior college transfer from California and the most versatile player, was named the Most Inspirational Player. During the season, he played shortstop, second base, center field and DH. He batted .304.
Junior Jeff Coleman, a junior college transfer from California, was named Most Outstanding Pitcher. He led the Rainbows with an 8-6 record with an earned run average of 3.75. He had won seven of his last nine decisions. He is expected to be taken in next month's amateur draft.
Junior Gregg Omori, who played second base, first base and designated hitter, was named Most Outstanding Player. The transfer from San Francisco led the team in batting (.367), hits (84), doubles (25), home runs (11), RBI (62) and slugging percentage (.620). He started in 55 of the 56 games.
The Scholar-Athlete Award was given to junior pitcher/designated hitter Aaron Pribble, who had a 3.91 grade point average in political science.
In other awards given last night:
Verizon Award: Danny Kimura. Most outstanding first-year players: Jeff Coleman and Gregg Omori. Omori also earned trophies for leading in batting, RBIs, total bases and homers. Purtell won an award for most stolen bases (25) and Scalabrini for most runs.
MORE BASEBALL
• Honors for Komine: University of Nebraska pitcher Shane Komine of Honolulu was named to the All-Big 12 Tournament team yesterday after the Cornhuskers defeated Texas A&M, 7-4, at the Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City for the tournament title.
Komine improved to 12-1 in pitching Nebraska to a tournament opening 7-1 victory over Oklahoma State on Thursday.
GOLF
• Seki, McLachlin advance: Former Hawai'i state high school champions Jim Seki and Parker McLachlin advanced with their teams to the NCAA Championship by finishing in the Top 10 on Saturday at the West Regional.
Seki (71-220) tied for 26th and helped Stanford into a sixth-place finish, with UCLA and Oregon State, at 17-over par. Arizona State won at 12 under. UCLA's McLachlin closed with a 74 to tie for 38th, at 223. Scott Carlyle, the University of Hawai'i's lone qualifier, was also at 223 after shooting 76.
CORRECTION
• Akamu a winner: Jordan Akamu of Iolani won the state high school track and field title in the discus with a throw of 158 feet, 10 inches. His named was misspelled in yesterday's Advertiser.
