Komine within striking distance of elite pitchers
By Dennis Anderson
Advertiser Staff Writer
If Nebraska's Shane Komine wins his NCAA Super Regional start Friday and strikes out at least six University of Richmond batters, he will join college baseball's most elite pitching group.
Komine, a 1998 Kalani High graduate, would have 40 career wins and at least 500 career strikeouts in four years.
Five pitchers in college baseball history have reached those benchmarks, according to research by the University of Notre Dame, augmented by Homegrown Report. Among them is 'Aiea High grad Derek Tatsuno, who won 40 games and struck out 545 in three seasons at the University of Hawai'i (1977-'79).
In addition to being picked by the Oakland Athletics in the ninth round of the major league draft, Komine yesterday was named a second-team Academic All-American by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Komine, a sociology major, had a 3.21 grade-point average.
It might be the only All-America honor he wins this season. Despite an 8-0 record and 1.93 ERA, Komine was left off the Collegiate Baseball newspaper's All-America team announced Friday. Several other teams have not been announced yet.
He has been picked on eight All-America teams the past two years, but missed 35 days in April and May because of tendinitis in his right (throwing) elbow. The injury apparently dropped him off the All-America radar.
Questions about Komine's back problems and his size (5 feet 8, 160 pounds, according to Major League Baseball; 5-10, 175, according to Nebraska) were contributing factors to Komine not being drafted until the 278th pick yesterday.
Whether he is a major-league prospect, few deny Komine is one of the best college pitchers ever. Coach John Szefc of Marist (N.Y.), victim of Komine's complete-game, 12-strikeout performance last Saturday, said:
"We ran into one of the toughest arms that I have ever seen since I've been coaching or playing college baseball. We pretty much knew Shane was going to be on that level, and he pretty much came out and showed us that he is."
Komine has struck out 99 batters in 79¡ innings this season (an average of 11.2 per nine innings). His career won-lost record is 39-8.
Winner of this weekend's best-of-three series between Nebraska (45-18) and Richmond (52-11) in Lincoln, Neb., qualifies for the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., June 14-22.
SUPER REGIONALS
One other player from Hawai'i is going to a Super Regional this weekend. Junior Brandon Villoria (Maui '99) is a set-up reliever for Notre Dame (47-15), which plays at Florida State (59-12).
It is the first time Notre Dame has advanced in the NCAA tournament in 45 years, since 1957.
Villoria pitched a scoreless seventh inning in Sunday's 9-6 regional final victory over Ohio State. He faced one batter in the eighth and was charged with a run. It was his only action in the South Bend regional.
REGIONALS
Brigham Young: Junior center fielder Doug Jackson (Iolani '99, of Kailua) hit .278 (5-for-18) in four regional games. BYU was eliminated by two narrow losses (one in 12 innings) to Southern California.
Jackson will play this summer for the Orleans Cardinals in the Cape Cod League, the nation's premier wooden-bat league. A record 150 former Cape Cod Leaguers were chosen in last year's first-year player draft, including seven in the first round.
U. of San Diego: Freshman Gavin Ng (Mililani '01) was sent into Saturday's game at Mesa, Ariz., to help protect a 2-1 lead over New Mexico State and did just that.
Ng made what a writer called "an unbelievable diving catch in the left-field corner with two outs and two on in the eighth inning" to save the victory.
San Diego lost twice to Arizona State and was eliminated. Houston won the regional.
Cal State-Fullerton: Freshman Kurt Suzuki (Baldwin '01) was used as a defensive replacement at catcher and a pinch runner at the Stanford regional. Fullerton was ousted in three games, including a 13-inning loss to regional champion Stanford.
