Manoa, Lewis-Clark St. have scores to settle at tourney

By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

Redemption could be the theme of the Ohana Hotels Rainbow Easter Tournament, which runs tomorrow through next Sunday at Les Murakami Stadium.

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Ohana Hotels Rainbow Easter Tournament • WHAT: Ohana Hotels Rainbow Easter Tournament • WHO: UH-Manoa, UH-Hilo, Hawai'i Pacific, Lewis-Clark State, Birmingham-Southern, UC Riverside, San Jose State. • WHERE: Les Murakami Stadium • TICKETS: $7 adults (blue or orange); $6 adult (red); $5 65-older, students ages 4-18, UH students with IDs (red only) • SCHEDULE: Tomorrow—L-C State vs. Birmingham-Southern, 10 a.m.; San Jose State vs. UC Riverside, 2 p.m.; HPU vs. UH-Hilo, 6:35 p.m. Bye—UH Tuesday—San Jose State vs. HPU, 10 a.m.; UH-Hilo vs. L-C State, 2 p.m.; Birmingham-Southern vs. UH, 6:35 p.m. Bye—UC Riverside Wednesday—UH-Hilo vs. San Jose State, 10 a.m.; L-C State vs. HPU, 2 p.m.; UH vs. UC Riverside, 6:35 p.m. Bye—Birmingham-Southern Thursday—HPU vs. Birmingham-Southern, 10 a.m.; UC Riverside vs. UH-Hilo, 2 p.m.; San Jose State vs. UH, 6:35 p.m. Bye—L-C State Friday—UC Riverside vs. L-C State, 10 a.m.; Birmingham-Southern vs. San Jose State, 2 p.m.; HPU vs. UH, 6:35 p.m. Bye—UH-Hilo Saturday—L-C State vs. San Jose State, 10 a.m.; Birmingham-Southern vs. UC Riverside, 2 p.m.; UH vs. UH-Hilo, 6:35 p.m. Bye—HPU Sunday—UC Riverside vs. HPU, 10 a.m.; UH-Hilo vs. Birmingham-Southern, 2 p.m.; UH vs. L-C State, 6:35 p.m. Bye—San Jose State

Last year, the Panthers bid farewell to the NAIA by beating L-C State in the NAIA national championship game. The Panthers are now in NCAA Division I as a member of the Big South Conference.

Meanwhile, the host Hawai'i Rainbows will try to avenge a four-game sweep from UH-Hilo, when the UH system's teams meet at 6:35 p.m. Saturday.

Also in its debut season in Division I is UC Riverside, yet another Big West team on UH's schedule. The Rainbows have already played Sacramento State and UC Irvine, losing two of three from each. UC Riverside played in Division II last year.

The only non-Division I teams in the tournament are L-C State and Hawai'i Pacific, a Division II program.

Birmingham-Southern Panthers

• Affiliation: Big South
• Record: 13-11
• Coach: Brian Shoop

• Players to watch: 3B Connor Robertson (.409, 8 HR, 33 RBI), OF Michael Cline (.357), OF Adam Pease (.337, 23 RBI, 10 SB), LHP RHP Jon Renfro (3-1, 3.07), Chad Durden (2-2, 3.55), LHP Tyler Sullivan (3 SV, 0.00).

• Notes: Division I debut season after beating Lewis-Clark State for NAIA national title last year.

Hawai'i-Manoa Rainbows

• Affiliation: Western Athletic Conference
• Record: 8-16
• Coach: Mike Trapasso

• Players to watch: 3B Brent Cook (.375, 11 SB), 2B Lane Nogawa (.344), DH Scooter Martines (.330, 15 RBI).

• Notes: Rainbows have won 11 of the 26 tournaments, the last in 1999.

Hawai'i-Hilo Vulcans

• Affiliation: Independent Division I
• Record: 8-25-1
• Coach: Joey Estrella

• Players to watch: CF Kaliko Oligo (.350), DH/1B Keola Park (.318, 15 RBI), RF Darren Chu (.289, 15 RBI), C Nalei Sooto (.265, 4 HR, 13 RBI), RHP Daniel Lockett (2-1, 3.19).

• Notes: Vulcans making their 11th appearance in the tournament.

Hawai'i Pacific Sea Warriors

• Affiliation: Independent Division II
• Record: 17-16
• Coach: Allan Sato

• Players to watch: 2B Wade Taguchi (.400, 6 HR, 32 RBI), SS Nicholas Longpre (.350), CF T.C. Everett (.345), RHP Neil Sullivan (4-2, 6 SV, 5.81).

• Notes: Sea Warriors had an 11-game winning streak at one stretch during the season.

Lewis-Clark State Warriors

• Affiliation: NAIA
• Record: 18-6
• Coach: Ed Cheff

• Players to watch: INF/OF Micah Furtado (.429, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 6 SB), 1B/OF Tory Haven (.429, 8 HR, 19 RBI), 1B Zeph Zinsman (.318, 8 HR, 19 RBI), CF Mark Gallagher (.316, 6 HR, 20 RBI), RHP Andy Torres (4-0, 2.43).

• Notes: Warriors won non-Division I portion of the tournament last year. Micah Furtado (Kapa'a '00) is one of four players from Hawai'i on the roster. Others are C Gavin Concepcion (Pearl City '01), Kyle Correa ('Aiea '99) and C Kona Sampaio (St. Louis '96).

San Jose State Spartans

• Affiliation: Western Athletic Conference
• Record: 17-8
• Coach: Sam Piraro

• Players to watch: C Adam Shorsher (.354, 10 HR, 27 RBI), DH/3B Hector Zamora (.371), 2B Gabe Lopez (.356, 30 RBI), RHP Jeremy Rogelstad (5-3, 2.52 ERA).

• Notes: Game vs. UH does not count toward WAC record. Spartans are making their tourney debut.

UC Riverside Highlanders

• Affiliation: Big West
• Record: 15-10, 0-3
• Coach: Jack Smitheran

• Players to watch: LF Adam Seuss (.386, 21 RBI), CF Brian Wahlbrink (.346, 20 R, 14 RBI, 11 SB), C Jimmy Anderson (.314, 25 RBI), RHP Chris Smith (4-3, 2.37).

• Notes: Highlanders were swept by Long Beach State in conference play March 14-16.