UH baseball team loses assistant coach Sorge
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
Josh Sorge has resigned as associate coach of the University of Hawai'i baseball team, head coach Mike Trapasso said last night.
"Josh and I met Tuesday morning in an end-of-season evaluation meeting," Trapasso said. "It was a mutual agreement. Josh elected to resign at the end of his contract, which is June 30."
UH baseball assistant coach Josh Sorge has resigned his position with the baseball team.
Trapasso declined comment on why Sorge resigned. Sorge could not be reached for comment.
The 28-year-old native of Ohio was the first assistant first-year coach Trapasso hired last summer. Sorge had been a volunteer assistant two seasons at Georgia Tech, where Trapasso was an assistant. Sorge was in charge of hitters and catchers for the Rainbows.
The move follows a 16-40 season, the worst in the program's history.
The Rainbows were last in the Western Athletic Conference in nearly every offensive category.
Their team batting average of .253 was 35 points below the WAC average. Their slugging percentage of .341 was 93 points below the conference average. And their average of 4.64 runs per game was well below the WAC's 6.31.
Upon his hiring last June, Sorge received a glowing review from Georgia Tech head coach Danny Hall.
"Our players had a lot of faith and trust in Josh," Hall told The Advertiser. "He comes from a strong baseball background and really puts a lot into the job."
Sorge played at Ohio University and later served as a graduate assistant there before moving to Georgia Tech.
"Josh will be a very successful coach where ever he lands," Trapasso said.
Trapasso said he hopes to fill Sorge's position within 30 days.
While the search for an assistant goes on, Trapasso and assistant Chad Konishi will continue recruiting players for next season to fill voids left by nine seniors out of eligibility and seven underclassmen who are not returning.
Assistant Keith Komeiji, who cannot recruit because NCAA rules prohibit volunteer coaches from doing so, will coach the summer league Hawai'i Island Movers. Because Komeiji is a UH coach, no present Rainbows can play for the Movers. But UH's high school recruits are allowed to play.
The Rainbows open the 2003 season Jan. 30 against Arkansas.
Other non-conference opponents are No. 14 Wichita State, UCLA, Sacramento State and Coastal Carolina.
Trapasso said the Easter Tournament will have four teams, down from this past season's seven. Joining host UH will be Air Force, Lewis-Clark State and Western Illinois. It might be the final time the tournament will be held during the Easter break. Trapasso would like to move it to early March to attract marquee teams. Most of the nation is already in conference play by the end of March.
