Shortstop commits to UH

By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

Another nationally ranked high school player has verbally committed to the University of Hawai'i baseball team.

Shortstop Joe Spiers, an incoming senior at Arrowhead Christian Academy in Redlands, Calif., said yesterday he will sign with UH during the early signing period in November.

Spiers, an all-California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Division V (based on enrollment) player, is ranked 158th among Perfect Game USA's top 400 high school prospects. (Perfect Game USA is a scouting service.)

"They gave me a good deal," Spiers said of the Rainbows. "Their offer had everything I wanted."

The 5-foot-10, 185-pound right-handed hitter, who also plays the outfield, said he was also drawing interest from a number of other programs, such as UC Irvine, Arizona State and Cal State-Fullerton.

Last week, Greg Burns, an outfielder from Walnut (Calif.) High, said he will sign with UH. Burns is ranked 92nd nationally by Perfect Game USA.

UH also received a verbal commitment last week from Mid-Pacific Institute right-handed pitcher Harrison Kuroda, who was an Interscholastic League of Honolulu first-team all-star this past season.

Spiers, the Most Valuable Player of the Christian League in the CIF Southern Section, hit safely in all of his team's 32 games, the fourth longest-hitting streak in CIF history, according to a Los Angeles Times story. His team made it to the Division V semifinals.

Spiers was described by Perfect Game USA as having "above average speed and some pop in his bat."

By NCAA rules, UH coach Mike Trapasso can't comment on recruits until they sign letters of intent.