honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Wednesday, May 28, 2003

HAWAI'I HOMEGROWN REPORT
Maui-raised players may meet in NCAA regional

By Dennis Anderson
Advertiser Staff Writer

Maui no ka 'oi?

We may find out this weekend in Fullerton, Calif., where two of Maui's most successful baseball graduates could match up in a dramatic moment.

Brandon Viloria (Maui '99) could set a Notre Dame record for fewest walks allowed per nine innings.

Notre Dame

All told, three of the five players from Hawai'i who are in NCAA Division I baseball regionals are in this four-team tournament Friday through Sunday.

Kurt Suzuki (Baldwin '01) is the clutch-hitting sophomore catcher for No. 3-ranked Cal State-Fullerton. Suzuki has three ninth-inning, game-winning hits this season, including a three-run walk-off home run in Fullerton's last game.

Brandon Viloria (Maui '99) is the senior set-up pitcher for Notre Dame who is flirting with a career record for the Irish in control — that is, fewest walks allowed per nine innings.

Gavin Ng (Mililani '01) of San Diego U., perhaps the fastest baseball player in the West Coast Conference, is often used as a pinch-runner or defensive replacement in the outfield. But Ng's participation this weekend is in doubt because, apparently, of a clash between his left hand and a wall last weekend when the Toreros won two of three from Pepperdine to win the WCC.

"It was a non-baseball injury," a San Diego spokesman said.

Pepperdine is the other NCAA team with key players from Hawai'i. The Waves play Big West champion Long Beach State at Long Beach Friday.

Kurt Suzuki (Baldwin '01) has three ninth-inning, game-winning hits for Cal State-Fullerton.

Cal State Fullerton

Kea Kometani (Punahou '01 of Kahala), Pepperdine's sophomore closer, leads the West Coast Conference in saves with nine and Peter Phillips (also Punahou '01) is another relief pitcher.

Cal State-Fullerton plays San Diego Friday night. Notre Dame meets Arizona earlier. If Fullerton and Notre Dame both win, or both lose, Friday they will meet Saturday.

The other time they could meet, depending upon fate and clutch hits, is in the regional first final game Sunday.

Viloria has given some thought to possibly facing Suzuki in a win-or-lose situation this weekend.

"He's a very good hitter; he's got a lot of hits off me in summer leagues on Maui," Viloria said. They both live in Wailuku.

Asked how he would pitch Suzuki, Viloria said, "He's not going to read this, is he?" Convinced that his secret was safe, Viloria said he would pitch to Suzuki the same way he pitches to everyone else.

"I throw against the norm," he said. "My game plan is to get ahead on the count with my curveball, then hit spots with my fastball. I get them to hit a fastball they are not expecting.

"My curveball is pretty good, and I have good control."

Control so good that he might break Notre Dame's career record for fewest walks per nine innings. Viloria did not walk his first batter this season until April 27; he has four all told, one of those intentional.

Viloria has pitched in only 22 innings this year, usually one at a time in the seventh or eighth to set up the closers. His earned-run average is 1.64.

Viloria was a walk-on four years ago, urged by his roommates to try out. "I was excited just to make the team," he said, "and each year my role has become more and more vital."

Last year Notre Dame played in the College World Series. Viloria was not called into a game, but still considers going to Omaha his biggest baseball thrill.

Right up there with graduating earlier this month with a 3.63 grade-point average. He already has a job with Knolls Atomic Power Lab, where they design nuclear power systems for submarines and aircraft carriers.

He received the Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley Rockne award as the top student-athlete on the baseball team and was nominated for Academic All-America.

Kurt Suzuki's older sister, Keri Ann, graduated from Notre Dame last year. "I'm going to give her a call this week," Viloria said Monday, "and see if I can find out his weaknesses."