Suzuki's season helps fuel Fullerton's confidence

By Leila Wai
Advertiser Staff Writer

Cal State Fullerton began advertising tickets to the NCAA Regional Baseball Tournament in Fullerton, Calif., six days before it found out it would be hosting.

SUZUKI

Suzuki, a 2001 graduate of Baldwin from Wailuku, leads the team in batting (.438), runs (62), hits (88) and home runs (13).

He was named a second team All-American by Sports Weekly, the weekly publication affiliated with USA Today, last Friday.

Monday, Fullerton was chosen to host one of the 16 regionals in the tournament. The double-elimination regional runs Friday through Sunday.

There are four players from Hawai'i listed on rosters on the 64 teams in regional competition. By Sunday, that number will decrease to two.

Vance Otake, a 2003 graduate of Maui from Kahului, is also on the Titans' roster. Pepperdine, which will play in Fullerton's regional, features two players from Hawai'i. They are junior right-hander Kea Kometani (Punahou '01 of Honolulu) and junior right-hander Peter Phillips (Punahou '01 of Honolulu). Pepperdine (28-30) was the West Coast Conference champion.

Also in the Fullerton regional are No. 17 Arizona State (40-16) and Minnesota (38-21).

More Baseball

Kometani had a 3.94 ERA and a 7-6 record in 16 starts (17 appearances).

Ruth started 55 of 56 games and batted .342 with seven doubles and five home runs.

Honors

Five former Hawai'i high school athletes were named to the West Coast Conference Spring All-Academic teams.

They include:

• Baseball: Pepperdine junior Kea Kometani (Punahou '01 of Honolulu), an economics major (3.26 grade point average).

• Men's golf: Loyola Marymount sophomore Chaz Inouye (St. Anthony '02 of Wailuku), a communications major (3.37).

• Women's golf: Portland sophomore Rie Ganir (Maui '02), a life science major (3.49), and Pepperdine junior Rachel Kyono (Kaua'i '01 of Lawai), a psychology major (3.17).

• Women's tennis: Loyola Marymount junior Janalle Kaloi (Kamehameha '01 of Wahiawa), a psychology major (3.60).

Women's Water Polo

• San Diego senior 2-meter driver Meris Bantilan-Smith (Kahuku '00 of Hale'iwa) was named a Collegiate Women's Water Polo Division II All-American by the American Water Polo Coaches Association for the second straight year.

Bantilan-Smith led the Tritons both offensively and defensively this past season, finishing first in goals scored with 51 and in steals with 87. The 87 steals were a single-season school record.

Men's Tennis

• Saint Louis (Mo.) junior Ikaika Jobe (Punahou '01 of Wailupe) was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District VII At-Large first team.

Jobe, an aviation science major, posted a 22-12 record at No. 1 singles and finished the season ranked No. 126 in the nation by the ITA.

• UCLA junior Chris Lam (homeschooled from Kaimuki) was named to the six-member Pac-10 Conference Academic first team.

Lam has a 3.56 grade point average and is majoring in business-economics with a minor in accounting.

He led the Bruins in singles victories with 35 and is ranked No. 60 in the country.

Women's Tennis

• Redlands (Calif.) junior Erin Hiranaga (University High '01 of Palolo Valley) was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District College Division At-Large team.

Hiranaga went 18-12 in doubles play this year to earn first-team all-Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors for the third year in a row.

It is the second consecutive year Hiranaga was selected to the Academic All-District team.

Track and Field

• Arizona State sophomore Jana Pintz (Kailua '01 of Waimanalo) finished 14th in the javelin at the NCAA West Region Track and Field Championships Saturday.

Pintz's toss was 43.81 meters (143 feet, 9 inches).

Reach Leila Wai at lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2457.