For the second consecutive year, Summer, a junior college transfer from two seasons ago, cannot pitch for the Rainbows. The 6-foot-8, 230-pound right-hander sat out last season with a torn ligament in his throwing elbow, hoping rest would be enough to alleviate the pain. But in March of last year, he was told he needed what players fear: Tommy John surgery.

He put off the surgery until the end of the spring semester. Dr. Lewis Yocum, the Anaheim Angels medical director who has performed the surgery on a number of major leaguers, worked on Summer on May 19 in California. Yocum told him it was a combination of factors over the years that led to the injury.

The procedure, which took 2ý hours, Summer said, isn't the hard part. It's the year-long recovery and rehabilitation that is traumatic. He did not throw until last month. He isn't expected to fully recovered until at least mid-May.

"I was pretty upset," said Summer upon realizing he needed the surgery. "Thinking I was going to be out there, I had high expectations of getting drafted. It was tough mentally and physically."

Yet, through it all, Summer has taken the adversity in stride. Even though he can't play, he still dresses in uniform for games. When a pitcher is summoned to warm up, he goes down to the bullpen, too. He contributes as a "bullpen coach."

"Coach (Mike Trapasso) will give me orders and I relay the orders to (the pitcher warming up)," Summer said. "That's another way that keeps me feeling like I'm part of the team."

Trapasso appreciates the way Summer has handled the situation. He said Summer is competitive by nature, so he knows there is some frustration.

"It's a tough thing," Trapasso said. "Rehab and watching is not a fun thing. It's an emotional roller coaster because you have your good days and you have your bad days ... He wants to get out there so bad. But you look at his maturity level and the way he has handled it, it's been very, very well."

Summer, who is from Portland, Ore., said he accepted his fate the day he decided to have the surgery and psyched himself for the long haul. During the summer, he did his rehabilitation with Portland Trail Blazers trainer Doug Rosario at the NBA team's headquarters. That helped raise his spirits.

"It was a lot of fun," he said. "Pro athletes were in there almost every day. I saw almost all of the Trail Blazers."

Because one of the two years he has missed is being used as a red-shirt, Summer's next season would be his last. But Trapasso said the school will petition for a medical hardship that would give him another season.

Summer's disposition has been so positive that Trapasso is looking for a way to bring him on future road trips. (Summer is not on this one to Rice and Louisiana Tech, but he did return home to Oregon for the week-long spring break that starts after today.)

"I may appeal to see if we would be able to fund it, to take him along in addition to our 25-man roster (the WAC travel limit) because of the maturity he brings to the dugout," Trapasso said. "He's been our bullpen coach, particularly for our young kids. I love the kid to death and he deserves to go."

Summer isn't just offering pitching advice. He is also counseling teammate Mark Rodrigues. The left-hander from Kaua'i, who just transferred from a JC, has a detached ligament in his throwing elbow that occurred just before the season opener. Rodrigues is trying to schedule an appointment with Yocum sometime in the next few weeks. Then he faces the long wait like Summer.

"I just told him to stay positive," Summer said. "He has the tools to get drafted. I promise, he will (get drafted)."

That's advice from someone who knows.

Notes: Colby Summer was drafted in the 38th round by the Seattle Mariners out of Mountain View High in Bend, Ore. He was drafted as a shortstop. At the time, he was a lanky 6-6, 180-pounder. Instead, he went to Mount Hood College in Gresham, Ore., then transferred to UH. He also was being recruited by Oregon State, Florida International, San Francisco and Clemson. He chose UH because of the weather. "It was good to get away because I was always playing in the rain," he said ... Like Summer, Mark Rodrigues also has been drafted. Twice, in fact. Rodrigues was picked in the 29th round by Montreal out of Kaua'i High in 2001. He also was drafted the following year in the 37th round by Oakland out of Los Medanos JC.