"My whole focus has changed," Wilder said. "My goals have changed from statistical goals and winning goals to just trying to stay healthy, making sure I stretch and making sure I don't hurt myself. Everything else will just work out, hopefully."

He had three surgeries to repair different areas of his shoulder, which he injured two summers ago and aggravated it during the season.

"It's stronger than it's ever been," Wilder said. "It feels like a brand-new shoulder. The doctors did a real good job on it and the people in Hawai'i did a good job rehabbing it. I was in a sling for about a month (during the summer in California), so I really didn't do much at home, as far as rehabbing."

As fast as ever

Wilder also had his nose reconstructed. The injury caused him to lose most of his sense of smell.

The hamstrings, meanwhile, improved with rest. Although he could not do most of the drills during "scout day," or when pro scouts run tests on the players, he was able to run. Wilder was timed at 6.42 seconds — "my fastest ever" — in the 60-yard dash, he said.

The player UH recruited out of Sierra College (Rocklin, Calif.) was supposed to bring speed to a program that needed it on the base paths and in center field. But then came the injuries. Wilder batted .193 with only one extra-base hit, a double. He managed to steal seven bases in eight tries. One thing the injuries did not affect was his batting eye. He walked 18 times and struck out 14 times, the only Rainbow to walk more than strike out.

"It was definitely frustrating," Wilder said. "Seemed like every week something happened to me. After a while, it definitely affects you mentally. You almost feel like you're not helping the team out as much as you should be able to. You feel like you can, but your body's not letting you. It's just mentally draining."

Getting in the groove

Because the shoulder surgeries left him in a sling, he was basically inactive during summer. When school started in August, baseball was still out of the picture. While teammates participated in fall practice, Wilder spent time at a rehab center.

"As soon as I got out of class, I'd be there at 12 o'clock until 5 or 6 at night," he said.

He didn't swing the bat until December. During the winter break, he went home for a week, but returned early to work with new hitting coach Travis Janssen.

"I was able to stay here, work with him one-on-one, working on my swing to smooth things out," Wilder said. "It was really a good thing to be here and have him here over Christmas break because I felt like, instead of falling behind after Christmas, I actually moved ahead. It was definitely a good thing for me because I wasn't around during the fall and didn't get to talk to (Janssen)."

Wilder, who played center field last season, will move to left with Matt Inouye slated to start in center, UH coach Mike Trapasso said. Unlike last season, the Rainbows have depth, so there will be competition for the position. Newcomers Jose Castaneda, Kyle Thomas and Jeff Piaskowski, as well as returnee Derek Dupree (who also can play center), are other candidates in left field. The competition suits Wilder just fine.

"It's different this year because if I get hurt, there are guys who can go in," he said. "For the team, that's definitely good."

Wilder is eager for the season to start, but not so much for individual goals.

"I think it's more crucial for the team than for me this year," he said. "It's important to get off to a good start and finish (strong). Last year, we had a tough time finishing our last 10 games or so. It's going to be a fun year. It's going to be big for Hawai'i if we can get back into the regionals. I know it's been a long time for everyone. If we do that, we put Hawai'i back on the map, as far as a baseball school again."

Notes

The annual alumni game will not be played this season. Coach Mike Trapasso said injuries were a factor; Robbie Wilder tweaked his hamstring in last year's game. Trapasso said he wanted to continue playing the game, but when he learned the NCAA is considering banning such exhibitions as early as next season, he decided this was as good a time as any to end the tradition.

The program's annual fund-raiser, The Grand Slam Celebration, is set for Feb. 1 at the Stan Sheriff Center. For information, call the baseball office at 956-6247.