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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, November 8, 2006

COLLEGE BASEBALL
UH lands Washington prep infielder

By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

Another Pacific Northwest high school player is expected to join the University of Hawai'i for the 2008 baseball season.

Infielder Connor Moore, a senior at Mead High in Spokane, Wash., joins Idaho prep pitcher Alex Capaul in giving UH a verbal commitment to play for the 2008 season. Today is the first day recruits may sign binding letters of intent.

"I've always wanted to play Division I baseball and I think the University of Hawai'i would be a good fit for me," Moore said in a telephone interview last night.

Moore batted .325 with seven doubles, two triples and 27 RBIs in 25 games last year when he was a first-team selection to the all-Greater Spokane League.

"Quite an honor for a junior in our league, (which) tends to put many more seniors on the first team," wrote Mead coach Jason Reich in an e-mail.

Although he throws right-handed, the 6-foot, 165-pound Moore said he bats left-handed. He said his primary position is second base, but has experience playing shortstop and third base.

"In most things, I'm ambidextrous," Moore said. "But I grew up hitting left-handed."

Moore played in American Legion in his area, as well as for Baseball Northwest, a club team that played in a showcase in Oregon, where he said UH coaches saw him play.

Capaul, who told The Advertiser of his commitment on Monday, posted a 4-2 record, "but had some tough no-decisions," Lake City (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) coach Cory Bridges wrote in an e-mail. Capaul had an earned run average of 2.50 with 28 strikeouts in 30 innings.

"Alex is a great kid," Bridges wrote in the e-mail. "He is very likeable and a very hard worker. Alex has tremendous upside as a baseball player ... He has a great body (6 feet 3, 205 pounds) for a pitcher and wants and desires to be great. He will have some growing pains early, but I feel he will get through just fine."

The Rainbows open their 2007 season Jan. 26 in a three-game series against Santa Clara at Les Murakami Stadium.

Hawai'i completed fall team workouts several weeks ago and are now in individual instruction.

In 2008, the Rainbows will open in late February because of a mandatory uniform starting date that the NCAA approved earlier this year. That means the UH season will be more compact. Since teams will have less time to schedule their 56 games, the Western Athletic Conference will increase its regular season series from three to four games, Rainbows coach Mike Trapasso said.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.