"The way he impressed everybody was by pumping strikes," Harrington said. "He's had a real positive attitude for all of his teammates (while) just waiting for that time to come."

"Having an organ taken out of your body would typically keep most people down for a while," Harrington said. "He was determined to get back out on the field and start pitching. He was extremely excited to get that start."

"I was talking to (coach Mike) Trap (Trapasso) the night after he threw and everybody believes that regardless of who we're facing, he was going to have success the way he was throwing the ball," Harrington said. "His fastball had movement. He's getting better every time he goes out there."

"He has really sound mechanics, throws a lot of strikes," Harrington said. "He's mixing up his pitches: fastball, a good changeup. He's leading the team in ERA right now (1.97) and there's a reason for that."

"He loves the game the most," Harrington said. "You can't find anyone that's happier to be on the baseball field than Jeff Soskin. If it were up to him, he'd pitch everyday. Jeff's a very intelligent pitcher and has a lot of savvy on the mound."

"We were really excited to see him get into the game," Harrington said. "We talked after and he said, 'I'm not where I want to be, yet.' I told him 'It's baby steps, one-day-at-a-time.' He had his opportunity and came away with success. That was good to see."

"He's always got a smile on his face, soft-spoken, but fun to be around," Harrington said of his fellow starter. "He's definitely started out the season hot, throwing a lot of strikes."

"He's waiting in the bullpen, kind of like an angry dog waiting to get out of his cage sometimes," Harrington said. "He definitely throws pitches with tenacity and doesn't care if the bases are loaded with a full count. He's one of my favorite guys on the staff to watch pitch. Being in the role he has now, he's always throwing in the tight spots. You wouldn't want anybody else when the game's on the line like that."

Davis also played left field in the ninth inning Sunday. He played the outfield in the fall, when UH had some players out with injuries.

"He had just as many home runs in junior college as Justin Frash; Tyler always lets Justin know that," Harrington said. "Tyler is quite an athlete. I think it was a shame a ball didn't go his way because I think he would've shown a lot of people what he could do. I think in the fall, he made about five diving catches that were very spectacular."

"He definitely makes all the pitchers on the staff jealous with how hard he throws," Harrington said. "We're always looking at him, wondering how he does it with his stature (listed at 5-10, but Harrington says maybe 5-9). Another guy (that) when the game's on the line, you want him in there going after hitters."

"I call him Mr. Sunshine or Mr. Optimism," Harrington said. "He definitely keeps us laughing."

"He's got the nastiest slider on the team," Harrington said. "Very soft-spoken, doesn't have much to say, but when he does, he makes you laugh."

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.