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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, November 21, 2009

UH recruits make it official


By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawai'i signed six players this past week for the 2010-11 season, the school announced.

'Iolani left-handed pitcher Jarrett Arakawa, Kamehameha catcher Keanu Carmichael and Campbell right-handed pitcher Kale Ka'alekahi III are players from here who told The Advertiser earlier this year they had verbally committed to UH.

Joining them will be pitchers Luke Taylor, a senior at Woodinville (Wash.) High, Michael Blake, a sophomore from Mount Hood (Ore.) College and Kenny McDowall, a sophomore at the College of Southern Nevada.

Arakawa, an Advertiser all-state selection at utility, was 5-1 with three saves in 14 appearances and batted .411 with 17 RBI in helping the Raiders win the Interscholastic League of Honolulu baseball crown this past season. He is the starting quarterback for the Raiders football team that is in the First Hawaiian Bank Division II state tournament.

Carmichael was an Advertiser all-state selection at catcher last season. He batted .410 with four home runs and 20 RBI.

"I think he's going to be a good draft," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "He's one of the couple catchers on the West Coast right now."

Ka'alekahi, an Advertiser all-state second-team pick as a pitcher, was 5-2 with a 0.72 ERA last season for the Sabers.

Taylor is a 6-foot-6 right-hander who played in the Area Code Games and the Mariners Cup, which is a tournament for select prep players in the Pacific Northwest in which Seattle Mariners personnel choose the players from tryouts.

Blake is a 6-0, 180-pound left-handed pitcher for a Mount Hood team that went 35-8.

McDowall is a right-handed pitcher who went 3-3 with two saves and a 3.06 ERA at CSN. He had 32 strikeouts to nine walks in 32[0xb0] innings.

"We're looking at both of the junior college arms to come in and pitch innings for us," Trapasso said.

Trapasso feels the three senior pitchers — Arakawa, Ka'alekahi and Taylor — have high upsides.

"They're solid now, but they're going to continue to get better and better," Trapasso said.

Meanwhile, the Rainbows are still awaiting clearance for pitcher Harrison Kuroda, who needs approval for a sixth season of eligibility after missing two seasons earlier in his career recovering from shoulder surgery.

Also, pitcher Alex Bates, who pitched briefly in 2008 before an injury and sat out the entire 2009 season recovering from Tommy John elbow surgery, has left the program, Trapasso said. Bates also would have needed approval for a sixth season had he decided to return.

THANKSGIVING CAMP

There are still openings for the UH Baseball Thanksgiving Camp Nov. 28 and 29 at Les Murakami Stadium.

The hitting camp is from 9 a.m. to noon and the infielders' camp is from 1 to 3 p.m. They are open to players ages 7 to 18 years old. Trapasso, his assistants, some UH players and local high school coaches will be conducting the camps.

For information, call 956-6247 or check www.hawaiiathletics.com and search for the camps listing.