Optimism is one of Waylen Sing Chow's signature traits.

That's why it is no surprise that the 2007 Kamehameha graduate and Mililani native is counting his blessings despite the limited number of opportunities he's received since arriving at the University of Nevada three years ago.

Sing Chow, a reserve outfielder for the baseball team, has been used sparingly in his first three seasons at Reno, but is still putting in his best efforts at practice in the hopes of garnering more playing time — especially this weekend when the Wolf Pack visit Hawai'i.

The 5-foot-9, 165-pound left-hander has started just one of the 22 games that he has appeared in this year and is batting .182 with four hits in 22 at-bats, two RBIs and four runs scored.

"Lately, I've been mostly been used as a pinch hitter, but I'm fine with whatever situation coach calls on me," Sing Chow said. "I don't really worry about the number of at-bats I get. I'm kind of used as a spark off the bench, especially when we're out of rhythm on offense, I usually try to start something up."

Sing Chow said he doesn't mind coming off the bench late in games in tight spots.

"I enjoy pinch-hitting because you're put into a pressure situation right off the bat and I like that," he said. "At-bats are really not a big deal, as long as we're winning, numbers and stats don't matter."

After completing a successful prep career at Kamehameha, Sing Chow realized he needed to get in the weight room to keep up at the collegiate level.

"I needed to get a lot bigger and lift more weights," he said. "It wasn't just that but also the mental aspect of the game like learning how to adjust over the course of a game. If you are successful off a good pitcher, he will adjust to you, so you have to learn how to adjust to him."

Waylen's father, Ty, has long ties to the local baseball community and was a longtime softball coach at Kamehameha.

"Around this time of year, I probably speak to him four times a week or so," Sing Chow said. "I usually call him after every day so it's mostly about baseball, but we get off topic sometimes and he always provides me with encouragement."

Sing Chow said he isn't sure of the exact number of family and friends that will attend this weekend's Western Athletic Conference series between Nevada and Hawai'i at Les Murakami Stadium, but expects several dozen in the crowd.

Nevada has a record of 22-15-1 and a 3-4-1 mark in the WAC.

"It's been up and down," Sing Chow said. "We're sitting a little above .500, so we're still trying to figure things out, become more consistent and continue to play for each other."

Sing Chow welcomes the opportunity to in front of some familiar faces.

"It's always good to come home," he said. "Les Murakami Stadium is one of the better ball parks in all of college baseball and (UH) has a great home-field advantage there."

The Rainbows and Wolf Pack open the four-game series Friday at 6:35 p.m.

MORE BASEBALL

• San Diego sophomore designated hitter/catcher Zack Kometani (Punahou '08 of Honolulu) batted 2 for 4 with a double, two RBIs, one walk and one run scored in an 18-5 win over Gonzaga Saturday. He also doubled and went 2 for 5 with two RBIs in Sunday's 17-7 win for the Toreros.

• Cal State Northridge junior left fielder Ridge Carpenter (Kalani '07 of Honolulu) batted 2 for 4 with a triple, double, two RBIs and a run scored in an 8-1 win over Pacific (Calif.) Friday.

• Southern Utah freshman shortstop D.J. Andrade (Damien '09 of Waipahu) batted 3 for 3 with an RBI and two runs scored in an 11-5 win over South Dakota State Thursday. Senior first baseman Bucky Aona (Punahou '06 of Makakilo) went 2 for 5 with an RBI and one run for the Thunderbirds.

• Colorado School of Mines junior outfielder Nick Wong (Roosevelt '07 of Honolulu) batted 3 for 4 in a 7-3 win over Regis Sunday. Earlier that day, Wong went 2 for 5 with a pair of runs scored in a 9-8 loss.

• St. Martin's (Wash.) sophomore first baseman/designated hitter Travis Jones (Mililani '08) was named Great Northwest Conference Player of the Week on Monday. Jones drove in 12 runs last week, including 11 in a four-game sweep of Central Washington. He batted 8 for 21 with a homer and two doubles.

SOFTBALL

• East Carolina senior second baseman Charina Sumner (Kamehameha '06 of Kailua) scored both runs and batted 1 for 2 in a 4-2 loss to Houston Sunday. Senior left fielder Marina Gusman-Brown (Pearl City '06 of 'Ewa Beach) went 2 for 4 with an RBI and senior shortstop Kaui Tom (Punahou '06 of Honolulu) also drove in a run for the Pirates.

• New Mexico State junior first baseman Hoku Nohara (Kamehameha '07 of Waimānalo) and freshman second baseman Tehani Ka'aihue (Kapolei '09) each drove in a run in Monday's 5-1 win over Cal State Bakersfield.

• St. Martin's (Wash.) freshman pitcher/first baseman Joslyn Eugenio (Sacred Hearts '09 of Kapolei) had two doubles, drove in a run and scored another in an 8-4 loss to Montana State-Billings. Freshman utility Jaimee Aiwohi (Mililani '09) batted 1 for 4 and had an RBI for the Saints.

MEN'S VOLLEYBALL

• Stanford sophomore outside hitter Brad Lawson ('Iolani '08 of Honolulu) put down 21 kills with nine digs and two aces in a four-set win over UC Irvine Saturday in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation quarterfinal match. Senior setter Kawika Shoji ('Iolani '06 of Honolulu) had 59 assists, 12 digs, eight kills, three blocks and two aces. Junior outside hitter Spencer McLachlin (Punahou '07 of Honolulu) recorded 15 kills, five digs and three blocks and sophomore libero Erik Shoji (Punahou '08 of Honolulu) had a team-high 18 digs. The top-ranked Cardinal (20-6) host Hawai'i tomorrow. The match will be aired live on K5 at 4:30 p.m. Hawai'i time.

• BYU sophomore Futi Tavana (Kaua'i '06 of Kalaheo) had five kills, eight digs and two assists in a four-set win over UCLA Saturday in an MPSF quarterfinal. The Cougars (22-7) advanced to the semifinal round and will meet Cal State Northridge tomorrow at Maples Pavilion on the campus of Stanford.

• USC junior setter Riley McKibbin (Punahou '07 of Honolulu) notched 52 assists, 12 digs, two aces, two blocks and a kill in a four-set loss to Cal State Northridge Saturday. Freshman outside hitter Maddison McKibbin (Punahou '09 of Honolulu) had a match-high 15 digs with one ace for the Trojans (16-11).

• Hope International senior libero Noah Casaquit (Moanalua '00 of Honolulu) was named an NAIA All-American for the second straight season, the AVCA announced this week. Casaquit averaged a career-high 3.17 digs per set this year.

• Irvine Valley sophomore libero Nick Castello (ASSETS '08 of 'Aiea) was named Pacific Coast Conference Player of the Year. Castello was the conference leader in digs, averaging 4.01 per set.

GOLF

• UCLA sophomore Stephanie Kono (Punahou '08 of Honolulu) tied for eighth at last week's Pac-10 Conference Championships at the Eugene Country Club in Eugene, Ore. Kono was named First Team All-Pac-10 last week for the second straight year. The Bruins earned the top seed in the NCAA West Regional, May 6 to 8, at the Stanford Golf Course in Palo Alto, Calif.

• Tulsa freshman Kristina Merkle (Moanalua '09 of Honolulu) was named Conference USA Freshman of the Year earlier this week. Merkle, who also earned First Team All-CUSA honors, is ranked 50th by Golfweek and placed fifth at last week's conference championships in Hattiesburg, Miss. The Golden Hurricane will compete in the NCAA Central Regional, May 6 to 8, at the Otter Creek Golf Course in Columbus, Ind.

• Pacific (Ore.) junior Valerie Kitamori (Waiākea '07 of Hilo) tied for sixth at last week's Northwest Conference Championships at the Heron Lakes Golf Club in Portland, Ore. to earn First Team All-Conference honors.

TENNIS

• Cal State Northridge junior Brooke Doane (Kamehameha '07 of 'Ewa Beach) teamed with Anna Yang to win the No. 1 doubles match by a score of 8-4, in a 7-0 win over UC San Diego Saturday. Doane's No. 2 singles match was called in the second set after her opponent was forced to retire due to illness.

• DePauw (Ind.) junior Janelle Arita (Punahou '07 of Mililani) helped the Tigers win their third straight Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference title at North Little Rock, Ark. Arita won at No. 1 singles and No. 2 doubles in the championship final against Sewanee Sunday. DePauw beat Oglethorpe, 9-0, Friday in a quarterfinal game and topped Rhodes Saturday in a semifinal, by a score of 6-0.

• Pacific (Ore.) sophomores Cat Goya (St. Francis '08 of Kāne'ohe) and Megan Yoshimoto (Mililani '08) have both repeated as All-Northwest Conference selections. Goya earned first-team honors while Yoshimoto picked up second-team accolades. The duo make up the Boxers' No. 1 doubles team and compiled a 9-10 record.

WOMEN'S WATER POLO

• Pacific (Calif.) junior utility Dara Tawarahara ('Iolani '07 of Honolulu) scored a goal Saturday in a 10-7 loss to UC Irvine in a Big West Conference semifinal. She also scored in Sunday's 7-5 win over UC Santa Barbara in the third-place match.

• Occidental (Calif.) freshman center Nanea Fujiyama (Kamehameha '09 of Honolulu) and junior attacker Karie Nickle (Kamehameha '07 of Honolulu) scored three goals each in a 16-8 win over La Verne last Wednesday. Nickle also scored a goal in Saturday's 11-5 win over Redlands and assisted on three others.

TRACK & FIELD

• Darthmouth freshman Joy Piotrowski (Punahou '09 of 'Aiea) placed fourth in the women's triple jump with a distance of 35 feet, 9 1/2 inches at the Yale Springtime Invitational Sunday in New Haven, Conn. She also finished 16th in the long jump with 15-7.