Even the NCAA computers acknowledge the University of Hawaii baseball team’s early-season success.
Following this past weekend’s four-game sweep of Illinois State, the ‘Bows jumped 51 spots to No. 46 in the NCAA’s ratings percentage index. There are 297 Division I baseball teams.
“If you’re playing a pretty good schedule and you win more than you lose, you hope the RPI favors you,” coach Mike Trapasso said of the 12-6 ‘Bows.
The RPI is a measurement that considers such factors as victories, strength of schedule, and road performances.
Last year, Hawaii won seven of eight games against San Jose State and Nevada.
“We lost one game and dropped 30 spots,” Trapasso said. “That’s ridiculous. … You try to avoid that scenario by playing teams that are doing well.”
This year, the ‘Bows received an RPI boost by playing five series against top-90 teams: Illinois State (No. 26), Loyola Marymount (42), Brigham Young (51), Louisiana State (56) and Air Force (90). Illinois State had a No. 10 RPI entering the series against UH.
In crafting the 2018 schedule, Trapasso said: “I knew BYU and Loyola were defending (West Coast Conference) champs. LSU is a perennial national-championship contender. To be honest, I did not foresee Illinois State being as good a club as they are. They will win a lot of games because of that offense.”
This week, UH plays a four-game series against Seton Hall, which beat Oklahoma State this past weekend.
Trapasso said he seeks a demanding schedule.
“Because I want us to be good,” Trapasso said. “I want us to be challenged. I don’t see any negatives to challenging yourself other than maybe losing some games that, if you played a bunch of cupcakes, you could win. That’s just my philosophy. That doesn’t make it right.
“Other people might have a philosophy to play a softer schedule to get wins. That also has merit because it can give your kids confidence. My philosophy is different. It doesn’t make it right. It doesn’t make the others wrong. It makes it different.”
Trapasso said he is hopeful right-handed pitcher Jackson Rees will start Friday’s opener against Seton Hall. Rees was scratched from last week’s start because of a recurring nail problem that formed blood blisters on the index finger of his pitching hand. By pitching on Friday, Rees would be on schedule to pitch in the Big West opener against UC Irvine on March 29.
Trapasso said there is a “wait-and-see” approach for third baseman Ethan Lopez, who suffered a sore wrist from a moped accident last week. Unless Lopez is “close to 100 percent,” Trapasso said, he will be held out until the Irvine series.