Tribune-Herald
Tribune-Herald
The University of Hawaii at Hilo baseball team announced commitments from four infielders and four pitchers for the 2013 season on Friday, a class highlighted by third baseman Korin Medeiros of from the Division I state champion Waiakea.
“I believe we fulfilled some of our needs and I look forward to the 2013 season,” UHH coach Joey Estrella said. “Our signees reflect the need to have the ability to score more runs than we did a year ago and to have better pitching depth overall.
“I believe we have done this, but obviously only time will tell.”
This class features six incoming freshmen, infielders Will Cleary (Pocatello High School, Idaho), Medeiros (Waiakea), and Keenan Nishioka (Hilo), and pitchers Kenan Sadanaga (Leilehua, Oahu), Tyler Takata (Kailua, Oahu) and Micah Witty-Oakland (Island Pacific Academy, Oahu).
In addition, junior college transfers Sammy Kim (Mission Viejo, Calif.) and Bryce Shandro (Elk Grove, Calif.) will join the Vulcans, who finished 15-33 season, including 12-27 for second-to-last in the Pacific West Conference.
Cleary, younger brother of current Vulcan catcher/outfielder, Greg Cleary, helped lead Pocatello High School to the Idaho State 4A championship, hitting .390 while earning first-team all-league honors.
Medeiros helped lead Waiakea to its first Hawaii High School Athletic Association state championship. He hit .400 for the year, earning first-team all-state and all-league honors.
Nishioka helped Hilo High to a third-place finish at states. He earned third-team all-state and first-team all-conference honors while batting .437.
Sadanaga, a left-handed pitcher, enjoyed a stellar career as a record-setting football quarterback and starting pitcher. He helped lead the Mules to three state playoff berths in football earning all-state and offensive player of the year honors. On the diamond, Sadanaga pitched two one-hitters and hit .430 in 2010. In 2011, Sadanaga was 1-2 with a 1.99 ERA and a .389 batting average.
Takata, a right-handed pitcher, helped lead Kailua to the 2012 conference title with a 4-0 record as a relief pitcher and spot starter. He earned honorable-mention all-league honors.
Witty-Oakland, a right-handed pitcher, played for Pac-Five going 1-5 with a 5.80 era while earning all-state honorable mention honors.
Kim, a corner infielder, earned all-league and all-county honors in high school. At Irvine Valley this past season, he was third in the team batting average at .291.
Shandro, a right-handed pitcher, led Cosumnes River to this year’s California State Community College Championship, going 4-3 with a 3.20 ERA this season and 5-2 with a 1.90 ERA the year before. He earned all-league and all-metro honors in high school.
Several of the players were recommended by former Vulcan baseball players.
“We basically have no recruiting budget per se, so we have to rely on former players who are now in the coaching ranks or from coaching contacts made throughout the years who recommend players to us,” Estrella said. “Having former players who know the Vulcan baseball program, know the Big Island and graduated from UH-Hilo, and know my coaching style and philosophy is a tremendous asset for Vulcan Baseball.”