HONOLULU – The Hawai’i baseball team continues its six-game road trip when it joins a field of Big Ten and SEC teams at the Cambria College Classic, Friday through Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The Rainbow Warriors will take on a trio of Big Ten opponents, starting Friday with host Minnesota followed by matchups with Nebraska Saturday and No. 18 Maryland on Sunday morning.
CAMBRIA COLLEGE CLASSIC | ||||
Dates & Times | Friday, March 3 – vs. Minnesota, 3 p.m. HT Saturday, March 4 – vs. Nebraska, 11 a.m. HT Sunday, March 5 – vs. No. 18 Maryland, 5:30 a.m. HT |
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Teams | Hawai’i, No. 18 Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, No. 4 Ole Miss, No. 7 Vanderbilt | |||
Location | Minneapolis, Minn. — U.S. Bank Stadium | |||
Television | None | |||
Radio | ESPN Honolulu | |||
Live Stream | Big Ten Plus (paid subscription required) — Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |||
Live Stats | Statbroadcast | |||
PDF Notes | Hawai’i | |||
Social Media | @HawaiiBaseball | @Hawaiibsb | |||
Promotions | N/A |
HEAD COACH RICH HILL
At Hawai’i: 32-27, 2nd season
Collegiate Record: 1,111-765-4, 36th season
SERIES VS. MINNESOTA
Overall: 4-2
Last meeting: March 4, 2017 (UH won, 4-0)
Streak: W2
SERIES VS. NEBRASKA
Overall: 15-8
Last meeting: March 7, 2015 (Nebraska won, 4-3)
Streak: L2
SERIES VS. MARYLAND
First Meeting
LEADING OFF
SUNDAY FUNDAY
In the last two seasons under head coach Rich Hill, Hawai’i has enjoyed major success in Sunday games. Since the start of last year, the Rainbow Warriors are 13-2 and have won nine straight games on Sundays. UH is outscoring opponents 148-62 in Sunday games under Hill and have scored double-digit runs eight times while holding teams to three or fewer runs nine times. During its current nine-game Sunday winning streak, the Rainbow Warriors are averaging 12.6 runs per game and have scored 10 or more runs seven times during that stretch.
RALLY WITH TWO
The UH offense has done a lot of its damage with two outs in innings, scoring over half of its 53 runs with two away. The Rainbow Warriors have pushed across 50.9 percent of their runs (27 of 53) with two gone, scoring at least four two-out runs in each of the four wins. Additionally, Hawai’i is hitting .325 with two outs in an inning while nine different players have come through with a two-out RBI.
HIT THE QUANDT
Sophomore outfielder Jared Quandt has gotten off to one of the hottest starts to the season of any hitter in the country. Quandt is currently one of two players nationally to rank in the top 10 in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage while also leading the team with three home runs and two stolen bases. After missing last season due to injury, he has reached base in all six games he’s played in and has three multi-hit games and three-multi RBI games. Quandt also delivered a walk-off double in his first plate appearance of the year to lift UH to a 5-4 win over Wright State on opening weekend.
LIFT OFF
The Hawai’i bats have shown some pop over the first two weeks of the season. The Rainbow Warriors have hit seven home runs on the year, the most by a UH team through the first seven games of a season since at least 2006. Five different ‘Bows have homered, led by Jared Quandt with three, to put UH in a tie for third in the conference in long balls.
TROPICAL SWARM
The depth of the Hawai’i pitching staff has been on display over the first two weekends, as the Rainbow Warriors have used 15 different arms. None of those 15 have been used more than twice, while UH’s leader in innings pitched sits at 7.1 on the season. Additionally, a Hawai’i pitcher has thrown four or more innings just twice so far this season while only Rand Abshier has made multiple starts on the mound. So far, 10 UH pitchers own an ERA under 3.00 while the ‘Bows have held opponents to a .230 batting average against.
» Second in The Big West in hits allowed (49) and second in batting average against.
» Alex Giroux, Randy Abshier and Harry Gustin are the only pitchers who have thrown at least seven innings.
» Nine of the 15 pitchers used have gotten at least three innings of work.
INSTANT IMPACT
Hawai’i has gotten big contributions from a number of newcomers on its pitching staff over the first two weekends. Seven new additions have gotten work over the first seven games while the Rainbow Warriors have started a newcomer on the mound in five of the seven games. UH’s new pitchers have combined to go 3-0 with a 2.63 ERA over 27.1 innings pitched with just 11 hits allowed.
» Alex Giroux owns a 1.29 ERA with two his allowed over seven innings, while Randy Abshier has a 2.45 ERA and seven strikeouts in 7.1 innings.
» Abshier and Giroux combined to allow just a run on three hits in Sunday’s win over North Dakota State, with Abshier going four innings and Giroux giving up no hits over the final five frames.
» Harrison Bodendorf got his first career start Monday and has a 1.50 ERA ad seven strikeouts in six innings over two appearances.
» Ben Zeigler-Namoa, Levi Kiuchi and Sean Wiese have not given up a run in their appearances.
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