The University of Hawaii’s Quentin Torres-Costa began the season with a demotion. He finished it with an accommodation.
The University of Hawaii’s Quentin Torres-Costa began the season with a demotion. He finished it with an accommodation.
The Waiakea graduate was named to the all-Big West second team Tuesday after not giving up a run in league play. Something clicked for the sophomore left-hander after he was sent to the bullpen after a rough start at Pepperdine in which he allowed eight runs and failed to get out of the second inning.
Starting with a relief appearance March 20 against New Mexico State, Torres-Costa didn’t allow an earned run in his final 23 innings – including all 18 1/3 in league play – striking out 31 batters during the span and allowing only 11 hits and 12 walks. Emerging as a closer, he finished fourth in the Big West with eight saves.
His 4.00 ERA over 36 innings pitched looks a lot better when you consider it ballooned to 10.80 at one point.
Save opportunities were few and far between late in the season for Torres-Costa as the Rainbow Warriors (21-32, 12-12) , finished the season on a six-game winning streak. Two of his saves completed shutouts started by right-hander Tyler Brashears, who was named first-team all-Big West. The junior went 8-5 with a 1.86 ERA.
Two others Big Islanders finished their redshirt freshman season at Manoa.
Hilo graduate Chayce Ka’aua turned in a solid campaign at catcher batting .260 with 16 RBIs. In 47 games, he led UH with nine doubles, was third in on-base percentage (.346) and fifth with 21 runs scored. Konawaena graduate JJ Kitaoka was one of the team’s primary run-producers midway through the season, starting 33 games in the infield. Kitaoka slumped late in the season with only two hits in his final 31 at-bats, but he still finished fifth on UH with 17 RBIs, batting .200.