It’s easy to trace the roots of Dylan Spain’s resilience.
Saint Louis baseball coach George Gusman was a source of inspiration, but the primary driving force in making sure Spain never stopped going was his father, Michael.
It’s not as easy to trace the roots of the UH-Hilo sophomore right-hander’s height. Spain is a slender 6-foot-6 – and counting – but you can’t really credit Michael Spain (6-0) or mother Samantha (5-5) for the fact their son hasn’t stopped growing.
“One of my greatgrandpas on my father’s side was 6-5, so maybe that’s where I got it from,” Spain said Wednesday from a dry spot at the Vulcans’ athletic complex.
“I believe I’m still growing. I still get pains. I sleep around 12 hours a day.”
That height is a definite positive on the mound. In addition to intimidating batters on the hill with his frame, Spain whips fastballs by batter at speeds coach Kallen Miyataki estimated at 88-90 MPH – and counting – occasionally touching 91.
The term potential can take on a pejorative meaning because it often signals a player hasn’t accomplished anything yet. In Spain’s case, he hasn’t had much of a chance.
He literally suffered from growing pains in high school in Honolulu, and due to shoulder instability he became more familiar with a local Oahu sports medicine clinic than he did with the mound until his senior season, and even then he only threw nine innings for the Crusaders.
His career highlight before coming to UH-Hilo was pitching two shutout innings against Iolani, striking out five of six batters.
“My dad really pushed me,” Spain said. “It was him and my high school coach. They saw something. I didn’t see it until my freshman year of college.
“I didn’t see anything, but they kept me going forward and working hard. They really believed that there was something there later on.”
“Later on” has become now and the next two seasons, and Spain already has assumed the role of Vulcans ace, sporting a 2-2 record and 3.33 ERA, with 25 strikeouts in 29 innings and only 20 hits allowed.
UHH (7-9, 3-5 Pacific West Conference) hopes to have him on the mound at 6 p.m. Thursday night at water-logged Wong Stadium for the first of a four-game series – weather permitting, of course – against Cal Baptist (13-5, 6-2), which is ranked No. 2 in the West Region.
“He has a lot more to learn,” Miyataki said, “but he’s pitching a lot more now and not just throwing.
“He understands the value of changing speeds, because the harder you throw, the farther it goes.”
While Spain hopes to put on a few more inches vertically, he knows he has to grow horizontally, putting on as many as 50-60 pounds by his senior season.
“Everyone has been telling me not to worry about weight for now, but it’s already in the back of my mind,” he said. “I definitely want to increase my velocity. If I could top out around 97 (MPH) my senior year, that’d be the goal.”
Miyataki compares Spain’s situation to that of Tyler Yates, a former Vulcan who reached the major leagues, getting drafted in 1998.
“Tyler was 6-4, 227, and he was throwing 88-90,” Miyataki said. “He matured and he was 6-4, 265, and throwing around 100.”
Miyataki can in part thank Saint Louis graduates John Kea, a redshirt freshman pitcher and Mana Manago, a junior second baseman, that Spain came to Hilo and is poised to become the program’s next major league pitching prospect.
“I didn’t get any notice until my senior year,” Spain said, “I saw John signed here, I thought I might as well go to.”
He started a team-high 10 games as a true freshman, going 1-6 record with a 5.64 ERA, showing promise by pitching two complete games.
After a rough 2018 season-opener against Augustana, Spain has gone at six innings in each start – not counting a rain-shortened one – including a nine-strikeout complete game against Biola, primarily mixing in a curveball with his fastball.
“I like my curve,” he said. “It’s slower, 74 to 75, but I’m still working on getting that MLB pitch. Mostly my biggest thing is spotting up.”
It’s somewhat of a wonder that the Vulcans have been able to play all of their 16 scheduled games so far considering the rampant wet weather, and Miyataki said a determinination on the series opener will be made Thursday morning. If it’s rained out, the teams will try for a 4 p.m. doubleheader Friday, when Kyle Alcorn (1-0, 3.05 ERA) would start the first game followed by Spain. Another 4 p.m. doubleheader is slated for Saturday.
The Lancers, coming off of a four-game split at Hawaii Pacific, have a team ERA of 2.03, and feature strong offensive numbers as well. Andrew Bash leads the way with a .543 batting average and five home runs. Tommy Bell is hitting .435 and John Glenn has driven in 21 runs.
California Baptist is in its final season in the PacWest before moving to Division I next season.
By then, who knows how tall Spain will be or how fast he’ll be throwing.
Either way, he’s already seen his team grow as a whole.
“I feel like we’re going to show the PacWest we’re not the last-place team we’ve been,” Spain said. “I feel like everyone is playing together and working, not just a couple guys going to the cages or throwing, everyone is going.”
