Jordan Tagawa went off to play baseball at Menlo College, where he graduated with an accounting degree. But, with a year of eligibility, he wasn’t ready to sit behind a desk and walked on to the UH-Hilo baseball team.
It’s been a good deal for both sides.
“I had a long summer to think about it,” he said. “You only get one chance to play this game in your life. It’s my last year and I decided why not come home and play here and enjoy the ride?”
The 5-foot-7 right-hander is an inspiration for underdogs from everywhere. His fastball doesn’t crack 80 mph, the velocity of most changeups in college. But he finds a way to get the job done and leads the team in ERA.
In 10 innings, covering nine appearances, the 2014 Hilo graduate has a 0-0 record and 3.60 ERA. He has allowed 13 hits and four walks and struck out two.
His main pitch is a sidearm slider. He has confidence in it. And it’s been an effective weapon.
“It can have movement and depth,” Tagawa said. “It’s a good enough pitch to be different from my fastball and get guys out.”
He found his groove during UHH’s last road trip. Tagawa hasn’t surrendered a run in 3 2/3 innings, in three games against Azusa Pacific.
“At the beginning part of the season, he was overthrowing,” UHH coach Kallen Miyataki said. “Against Azusa Pacific, he found himself up on the mainland. In our conference, the harder you throw, the farther they’ll hit it.
“You have to hit your spots and make the ball move. As long as his ball moves and he throws strikes, he’ll be successful. He actually did that against the big hitters up there.”
Tagawa is getting more mound time than his three seasons for the Oaks, who play in the NAIA. In three years, he had 25 appearances and 19 2/3 innings.
He enjoyed his time at Menlo, which is located in Atherton. The small Silicon Valley town had the most expensive real estate in the U.S. in 2018. The average home sold for $6.7 million.
Tagawa knew that fun fact. It’s too bad he didn’t have a real estate license. But he also had a chance to soak up postseason baseball. The Oaks reached the conference playoffs in two of his three years there.
However, he didn’t have to take a geography class to know that there’s no place like home.
“It’ been incredible,” he said. “It’s a special feeling like being back in high school to play in front of my hometown fans. That gives me a little extra boost. It’s awesome to play at home especially in my last year.”
He turns 23 years old in July. He’s from a winning culture and knows his role as a playing graduate student is more than just pitching. Miyataki hopes Tagawa’s influence rubs off on the other Vulcans, like redshirt freshman Jamieson Hirayama, who’s the exact height and weight.
“It’s weird being one of the older guys but a new guy,” said Tagawa, who’s now communications major and community conscious. “If we play together, we can compete with any team and play with anybody. Jamieson listens a lot to me, and I want to help him. He’s very coachable. I tell him about the importance of changing speeds and hitting spots. He has a competitive fire and down the road will be an important piece of the Vulcan pitching staff.
“I want to help the other pitchers with their mindset and in the weight room and being there for the community. We go and read to the elementary schools and volunteer to do clinics I enjoy it, and it’s my hometown. I want to give back to the community. When I played, the community gave so much to me.”
In a way, he’s an example for any pitcher too small or who doesn’t throw hard enough. He had labrum surgery in high school, fought through that and returned home to enjoy his last ride.
“Baseball is a game about heart,” Tagawa said. “If you work hard enough and believe in yourself, you can do it. If I can do it, anyone can do it. If you really want to continue to play the game, you just have to find a way.”