Jacob Igawa grew up in Hilo watching University of Hawaii baseball stalwarts from a decade ago, reeling off names such as Kolten Wong, Vinnie Catricala and Pi’ikea Kitamura.
After an all-BIIF career at Waiakea High, Igawa chose the NCAA Division III route. The finances didn’t add up there, but Igawa has been money ever since returning to the islands.
“He’s a team favorite because he’s such a good dude,” UH coach Mike Trapasso told KHON-TV this week, “and it helps that he can smoke the ball on a regular basis, too. But we’d like him even if he didn’t.”
UH-Hilo baseball coach Kallen Miyataki speaks as highly about a rare athlete who has competed at all three NCAA divisions
In his first season as a Rainbow Warrior, 5-foot-11, 200-pound Igawa has stepped to the plate at the highest level.
“It’s kind of humbling to be here right now,” Igawa told KHON-TV.
The outfielder/designated hitter is batting .310 with two homers, including a massive drive at longball-unfriendly Les Murakami Stadium, and 11 RBIs. Right-swinging Igawa is hitting .391 with runners on base, and is 3-for-3 with a runner on third. On a team that has struck out 8.6 times a game, Igawa has fanned five times in 42 at bats, none looking.
“He’s a cerebral guy,” Trapasso told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “He’s always top step (of the dugout) and locked in. He’s an intelligent player as well as a good player.”
Highly regarded Hilo hitting instructor Kaha Wong unabashedly praised Igawa’s baseball talent and character as a Warriors senior. Igawa was a a Waiakea High valedictorian, and a Math League competitor.
“Kaha is never wrong on a player, ” Trapasso said. “He really isn’t.”
Igawa’s first stop was Pacific University in Oregon.
“It didn’t really work out financially for me and my family going into my sophomore year,” Igawa said. “I decided to come back home to Hilo.”
In his UH-Hilo debut in February 2020, Igawa went 3-for-4, including a home run against UH at Murakami Stadium.
“I hit it, and when I saw it going over the fence, I was kind of in goosebumps, like, ‘Wow, ’ especially with the crowd going wild, ” Igawa recalled. “It was pretty surreal to do that.”
During the pandemic, Igawa analyzed his post-baseball goals. He applied to UH-Manoa to pursue a degree in civil engineering.
“I think cities fascinate me, ” Igawa said. “My ultimate goal is to help cities run more smoothly.”
His transfer carried Miyataki’s blessing.
‘I said, ‘Get out of here,”’ Miyataki told the Tribune-Herald. “Do you really want to get a math degree and play baseball that bad, or do you want to finish school and go make a million dollars with an engineering degree at UH?”
Why not do both?
After gaining admission, Igawa asked the UH coaches if he could join the ’Bows.
“His engineering discipline wasn’t offered there,” Trapasso said.
Trapasso found a way to get Igawa at bats as a designated hitter and left fielder.
“We knew he could hit, ” Trapasso said.
But Igawa also proved to have power. His three-run homer ended UH’s 14-inning scoring drought against UC Santa Barbara last weekend.
“I think it’s a combination of my training regimen and swing mechanics, ” Igawa said. “I made some changes to my swing a couple years ago. I’ve been practicing ever since. I’ve been seeing a bit more results in terms of consistency and power.”
Igawa also has made the adjustment during the idle time as designated hitter. He said he tries to keep warm between plate appearances.
“I try to stay engaged in the game and cheer my teammates on, and that’s been helping me so far to stay loose and be ready for the next at bat, ” Igawa said.
Tribune News Service contributed to this report.