Every ace reliever has his moment to forget, and John Kea’s is all the harder considering the stage.
UH-Hilo had a ninth-inning lead and an upset in mind with its sure-thing closer on the mound at UH-Manoa last season, but Dustin Demeter had other ideas, smashing a two-run home run to send the Vuls to defeat.
“That’s just motivation, it’s kind of like a reminder everyday there are things that can go wrong and things can go right,” said Kea, an Oahu native. “At that spot, (Dustin) guessed right. Tip of the cap to him, but if I had to think about again, I wouldn’t make that pitch again.”
Besides the location of the pitch, Vulcans coach Kallen Miyataki wouldn’t change a thing about the at-bat, especially not Kea’s go-right-at-a-hitter mindset.
“John challenged him, and what’s wrong with that?” Miyataki said. “What’s wrong with challenging, wouldn’t you? The guy hit a good pitch.
“Let’s go again, but be a little smarter, and learn from those things.”
It’s go time, and for a coach who cherishes the life lessons that baseball delivers, it won’t take him long to find out who’s been soaking up knowledge.
The Vulcans open their season Friday back under the bright lights at Les Murakami Stadium to begin a four-game series against the Rainbow Warriors (5-2). It remains to be seen whether Kea gets a chance at redemption, but his partner-in-crime, Brandyn Lee-Lehano, Kea’s once and future setup man, will move from the bullpen and make the start in front of a statewide audience.
“I’m going to give him his chance in case somebody is there or somebody is watching and an opportunity comes about,” Miyataki said. “He earned that chance.”
The plan is for Lee-Lehano, a senior and former Kamehameha-Hawaii standout, to bounce between the rotation and the bullpen, perhaps starting the final games of series once PacWest play begins against Hawaii Pacific.
Finishing games together in 2019, Lee-Lehano and Kea were the “winning combination,” Miyataki said, as the Vuls broke through during a 26-19 campaign. Lee-Lehano made 26 appearances and went 5-1 with 45 strikeouts in 48 1/3 innings, eating up innings before handing the ball to Kea, a junior who nailed down a program-record 10 saves and made all-conference.
“It’s a sense that when the two guys go on the field, we are set up to go win,” Miyataki said. “Everybody had a different feel, “Like, OK, we’re going to win.”
So why change what’s worked so well in the past?
Not that the coach doesn’t think he has capable arms, but the Vuls need starters to emerge after 2019 ace Dylan Spain left the program in January to focus on pitching professionally, and Miyataki trusts Christian Dejesus and Takashi Umino to help bridge the gap to Kea.
With a hard fastball, slider and an emerging changeup, Dejesus pitched well in a shortened freshman season and could hold the same role as Lee-Lehano: starter/setup man. Umino was a closer at Sierra College in California but will use his split-fingered pitch earlier in games for the Vuls, while left-hander Aaron Davies could fill the seventh-inning role.
“We have good enough guys in the bullpen, I trust our guys that we are going to get through it,” Kea said. “I think Brandyn is going to make a great starter for us. He’s come a long way since his freshman year.”
If Kyle Alcorn isn’t the staff ace, than he’s at least Mr. Reliable, entering his fifth year in the program. He’s pitched in 28 games as a Vul, keeping his ERA below 4.00 in 2019 and 2020 and he held batters to just a .233 average two seasons ago.
Whether he likes moniker or not, he’s the classic “crafty lefty.” Miyataki said he’s called Alcorn many things during his career – but weakling isn’t one of them.
“He’s the toughest, he knows how to pitch,” Miyataki said. “He battles and grinds until you take him out.”
Alcorn’s is scheduled to start Sunday’s series finale at UH, leaving tall Arizona transports Cameron Scudder, a lefthander, and Jonathan Buhl to make their debut starts during Saturday’s doubleheader.
The 6-foot-4 Buhl is known for his changeup, Miyataki said, though both he and the 6-5 Scutter can reach the high 80s with their fastball and help fill the void left by Spain, who went 5-1 in 2019.
After a redshirt season, Waiakea alum Cody Hirata is primed to fill in at middle relief, and Miyataki said it’s only a matter of time before former high school teammate Ty Honda makes a move as well.
The left-handed theme continues with Jacob Liberta – who will help hold down long relief with Christian Saddler, a senior who’s a former starter – giving the Vuls a rare luxury.
“For once, we have righties and lefties that we can go against teams with,” Miyataki said.
Of course, after this weekend, the only team UHH’s pitchers will see is Hawaii Prep in PacWest pod play. The Vuls may have to adjust and break out new arms to keep Sharks hitters from becoming too comfortable in the batter’s box.
“They’re definitely going to change tempo and the speed of their pitches,” catcher Jaryn Kanbara said. “They’ve already been working on that this whole time.”
