This past weekend was opening day for nearly every Division I college baseball team. Cal Poly junior Cole Cabrera, a 2017 Punahou alumnus, will be featured in Wednesday’s Hawaii Grown section in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser after hitting .400 (6-for-15) with four runs scored while hitting leadoff in Cal Poly’s opening three games, including a walk-off win over defending national champion Vanderbilt.
“I love seeing Hawaii representing at the next level and it makes that journey that much easier knowing we’re all going through the same thing,” Cabrera said in a phone interview Tuesday about representing Hawaii on the mainland along with other players. “Coming out of Hawaii you know who is from Hawaii and you know who is on this journey with you. Growing up and playing against these guys and then doing it again now on this level is great. It’s (a feeling that) can’t compare.”
Cabrera could get a chance to hit off Kamehameha alum Hunter Breault when the Mustangs play at Oregon in their final series before the start of Big West play.
He will also get a chance to return home and play three games at Les Murakami Stadium against the Rainbows in April.
“I probably know the whole starting lineup at Hawaii so it’s going to be awesome to go compete against all those guys I grew up with,” he said.
Here are some notes on other Division I baseball players from Hawaii from the first weekend:
>> Kyson Donahue, Punahou ’19: The Arizona freshman started at shortstop on opening day and went 1-for-2 with a double and run scored in his first collegiate game. Donahue started all three games in a sweep of Albany and finished the series 4-for-8 with three walks, a stolen base and five runs scored.
>> Jacob Hinderleider, ‘Iolani ’19: The Davidson freshman started the first three games of the season at shortstop and went 1-for-3 with a double and four RBIs in a Game 2 win against Lehigh on Saturday.
>> Logan Williams, Punahou ’17: The Kansas junior singled as a pinch hitter for his first career hit with the Jayhawks in a 7-6 win over Belmont on Sunday.
>> Kaimana Souza-Paaluhi, Mililani ’16: The Kansas redshirt junior started his first game of the season at designated hitter in Game 2 of a series against Belmont and went 1-for-3 with an RBI in a 5-1 victory on Saturday.
>> Hunter Breault, Kamehameha ’17: The Oregon junior right-hander pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen, allowing one run and no walks with one strikeout in an 8-5 loss to Pepperdine on Sunday.
>> Wyatt Young, Mid-Pacific ’18: The Pepperdine sophomore shortstop went 2-for-6 with an RBI out of the leadoff spot in the win over Oregon to improve the Waves’ record to 3-0 with victories over the Ducks, Minnesota and San Diego to start the year.
>> Jake Tsukada, Punahou ’19: The Portland freshman started at second base and hit a solo homer in his first collegiate game, a 14-1 win over Nevada in the first game of a doubleheader on Friday.
>> Keith Torres, Saint Louis ’17: The Sacramento State junior shortstop finished 4-for-11 with a double, four walks and three runs scored hitting out of the leadoff spot as the Hornets lost two of three to UC Santa Barbara to start the season.
>> Nick Tabura, Kapaa ’14: The Sacramento State senior left-hander tossed a perfect seventh inning in a 4-2 loss to the Gauchos on Sunday.
KEITH TORRES…SAC STATE..On his way to another successful year.Golden glove stats..Lead off and runs scored…always on base..