After week of highs, UH resets focus to UC Davis

Between pitcher Isaiah Magdaleno’s masterful performance a week ago and today’s opener of a key Big West road series, Hawaii baseball coach Rich Hill reminded the Rainbow Warriors to avoid being caught in the wave of emotions.

During a team meeting this week, Hill played the Wheeland Brothers’ acoustic version of “Watching Waves.”

Packed my bags and moved into the moment … find yourself and lose your destination …

“Our bags are packed for the present moment, that kind of thing,” Hill said of the three-game series against UC Davis. “It’s a good visual to kind of understand that we have to bring ourselves right back here, where our feet are.”

After receiving national accolades for a one-hit, 16-strikeout shutout of UC Riverside — and then posing with former UH pitching greats Derek Tatsuno and Gerald Ako — Magdaleno was back at work, weight training and analyzing video and scouting reports of the UC Davis batters.

“Getting back to my routine as quick as I can,” said Magdaleno, who starts in today’s series opener at Phil Swimley Field at Dobbins Stadium.

At 13-11 in the Big West, the ’Bows and Cal State Fullerton are tied for fourth place with six games remaining in the regular season. UH holds the tiebreaker over the Titans. The top five teams qualify for the Big West Tournament. Cal State Northridge is two games back of both.

UC Davis closes the Big West regular season with this series. (Because of the 11-team membership, one Big West team has a bye each week.) The Aggies are in seventh place at 12-15.

“Somebody has to have a bye,” UCD coach Tommy Nicholson said. “Having it the final week is definitely different. It’s hard to schedule. Luckily we were able to find Cal Baptist (for next week). All we’re worried about this weekend is Hawaii and doing the best we can. Hopefully we can put ourselves in a position where we can scoreboard watch and have a chance to get into that conference tournament. We know we’ll probably need some help. That will make it exciting for us if we do what we need to do this weekend.”

The Aggies face a UH team that has won five in a row with co-aces Magdaleno and Hekili Robello, and an improved offensive lineup. Against Big West teams, right-hander Brody Martin-Grudzielanek has a 3.27 ERA and averages 8.18 strikeouts per nine innings.

While Martin-Grudzielanek is an accomplished closer, according to Hill, “I’d love to see him penciled into that lineup as a starting pitcher on Sunday. But it’s winning time, and it’s game by game. … You do what you have to do to win. He’s a premium arm. That breaking stuff has really come on. His competitiveness is off the charts. The moment doesn’t faze him. He’s a perfect late-inning guy and a perfect starter. We’ll have to see how the weekend unfolds. It’ll be nice not to have to use him (as a reliever) on a Friday or Saturday, and start him on Sunday.”