Vulcans continue long home stand, face Sea Lions
 
Hawai`i Hilo (5-7 overall / 1-3 PWC) vs. Point Loma (9-8 overall / 5-3 PWC)
Thursday, March 8, 6 p.m., Wong Stadium
Friday, March 9, 6 p.m., Wong Stadium
Saturday, March 10 (DH), 4/7 p.m., Wong Stadium
Live Stats at hiloathletics.com,
 
Hilo Headlines: The Vulcans will play their fourth consecutive home series when they host the Point Loma Sea Lions this coming Thursday-Monday (March 8-10). UH Hilo came very close to a split or better of visiting Biola last weekend, winning the opener 15-1, and losing game two (17-12) in a slugfest. In Saturday's twinbill finale, they led for 12 of the 16 innings played, only to end up on the short end, 2-1 and 9-5.
 
Variety Baseball: If you came to the UH Hilo-Biola series, you got a little bit of everything—rain delays, brilliant pitching, home runs, lots of hits and more excellent pitching. The 15-1 victory and the 2-1 loss both lasted a fast and efficient two hours and 30 minutes, while the 17-12 marathon went four hours and 36 minutes.
 
Spain and Alcorn Dazzle: Sophomore righthander Dylan Spain and freshman lefthander Kyle Alcorn were both lights out on the mound against the Eagles. Spain started the opener, pitching two perfect innings without giving up a hit (with three strikeouts) before the rains came and pushed the game into a Friday continuation. Alcorn picked up where he left off the next day, allowing just one run and two hits in seven innings of work to get his first collegiate win. He walked just two batters and fanned nine. Spain headed back to the mound on Saturday and was brilliant through eight innings, keeping the Eagles off the scoreboard and allowing only five hits. In the ninth, one pitch changed his and the Vulcans' fortunes when he gave up a two-run homer and suffered the 2-1 loss. Nonetheless, in the two outings combined, he pitched 11 innings, gave up seven hits, one walk and he struck out 12.
 
Irony of Ironies: In almost any other week, Spain could have been named the PacWest Pitcher of the Week, and Alcorn could have been Freshman of the Week. But Spain lost out to Micah Beyer of Biola, who pitched eight shutout innings in that same game and fanned 12, while Alcorn gave up his certificate to the Eagles' Ryan Gallegos, who hit the game winning homer in that same 2-1 Biola win.
 
Hot Bat: Third baseman RJ Romo swung a hot bat during the series, going 7-for-16 (.437) in the four games with nine RBI, three doubles and three runs scored. He raised his batting average to .368 and took over the team RBI lead with 13.
 
Sea Lion Sentences: The Sea Lions, picked to finish fourth in the PacWest pre-season poll, are off to a 5-3 start in conference play. They took three of four from favored Dixie State, and then split the series on Saturday and Monday at Hawaii Pacific. Those games against the Sharks were the first road games of the year for PLNU, who is 9-8 overall. Micah Pries is tearing the cover off the ball with a .446 average and four triples, while Tyler Flores adds average and pop at .404 with six doubles and 25 RBI. Two players have led the starting pitching group, with Trevor Abshire boasting a 2-1 record and 2.01 ERA, with freshman Garrett Irvin debuting well at 2-0 and 2.10. Pre-season All-PWC pick Stephen Young has struggled to date with a 0-2 record and 8.59 ERA. Point Loma won three of four games versus the Vulcans last year in San Diego, and the Sea Lions lead the all-time series, 14-6.
 
Home, Sweet Home: The Vulcans will play 31 home games this season. That's 21 home dates. Their first 20 games this season will be at Wong Stadium, before they hit the road on March 24.
 
By the Numbers (Offense): Senior shortstop Edison Sakata is leading the Vulcans at the plate with a .378 average. Phillip Steering is next at .372, followed by RJ Romo (.368), Kyle Yamada (.321) and Mana Manago (.311). With half the sample size (24 at bats), Chris Aubort is hitting .500 and Kila Zuttermeister is at .318. Sakata leads the team in runs scored with 11 (Steering and Romo have 10), while Micah Carter paces the squad with two home runs. Romo leads with 13 RBI, followed by Steering's nine.
 
By the Numbers (Pitching): Dylan Spain lowered his ERA to 3.43 despite taking the loss to Biola, and he is now 1-2. Fellow starter Kyle Alcorn is 1-0 with a 2.30 ERA and Travis Burleson is 1-2 with a 4.32 ERA. John Kea has two saves (1.69 ERA). Alcorn has 18 strikeouts in 15.2 innings pitched, while Burleson had 19 K's in 16.2 innings.
 
Around the Horn: PacWest leader Azusa Pacific finally lost (17-1) while taking three of four games from Dixie State. The Cougars are ranked No. 1 nationally. APU of course is tops in the west region, with California Baptist (11-3) No. 2. Hawaii Pacific (9-7) is seventh in the region. Biola is third in the PacWest behind APU and CBU with a 6-2 league mark.
 
The Coach: Head coach Kallen Miyataki is in his fifth full season as the leader of the Vulcan program, but his history in a UHH uniform goes much deeper than that. He had previous roles as an associate head coach, assistant coach and player for the Vulcans. He was the catcher, captain and team MVP for UH Hilo in 1983, and after a stint at UH Manoa as a grad assistant and assistant coach, he came back to Hilo for a 14-year run as an assistant (1988-2001). He was the associate head coach for three years (2004-06) before taking over the controls of the program in the fall of 2014.