Hawaii baseball coach Rich Hill is no idle worshiper.
With a bye from the Big West schedule this week, Hill agreed to fulfill a home-and-home obligation with a three-game road series against Oregon State beginning Friday. And instead of bringing home the Rainbow Warriors for a quick break following this past Sunday’s road game against Cal State Bakersfield, Hill opted to remain on the mainland and play UCLA today.
The Bruins are 36-3 and ranked No. 1 nationally. Oregon State is No. 7. Both are expected to compete for berths in the NCAA Men’s College World Series in Omaha, Neb.
“The Oregon State thing was a home-and-home, and I thought it was very beneficial last year (at Les Murakami Stadium),” Hill said. “That’s four sellouts to treat our fans to an Omaha team. And we’re returning the home-and-home on our bye week this year. It just worked out that way. And Tuesday games, mid-week games, are so tough for us to schedule. If we’re going to come back from Bakersfield and stay in L.A., then UCLA was a great opportunity to play them.”
Hill said he has known UCLA coach John Savage “it seems like forever. We have a great relationship. That’s how it worked out. One team is the No. 1 team in the country and the other is No. 7. The way I look at it, its such a great opportunity for our guys to compete at that level, see what it looks like. It’s a great opportunity for us as a coaching staff to see what an Omaha team looks like on the field again, and reinforce what we’re doing recruiting wise. And have a chance to knock them off, and put our program on the national map. And get in that narrative in the national spotlight.”
As part of their usual itinerary for games in Southern California, the ’Bows stayed in Marina del Rey, a seaside community in Los Angeles County.
On Monday, the ’Bows had a training session at DEUCE Gym in Venice. Co-founder Logan Gelbrich played baseball under Hill at the University of San Diego.
Hill said right-handed freshman Brody Martin-Grudzielanek, who had back-to-back impressive relief performances, will make his fifth start.
“He’s got the ball, and he’s going to go as long as he can,” Hill said. “There’s no limit. We’ll treat it like a Regional.”
The Bruins present a problematic challenge. The Bruins’ starting position players are hitting a collective .310. Center fielder Will Gasparino’s slash line is .352/.449/.710. He is 19th nationally with 15 home runs. Shortstop Roch Cholowsky is the consensus pick to go first overall in this year’s MLB draft. He has 13 homers to go along with a .324 average.
Angel Cervantes will throw the first pitch tonight. Cervantes was the Pittsburgh Pirates’ second-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. Despite a slot value of $1,934,700 for the 50th overall pick, Cervantes opted to honor his commitment to the Bruins.
“John Savage, it starts with him,” Hill said of the Bruins’ success. “His DNA is just different. He’s always on. He’s the best recruiter, an unbelievable pitching coach. He’s able to hire good people around him. I don’t think he sleeps. I think he just plugs himself in at night like an iPhone.”