Chris Wanders made Hawaii wonder why they ever let him leave the islands with his stellar 8 2/3 inning performance Sunday.
Chad Wanders came into Sunday’s game against Hawaii as one of the Western Athletic Conference’s top pitchers. Les Murakami, the Rainbows’ head coach, could only sit back and think about what could have been.
Wanders began his career playing for Murakami at Hawaii, but on Sunday he showed no love for his old team as his stellar pitching led San Diego State to a 9-4 victory over the Rainbows.
Hawaii (15-28; 7-10 WAC) could not muster up any semblance of an offensive attack against Wanders until it was too late. The Aztecs (27-13-1; 10-8 WAC) did not have the same problem against Troy Yoshimasu, the Rainbows’ starter.
Stewart Smothers, SDSU’s first batter of the game, hit a home run to left-center field to set the tone for the Aztecs. After Oscar Lopez singled, Andy Bevins homered to center to continue the damage. By the end of the first inning, it was 7-0 SDSU. Wanders took care of the rest.
The sophomore from Capistrano Beach held Hawaii to a scant four hits during the next eight innings.
“My change-up was working the best it ever has,” Wanders said. “I was real consistent with it.”
Wanders’ change-up was devastating. It almost seemed as if he saved his best outing of the year for his former club.
“I’m pumped for every game,” Wanders said, “especially against Hawaii because I know the coach and some of the players. I was more focused than usual. I’m not bitter about leaving (Hawaii), but I just didn’t like living there.”
Aztecs catcher Rob Coddington was impressed with Wanders’ performance.
“Chad has been outstanding lately,” Coddington said. “What’s really been going well for him is he’s been hitting his spots. When we call an inside fastball, he hits it.”
With Coddington in the lineup instead of everyday catcher Jason Phillips, SDSU head coach Jim Dietz elected to call each pitch himself from the dugout, an approach that proved successful.
“(The coaches) called the whole game, which I thought not only helped me but Chad, too,” Coddington said. “They had a good idea of what each hitter had. It helped keep the momentum of the game running well.”
This different approach, along with Wanders’ execution, led to the longest outing by an Aztec starter this season. Wanders went 8 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball, but the final out proved elusive.
The Rainbows touched Wanders for a single and a home run in the top of the ninth, then proceeded to load the bases with three more singles.
“I wasn’t really tired,” Wanders said. “Things just happen that way. I was getting lucky all game, but in the ninth inning, I wasn’t as lucky.”
At that point, Dietz lifted Wanders, who left the game to a standing ovation from the 446 fans at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
“I wasn’t upset (about coming out),” Wanders said. “I was a little disappointed that I couldn’t finish the game, though.”
After closer Jeff Dufek nailed down the Aztec victory, Wanders received the satisfaction of beating his old team.
Wanders’ outing not only sent SDSU fans home smiling, but it also provided Murakami with plenty to think about on the long flight back to Honolulu.
