Hawaii shortstop Jordan Donahue eager to face former OSU team

Baseball is a sport in which the goal is to round the bases and head for home.

For Hawaii shortstop Jordan Donahue, his college baseball career admittedly “all comes full circle” when the Rainbow Warriors play host to seventh-ranked Oregon State in Friday’s opener of a four-game series at Les Murakami Stadium.

Donahue, a 2020 Damien Memorial School graduate, redshirted as a freshman for OSU.

“I spent one year there,” said Donahue, where he learned “the tough program that they are. Playing them will be super exciting. They’re a good opponent. I’m excited about how we’re going to match up with them.”

An injury kept Donahue from appearing in any games for the Beavers during the 2021 season. “Things never really worked out,” Donahue said of his decision to enter the transfer portal.

After 23 years at the University of San Diego, Rich Hill was hired as UH’s head coach on June 18, 2021. Twenty-three days later, Donahue confirmed his transfer to UH.

“Coach Hill was the first one to call me,” Donahue said. “It was time to go back home.”

Donahue, who was Hawaii’s Division II player of year as a Damien junior, was one of the top recruiting targets for the ’Bows.

“Jordan was a guy I heard about immediately when I got the job,” Hill said. “He went in that transfer portal, and he had some injuries. A real high-profile kid out of high school, player of the year, and I felt we were very fortunate to have him on board.”

Donahue led the ’Bows in hitting (.315) in Big West games as a second-year freshman in 2022. He played in 45 games in 2023, making 41 starts. Last year, he hit .349 while starting 50 of 51 games at shortstop. This season, he is hitting .600 with a runner on third and less than two outs, and has a success rate of 53.1% in advancing runners.

In this year’s season opener, Donahue suffered a fractured hamate bone in his right (throwing) hand. As a left-swinging hitter, his right hand guides his follow-through. Donahue underwent a procedure to remove the hamate. He missed 18 games.

Although he is cleared to play, Donahue undergoes physical therapy and rehabilitation treatments every day.

“Just like any other injury you’re trying to build back up,” he said. “You have to continue strengthening it. There are some days when it hurts and some days when it feels good. Ultimately, getting to a place where you know you’re good enough to play and give it all you’ve got that day.”

While impressed with his play, Hill said, “I didn’t know what a great human being he was (during recruiting). That’s hard to kind of gauge. He’s an even better character guy and person than he is as a player. God just had His hand on my shoulder (to have) a guy like him that I was lucky enough to coach for four years.”

Donahue said the ’Bows are taking the same approach to OSU as they did with other historically strong opponents, such as Ole Miss and Vanderbilt.

“It’s really nothing new for us,” Donahue said. “We’re trying to go out there and play ball and not really look at them like, ‘Oh, they’re nationally ranked, this and that.’ Just go out there and play our game.”

Hill said: “It’s just an exciting weekend. When we schedule, it’s with the fans in mind … and with the RPI in mind. The fans will be treated to one of the premier programs in the country and, for sure, on the West Coast.”

RAINBOW BASEBALL

At Les Murakami Stadium

Hawaii (28-14) vs. Oregon State (32-11)

>> Schedule: 6:35 p.m. Friday, Saturday, Monday; 1:05 p.m. Sunday

>> TV: Spectrum Sports on Friday, Monday

>> Radio: 1420-AM / 92.7-FM

>> Streaming: None