Matt Apana has made another move in an effort to keep his professional baseball career alive. Former UH pitcher Apana
signs up with Italian teamThe former University of Hawaii right-hander has signed to play for Remini in the Italian League.
Apana started this season with the Newark (N.J.) Bears in the first-year Atlantic League, but was used strictly as a reliever and not very often. On top of that, Newark is mired in last place in the six-team independent league.
When the opportunity came up to go to Italy and be a starting pitcher, Apana jumped at the chance. He pitched five strong innings in his first start a day after arriving.
Another former UH hurler, left-hander Joel Lono, also is pitching in Italy for Parma.
SEKI, OKAMURA TOP QUALIFIERS: Jim Seki Jr., who'll be a senior this fall at Punahou School, captured the USGA Boys Junior Amateur qualifying tournament yesterday at the Wailea Gold Course with a 36-hole score of 142 after shooting his second straight 71.
He and Baldwin High junior Garrett Okamura, who finished second with a 145 total, will represent Hawaii in the 51st Junior Amateur Championship in Lake Forest., Ill., July 21-25.
Chaz Inouye, a St. Anthony High freshman, is the first alternate after winning a playoff with Hilo's Ryan Masuda. Each finished at 146.
Seki also qualified for the 73rd U.S. Amateur Men's Public Links Championship July 13-18 at Torrey Pines in San Diego after finishing second to Regan Lee in local qualifying.
SOLID FINISHES FOR BAPTIST, KIM: Kamehameha golfers Kristofer Baptist and Justin Kim finished in ties for 10th and 13th place, respectively, in the National Open High School Championships at Jekyll Island, Georgia, last weekend.
Baptist had a final-round 76 and a 54-hole total of 222, nine shots behind tournament champ Kyle McAfee of Arizona. Kim finished at 78--223.
The only players from Hawaii in a starting field of 370 boys earned high school All-America honors by finishing among the top 25.
SIREN EARLY FLEET LEADER: Skipper David Mariscal's Siren, a Class B Cal 39 II from Berkeley, Calif., led 33 early starters on the second day of the West Marine Pacific Cup yacht race from San Francisco Bay to Kaneohe Bay.
First in Class A, 12 miles behind Siren, was Kaimakani, skippered by David Hinojosa, from Alameda, Calif.