Cal freshman Caleb Lomavita shining as one of 20 Hawaii graduates playing DI baseball on mainland
BERKELEY, Calif. (BVM) 鈥� Caleb Lomavita did just about everything a baseball player growing up in Hawaii could do. After losing out on a baseball season in 2020, the former Saint Louis utility player played catcher, pitcher and the outfield for the Crusaders in 2021 as they went 8-2 and captured the Interscholastic League of Honolulu (ILH) crown.听
The right-handed Lomavita compiled a 4-0 record on the mound with a 1.71 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 28.2 innings while batting a .414 average along with a pair of home runs and a .758 slugging percentage. The spectacular senior season earned him 2020-21 Gatorade Hawaii Baseball Player of the Year honors.听
鈥淐aleb Lomavita is not only the best player in Hawaii, he is also the best person,鈥� Mic-Pacific Institute head coach Dunn Muramaru said in a Gatorade press release. 鈥淗e pitches, catches, plays centerfield and at all three positions; he is the state鈥檚 best.鈥�听
Lomavita might鈥檝e been known statewide as Hawaii鈥檚 best, but it wasn鈥檛 until this past summer that he realized for himself how far he could take the game.听
Cary, North Carolina, site of the USA Baseball National Training Complex, hosted the 2021 MLB Combine in June where Lomavita made his mark. Despite not being among the top 250 prospects, the Saint Louis graduate ranked fifth overall with a 105.7 MPH maximum exit velocity on a single batted ball. On day two, he went 2-for-2 with a walk and stolen base.听
鈥淭hat experience (at the MLB Combine) was great,鈥� Lomavita said. 鈥淭here were a lot of great players there with talent I鈥檝e never seen before. But when you step on that field and everybody is a baseball player who鈥檚 been doing it since they were 4 years old, you realize that once you start playing.听
鈥淚 realized that I wasn鈥檛 too far off from these big-name dudes. I thought that if I keep working, then maybe I could be as good as them one day or accomplish things that maybe I didn鈥檛 think I could.鈥�听
Cal will make some noise in the Pac 12 this year. One reason for the Golden Bears' optimism is freshman (shouts to the men of Kalaep艒haku). 2-3, 2R, 2RBI batting cleanup in his college debut! Had a rally-sparking double + a 9th-inning game-tying HR. 馃
— Stephen Nelson (@StephenNelson)
Lomavita is now showcasing his talents as a freshman at Cal and part of an exclusive club. He鈥檚 one of just 20 players who graduated from high school in Hawaii playing Division I baseball on the mainland. Half of those have graduated since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, including Lomavita.听
鈥淚鈥檓 really close with them and know how hard they work,鈥� Lomavita said of his fellow Hawaii natives playing DI baseball on the mainland. 鈥淏ack on the islands, we always said iron sharpens iron and we got better together every day.鈥�听
As proud as Lomavita is of that group of 20, he knows that number should be higher.听
鈥淓xposure is a huge thing in Hawaii because it鈥檚 really hard coming from a really small island,鈥� Lomavita said. 鈥淢ost of our families aren鈥檛 really fit financially to be flying out to these mainland tournaments and being exposed to all these colleges. There鈥檚 been a lot of parents and coaches helping out, especially with social media, and I think that鈥檚 huge.听
鈥淭here鈥檚 so many hidden gems that I just want to showcase for these colleges because it鈥檚 going unseen and it shouldn鈥檛. They work just as hard as me, they put in the time but just don鈥檛 get the opportunities like I did.鈥�
Lomavita has made the most of his opportunities thus far.听
He found his way into the Golden Bears鈥� Opening Day lineup last month and roped a solo home run in the top of the ninth inning to send the game to extras. Lomavita extended Cal鈥檚 lead to 4-2 an inning later with a sacrifice fly to seal the Bears鈥� second consecutive win on Opening Day. He put together his best showing at the collegiate level the following weekend when he notched another home run, three hits and four RBIs in a 12-2 win over UIC.听
SEE.
YOU.
LATER. with the 3-run jack!— Cal Baseball (@CalBaseball)
Lomavita鈥檚 early on-field success isn鈥檛 even his favorite part of this new journey. It鈥檚 the fact that he hasn鈥檛 even really had to leave home.听
鈥淎t Saint Louis, everything was about brotherhood and the bond that you build with your fellow teammates and students at the school,鈥� Lomavita said. 鈥淓verything you did was pretty much for them and I worked my butt off day in and day out to make them proud and help them achieve goals that they didn鈥檛 even think was possible for themselves.听
鈥淚t was kind of heartwarming (when I got to Cal) because it鈥檚 like I didn鈥檛 leave home. I鈥檓 around the same type of people who want it just as much as me.鈥�听
Surrounding the same type of like-minded individuals around Lomavita bodes well for the Golden Bears鈥� prospects of winning. The last time the Saint Louis graduate wrapped up a season, it was as a champion.听
Lomavita doesn鈥檛 see a reason why Cal can鈥檛 have the same fate in 2022.听
鈥淥ur potential is through the roof,鈥� Lomavita said. 鈥淚 trust in every single one of my boys and I think we could be something really great.鈥澨�
