Pro baseball will be back in Hilo on Saturday – in a way.
Former UH-Hilo ace Jordan Kurokawa, now a minor leaguer in the Philadelphia Phillies organization, is slated to start against the Vulcans in their annual alumni game at 1 p.m. at Wong Stadium.
UH-Hilo coach Kallen Miyataki expects Kurokawa to work an inning, and he wants the hard-throwing right-hander to bring his best stuff.
“I told him I need you to start to give us a reality check,” Miyataki said.
Kurokawa became a poster boy for the program during his Vulcans career, epitomizing the type of under-the-radar recruit that Miyataki feels can flourish at UH-Hilo.