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It was 25 degrees Tuesday in Provo, Utah, but every day gets better for Moloka'i native Apana Nakayama.
After missing the 2006 season with a torn right anterior cruciate ligament, Nakayama is counting the days for Brigham Young's season opener Feb. 8 at Sam Houston State.
"I'm excited to get going," Nakayama said in a telephone interview. "I've been sitting out for a year. I'm ready to go. It's my last year. I want to make the most of it."
Coaches in the Mountain West Conference believe he will make the most of it. They voted him as designated hitter for the preseason all-league team, the conference announced last week.
After graduating from Moloka'i High in 2000, Nakayama spent two seasons at Utah Valley State College, where he batted .364 with nine home runs and 61 RBIs in a league that used wooden bats. He then went to Nagoya, Japan, to do his church mission the next two years.
"It was an awesome experience," Nakayama said of his mission. "I wouldn't trade it for anything else. It was something different. I'm glad I did it."
The rejuvenated Nakayama returned to the field in 2005, transferring to BYU. It didn't take long for him to shake off the rust, batting .344 with 10 home runs and 47 RBIs in 59 games, mostly at designated hitter. He walked more (29 times) than he struck out (19).
He then went to play summer ball in the prestigious Cape Cod League. But about a month into the season, while playing the outfield, he stepped into a hole and twisted his knee.
Nakayama redshirted in 2006, but recovered in time to play during the summer. He played for the South Bay Saints of the Western Baseball Association in California. His team advanced to the National Baseball Congress World Series, but was eliminated early.
"It wasn't as competitive as the previous summer, but it was something for me to get into it," he said.
Nakayama played mostly first base and didn't catch as much because of the knee injury. (He was an all-state catcher at Moloka'i.)
"I didn't want to reinjure my knee," he said. "I was just getting my swing back and stuff. It was good."
Nakayama said he will be playing first base, the outfield or DH along with some catching.
"They'll be moving me around a lot," he said. "Just utility."
Nakayama will graduate in April with a degree in sociology. He said he could have graduated in December, but stretched it out since he still had another season of eligibility. He hopes to continue playing professionally though admits his age (he turns 25 in April) and his injury might make that difficult.
"My age, my mission, my knees, I have no leverage (as a senior)," he said. "If I sign as a free agent, that's fine, too."
NOTES
Apana Nakayama is one of two players from Hawai'i on the BYU team. The other is sophomore first baseman Kasey Ko (Punahou 2005).