Hawai'i players earned nice accolades in pro ball this past season, though not necessarily through awards.

Troy Hanzawa, a 2003 Mid-Pacific Institute graduate who played two seasons at San Diego State after transferring from Hawai'i, was ranked the fifth-best defensive player from the 2008 draft by Baseball America.

"It's a great honor, but I still have a lot of stuff to work on," said Hanzawa, adding he wasn't aware of the publication's annual draft report card.

Hanzawa just completed his first season of pro ball with the Williamsport (Pa.) Crosscutters of the short-season Single-A New York-Pennsylvania League. He signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, who picked him in the 16th round in the June draft.

Hanzawa returned home last week after reporting to instructional league in Florida.

Hanzawa hit .297 with 19 doubles, three home runs, 31 RBI and six steals. He also was named to the NY-Penn League all-star game in August. He drew 18 walks and struck out 51 times.

"I want to cut down on my strikeouts," he said. "It was my first year and I know I can improve on that, now that I know what it's like (to play pro ball)."

Ranked ahead of Hanzawa among the best defensive players were three first-round picks, including catcher Buster Posey (Giants), who is playing in Hawaii Winter Baseball.

Also, Maui's Kanekoa Texeira was ranked the 19th-best prospect of the High-A Carolina League by Baseball America.

The 2004 Kamehameha Schools graduate was 3-1 with a 0.93 ERA and 20 saves for the Winston-Salem Warthogs, of the Chicago White Sox system. Texeira also was the winning pitcher of the Carolina League vs. California League all-star game.

He was later promoted to Double-A Birmingham, where he went 3-2 with a 2.01 ERA, striking out 24 in 22 1/3 innings.

Texeira, a 22nd-round pick in 2006 out of Saddleback Community College (Calif.), pitched in HWB last year.