Hawaii’s final season in the Western Athletic Conference won’t consist of very many league games.
Six three-game series make up the entire slate of WAC baseball games in this, the final year before UH bolts to the Big West.
UH RAINBOW BASEBALL SCHEDULE
Home games at Les Murakami Stadium
All times Hawaii time and p.m. unless otherwise noted
*WAC game
FEBRUARY
11—Alumni game, 1; 17—Oregon, 6:35; 18—Oregon, 6:05; 19—Oregon, 1:05; 20—Oregon, 1:05; 23—Wagner, 6:35; 24—Wagner, 6:35; 25—Wagner (DH), 3:05; 26—Wagner, 1:05.
MARCH
1—Wichita State, 6:35; 2—Wichita State, 6:35; 3—Wichita State, 1:05; 4—Wichita State, 12:05; 7—Central Michigan, 6:35; 8—Central Michigan, 6:35; 9—Central Michigan, 6:35; 10—Central Michigan, 1:05; 15—San Francisco, 6:35; 16—San Francisco, 6:35; 17—San Francisco, 6:05; 18—San Francisco, 1:05; 20—at Portland, noon; 22—at Gonzaga, 3; 23—at Gonzaga, 3; 24—at Gonzaga, 10 a.m.; 25—at Gonzaga, 10 a.m.; 29—UC Davis, 6:35; 30—UC Davis, 6:35; 31—UC Davis, 6:35.
APRIL
1—UC Davis, 1:05; 5—*Fresno State, 6:35; 6—*Fresno State, 6:35; 7—*Fresno State, 1:05; 13—Saint Mary’s (Calif.), 6:35; 14—Saint Mary’s (Calif.) (DH), 3:05; 15—Saint Mary’s (Calif.), 1:05; 20—*at San Jose State, 3; 21—*at San Jose State, 10 a.m.; 22—*at San Jose State, 10 a.m.; 24—at Grambling, 1; 26—*at Louisiana Tech, 1; 27—*at Louisiana Tech, 1; 28—*at Louisiana Tech, 10 a.m.
MAY
3—*New Mexico State, 6:35; 4—*New Mexico State, 6:35; 5—*New Mexico State, 6:35; 11—*at Sacramento State, noon; 12—*at Sacramento State, 10 a.m.; 13—*at Sacramento State, 10 a.m.; 14—at UC Davis, 11:30 a.m.; 17—*Nevada, 6:35; 18—*Nevada, 6:35; 19—*Nevada, 6:35. 23-27—WAC tournament, Mesa, Ariz.
JUNE
1-3—NCAA Regionals. 8-10—NCAA Super Regionals. 17-27—College World Series, Omaha, Neb. |
The Rainbows will welcome Fresno State, New Mexico State and Nevada to Les Murakami Stadium while playing San Jose State, Louisiana Tech and Sacramento State on the road.
The WAC had played four-game conference series for the past four years, but cut the league schedule from 32 to 24 games in 2009.
The 18 regular-season WAC games this year are the fewest UH will play since 1984.
"I think that it’s disappointing that you’re playing a conference schedule of only 18 games," Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso said. "The reality is that you won’t have any meaning to the regular-season conference other than seeding for the tournament.
"You can’t, in baseball, come up with some meaningful standings based on 18 games."
Hawaii’s nonconference schedule has also had to go through some late reshuffling, with teams like Wagner, Central Michigan and Saint Mary’s replacing previously scheduled teams, including Cal State Fullerton and CSU Bakersfield.
"This year’s schedule was as difficult to put together as any schedule that I can remember," Trapasso said. "We had cancellations, so we had to scramble … it may not be as many name teams as we’re used to, but it’s still very competitive and this one is more balanced."
UH will open with Oregon (on Feb. 17) for the second consecutive year, followed by Wagner for the first five-game home series against one team since Chicago State in 2007.
Wichita State, Central Michigan and San Francisco follow as Hawaii opens with 21 home games over the first 30 days.
The Rainbows hit the road for a single game at Portland and four games against Gonzaga, which finished 32-19 with an RPI of 70, one behind Hawaii, last season.
The Shockers, who visit March 1-4, had an RPI of 71.
UC Davis visits for a four-game set before UH opens WAC play at home against the defending-champion Bulldogs.
Hawaii also has a home series against the Gaels and single games at Grambling and at UC Davis mixed in with the shortened conference slate.
Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Ariz., will host the WAC tournament for the third and final time beginning May 23. UH is 6-3 at that stadium, winning the tournament title in 2010 and finishing runner-up to the Bulldogs this past season.
