During a recent baseball practice, coach Mike Trapasso asked catcher Tyler Murray the age-old question.

“I was joking around a couple days ago,” Trapasso said, “and I was like, ‘Hey, Tyler, what was it like playing for Les Murakami?’”

Murakami retired as UH coach in 2000, and Rainbow Stadium subsequently was renamed in his honor, but it has felt as if Murray has been a Rainbow Warrior for quite some time. And Trapasso said this might be one of the best of Murray’s six years with the ’Bows.

“He’s doing really, really well,” Trapasso said. “He’s having a good year so far. He’s taking on a leadership role. You want to talk about stepping up when the leadership role is there, that’s Tyler Murray. He’s really done a nice job with that. I’m really proud of him.”

In 2018, third baseman Ethan Lopez’s injury led to a sequence in which Kekai Rios played third and Murray replaced Rios as catcher. Murray did well then, and he has thrived as Dallas Duarte’s replacement this year. Duarte suffered a season-ending shoulder injury on March 26. Since then, Murray is hitting .286 — .412 in the past six games — while committing one error in 62 chances and throwing out five of 10 runners attempting to steal.

Murray will be behind the plate today when the ’Bows open a four-game series against CSU Bakersfield. “The key with Tyler, as we continue to go, he has to catch three games on a weekend, and hopefully he doesn’t wear down,” Trapasso said. “With Dallas being out, he’s done exceptionally well. He stepped up when we needed him to. I’m not only happy for him, I’m proud of him.”

Trapasso added: “Tyler is a good kid, with a good family. And grandma, on road trips, makes chocolate chip cookies to die for.”

Right-handed pitcher Aaron Davenport will start for UH today, and left-hander Austin Teixeira will pitch in Saturday’s doubleheader opener. After pitching three scoreless innings against UC Riverside, right-hander Cade Halemanu has regained a starting spot and will pitch in Saturday’s second game. Trapasso said he has not decided on a Sunday pitcher.

“We’re going to have to pitch well to keep (the Roadrunners’) scoring down,” Trapasso said, “and we’re going to have to match their scoring. We might have to win a game 6-5, 7-6, something like that.”

The Roadrunners are 8-7 overall and 5-3 in the Big West, having seven of their games canceled because of COVID-related circumstances. But they are hitting .306, and have struck out 5.6 times per game. In contrast, UH is hitting .251 and striking out an average of 8.4 times in 16 Big West games.

CSUB first baseman Tyler Jorgensen is hitting .426. Center fielder Jacen Roberson hit for the cycle against UC Davis a week ago. Right fielder Nick Grossman’s two career home runs have both been grand slams.

Trapasso said third baseman Dustin Demeter, who has missed 13 games because of foot ailments, is available as a designated hitter. “In this pandemic world we’re in, I think it’s a great way to say Demeter coming back is a shot in the arm,” Trapasso said.