A new year means a new priority list for new University of Hawaii baseball coach Rich Hill.

“Every time around New Year’s, my circadian rhythm — that internal clock — just starts to get going,” said Hill, who was hired last June after 23 years at the University of San Diego. “You feel college baseball season coming. I get a little more antsy, a little bit more of an edge, a little bit more of a focus. The Surfline bookmark that I check immediately upon waking up now goes to maybe four, five in the order. It starts to ramp up. I’m fired up.”

Hill’s proverbial glass is full of optimism. Wind-bent trees behind the fence at Les Murakami Stadium? “I see that and I think of the tradewinds and how they help Hawaii,” Hill said.

The Manoa mist? “I think about how green Hawaii is going to be after that rain,” he added.

Of wind-crossed Murakami Stadium’s reputation as a place where long drives go to die, Hill crafted a lineup and strategy based on speed, choosy at-bats and fundamentals.

“I think speed and fundamentals come to the ballpark every day,” Hill said. “You can’t always rely on guys hitting a three-run homer, especially at our place.”

Beginning Friday night, the Rainbow Warriors play host to Washington State in a four-game series to open the 2022 season. The approach for the first game will be the same as for the rest of the schedule.

“Every game in college baseball is a playoff game because of where we’re at in the Big West and our situation when it comes to at-large berths (for the NCAA’s postseason),” Hill said. “Every game has a profound impact on the RPI. Our goal is to finish under 40 in the RPI, win the Big West championship. If we finish second in the Big West or third, we want to have an RPI under 40. A game versus Washington State, which is a Power Five (conference team), is a playoff game. It’s not a developmental thing. It’s not a get-guys-ready-for-the-Big-West thing. It’s now.”

Here’s a look:

PITCHERS

Cade Halemanu, a fourth-year junior from Pearl City, and Andy Archer, a graduate transfer from Georgia Tech, are a pair of aces. Halemanu turned down a free-agent check to return to Manoa. “Halemanu is our Friday guy,” Hill said of the No. 1 role. “He was going to be our Friday guy the minute he decided to turn down that pro offer. Local boy, Friday night, COVID restrictions lifted — hopefully we get full capacity — I want him in front of the home crowd, putting us on his back.”

Halemanu’s best pitch has been a changeup he mastered at Pearl City. But last year, his velocity reached 96 mph. He also is motivated after not being selected in last year’s COVID-abbreviated, 20-round Major League Baseball draft. “Cade’s a super mellow guy off the field,” Hill said, “but then the lights go on and the scoreboard turns on and there’s a team with a different-colored jersey in the other dugout, and, I mean, it’s like the switch is flipped. He’s awesome.”

Soon after being hired, Hill went over transition details with Mike Brown, who served as interim head coach after Mike Trapasso’s contract was not renewed. Brown mentioned Archer, who had pitched a shutout in the 2021 College World Series. “I hung up, and immediately dialed Andy,” Hill recalled. “I remember where I was. I was in a car … in a parking lot, and I called him right then.”

For the other starts, Hill is leaning toward the “opener” strategy — popularized by the San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Rays — in which a scripted series of short-inning pitchers are used. Freshmen Cory Ronan, Harry Gustin and Ben Whipple combined to no-hit the alumni last week and are considerations for ensemble roles.

“I think those guys are the future of Rainbow Warrior baseball,” Hill said. “The future could be this weekend.”

Cameron Hagan, Tyler Dyball and Koali‘i Pontes are viewed as closers or set-up hurlers. Left-handed Tai Atkins is preparing as a situational pitcher.

Buddie Pindel, Connor Harrison, Dalton Renne and, depending on his health, Trevor Ichimura will be middle-game bridges. There also will be a role for left-handed freshman Junior Flores.

“Buddie Pindel could really be a good bridge for some of the high-octane guys at the end,” Hill said. “(His pitches) just jump on you. He has the experience, veteran presence out there, kind of a workhorse. He can throw every day. That guy is going to eat up a lot of innings.”

Hill also said he will not bank pitchers for another day. “This is the seventh game of the World Series every time we play,” Hill said. “This is not save somebody for the next day. It’s that mentality. It’s kind of Tommy Lasorda old school where: ‘Yomorrow it might rain, why save somebody?’”

CATCHERS

Hill said Dallas Duarte has completely healed from an arm procedure and has “separated himself as the best receiver.”

Hill said Nainoa Cardinez has “special arm strength” and a “good feel” for working with pitchers. “He’s a big guy who moves well,” Hill said of 6-2, 200-pound Cardinez.

Blake Hiraki also has improved, and is an option if Duarte plays left field.

INFIELDERS

Shortstop Kyson Donahue, a Punahou School graduate who transferred from Arizona last summer, was the star of fall training. But he will miss a few series while recovering from a hamate injury. His cousin, Oregon State transfer Jordan Donahue, has played well at short recently. Jordan Donahue appears to have recovered from a shoulder issue that forced him to miss summer ball. “He’s a tremendous talent and a phenomenal kid,” Hill said of Jordan Donahue, a Damien graduate.

Stone Miyao is back at second after excelling as a fill-in at third last year. With his up-the-middle range, Miyao also can play short. “I like his competitiveness,” Hill said. “I don’t know if anyone wants to win more than him.”

The past two years, Miyao and Aaron Ujimori were splitting time at second. Ujimori is now projected to play third. Hill said Ujimori has range, can fire the long throws, and can field liners, hard grounders or choppers. “He has that baseball savvy,” Hill said.

The first base job is up for grabs. Jacob Igawa, who can play left field, has improved defensively to earn a shot at first. Bronson Rivera, Cardinez and Matt Aribal also are options at first. Aribal is also a candidate at second and third — positions he played at Central Arizona College.

OUTFIELDERS

Cole Cabrera, Matt Wong, Scotty Scott and Naighel Ali‘i Calderon are collectively nicknamed the “No Fly Zone.”

As a Cal Poly outfielder last year, Cabrera had two walk-off plate appearances in a doubleheader sweep of Hawaii. Cabrera, a Punahou alumnus, joined the ’Bows as a graduate transfer. “I think he’s an elite defender at this level,” Hill said of Cabrera, who will play center.

After missing most of the past two seasons because of a knee injury, Wong is back to good health, and moving from center to right. “Matt Wong has as good an arm as any outfielder in college baseball,” Hill said.

Scott, who began his UH career as a center fielder, has mastered left field and Murakami’s crosswinds. “Scott is actually coaching me up on how to play left field there,” Hill said. “The wind swirls so much, but he has a really good feel for the angles.”

Calderon, who can play all the outfield spots, is the fastest ’Bow, clocking 6.1 seconds from home to first. “That’s elite speed,” Hill said. “That’s Terry Derby-ish. He’s a lot like (former ’Bow) Terry Derby, but from the right side. He puts the ball in play.”