Every one of the 10 Hawaii baseball seniors will say it’s been tough.

Back-to-back 30-loss seasons have tested everyone’s patience, from coach Mike Trapasso to his staff to every member of the Rainbow Warriors baseball team.

It wasn’t what the players envisioned when they decided to come to the islands to play ball. It’s not the outcome they wanted when they first stepped on the mound or took their first batting-practice swing in August.

Adversity always tests one’s character, and this group has been through a lot.

What hasn’t been lost on any of these seniors is the privilege that comes with playing at Les Murakami Stadium. They will tell you it’s different than playing anywhere else in the country.

"When I played here, I would get mad every once in a while, but those Fridays when the kids come out (on autograph night) and would tell you how you played great even though you played horrible, you realize, ‘Wow, I’m really here for them,’ " shortstop Austin Wobrock said. "That’s what I’m going to take away from (my two years). When you come here, you play for the state of Hawaii, not for yourself, and you learn there’s a lot of bigger and more important things out there than just yourself and how you play."

For two years, Wobrock has put on a show at shortstop for Rainbow Warriors fans. He started all 101 games during his tenure and had one of the best defensive seasons of any UH player his junior year.

In 51 games, he made only one error in 229 chances and finished with a .996 fielding percentage. Not only did he make the routine play every time, but he was good for countless web gems. He made so many that they all blur together now.

"There are a lot up there, but honestly, all I can remember is trying to make the plays. I don’t remember them individually," Wobrock said. "I remember the bad ones though. Unfortunately those are the ones that stay with you."

While Wobrock has been consistent through his two seasons, two seniors in particular have made a big jump in year two.

Outfielder Adam Hurley, who lost his starting job midway through last season has increased his batting average by more than 100 points. He leads the team at .309 heading into the final week of the season against UC Riverside. He had the game-tying hit in the bottom of the ninth inning in a win over UAB earlier this season and has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games.

Hurley can also say he hit at least one home run in his home ballpark in his career. He hit one of four UH home runs last season when he went deep against UC Santa Barbara as a junior.

"I’ll definitely take that back with me," Hurley said. "It’s been tough record-wise, but this experience, with the fans, the stadium, is something I will take with me for the rest of my life. I will never forget playing in this stadium."

Right-hander Scott Kuzminsky also made a giant leap between his junior and senior seasons. Kuzminsky has lowered his ERA by more than one run a game while pitching four times as many innings.

He came one out shy of pitching consecutive shutouts and became the first Hawaii pitcher to strike out 14 batters in a game in more than 30 years.

"A lot of guys who have been successful as junior-college transfers do it the way (Kuzminsky and Hurley) did it," Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso said. "A lot of times you’ll see guys come in and struggle a little bit in their junior year facing Division I hitting (and pitching), but what you saw with these two guys is they learned from it, they made adjustments, and they improved in a big way."

Kuzminsky had the added bonus of following his roommate and junior college teammate, Matt Cooper, whose ERA of 1.64 heading into his final start is the lowest of any UH starting pitcher since Derek Tatsuno in 1978.

Cooper needs five strikeouts against the Highlanders to become the 19th UH pitcher with 100 in a season and first since 2006.

"Cooper and Kuzminsky were far and away the most dominant and consistent guys in the fall and we thought coming in that they would do well," Trapasso said. "Obviously the numbers Cooper put up you can’t predict."

Cooper will start the final game of the season on Saturday as Scott Squier will start the opener against UC Riverside on Thursday night.

Kuzminsky will pitch his final game on Friday.