On the surface, there was no logical reason for so many of the University of Hawaii’s best baseball players from the program’s peak of the early 1980s ending up in the Brewers system — including the three, Glenn Braggs, Chuck Crim and Joey Meyer, who ended up teammates on the big club in Milwaukee.

But if you knew of the relationship between Ray Poitevint and UH’s legendary coach, Les Murakami, it made perfect sense. “He and Les were very good friends,” said Don Robbs, who starts his 40th year as voice of the Rainbows tonight when UH hosts New Mexico.

Poitevint was a pioneer in international baseball scouting, which in those days often meant Japan. UH never got a Japanese baseball player, but Poitevint came through Hawaii a lot and made sure his boss with the Brewers knew about worthy Rainbows, and steered prospects who wanted to go to college toward Manoa.

Then there is Australia. The first UH baseball player from there was pitcher Andrew McNally, whom Robbs said pretty much just showed up one day. He fashioned a decent, though injury-plagued career with the Rainbows, even finding time to pitch for the Australian Olympic team in the middle of it.

“I’d tried to get somebody before that,” Murakami said Thursday. “There was a good 6-foot-8 lefty. He was so good I went to Australia to see him. But they had a rule that when you’re 15 you have to pick trade or academics. His father told me he couldn’t go to school because he’d chosen trades.

“I forgot about him until a few years later when I saw him on TV pitching for the Yankees.”

The kid was Graeme Lloyd. He pitched in the majors from 1993 to 2003, including three perfect innings in five World Series games setting up saves for Mariano Rivera.

Andrew Jones became the second Rainbow from Australia in 2013. The left-handed pitcher came in as a junior-college transfer and wrapped up an up-and-down UH career stalled by injuries last season.

Shortstop Jacob Sheldon-Collins played 50 of the ‘Bows 53 games last season and batted .295 after transferring from Iowa Western CC. With a four-hit game Sunday at Hilo, he raised his UH career average to .303.

“Off-the-charts kid,” UH baseball coach Mike Trapasso said. “And funny. He does a running commentary while he’s in the (batting) cage.”

Like a lot of kids in Hawaii, Sheldon-Collins got his start in baseball early, playing tee ball at 4. And he played a variety of sports … but one of his was cricket; there was football, too, but the Australian Rules kind. That’s what he figured he’d have gone on to if his father, Matthew Sheldon-Collins, had not been an Australia baseball hall-of-famer.

In 1988, Matthew Sheldon-Collins and Jon Deeble were teammates on the Australia Olympics team. Deeble and Trapasso have become friends, and the UH coach considers Deeble a very valuable contact as Hawaii hopes to recruit more Australian players. He is now the head coach of the Australia national team, and runs a baseball academy that attracts the continent’s top young players. Trapasso has attended the academy the past four years.

Also, former Rainbows catcher and assistant Landon Hernandez married a woman from Australia, and is now coaching in Adelaide, giving Trapasso another trusted contact.

Australians have starred for other UH teams, including football, softball and women’s basketball. Men’s basketball coach Eran Ganot has strong ties recruiting that continent for Saint Mary’s.

Athletic director David Matlin is looking Down Under not just for student-athletes but also an expanded fan base and revenue. He calls a football game in Sydney against Cal in August an opportunity to “plant the flag.”

Jacob Sheldon-Collins said it all makes sense, since Australia is a lot closer to Hawaii than Iowa … and even California. When he’s home he sees the “H” logo often.

“People wearing the hat or a sweater. A lot of people come (to Hawaii) for holiday. They stumble into a store and buy gear. Some come to games and introduce themselves after,” he said.

“And we have nothing like college sports.”

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. His blog is at Hawaiiwarriorworld.com/quick-reads.