HONOLULU — The University of Hawaii baseball and softball teams begin play in the Big West Conference this weekend. ADVERTISING HONOLULU — The University of Hawaii baseball and softball teams begin play in the Big West Conference this weekend. The
HONOLULU — The University of Hawaii baseball and softball teams begin play in the Big West Conference this weekend.
The Rainbow Warriors (12-12) start a three-game series at No. 10 UC Santa Barbara (18-3) at noon Friday, followed by an 11 a.m. game Saturday and the finale at 10 a.m. Sunday.
All three games will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Radio AM 1500.
UH has won five of its past six games, including a three-games-to-one series victory over Alabama-Birmingham last weekend. All three victories against UAB came in the late innings, as the Rainbow Warriors scored three runs in the ninth to win the opener by one run, followed by an 11-inning victory in Game 2, and then breaking a 2-all tie in the eighth inning of the finale.
No. 4 starter Scott Kuzminsky (3-2) is the reigning Big West Pitcher of the Week, after posting a two-hit shutout vs. Nevada on March 17 followed by a 4-2 victory over UAB in which he fell just one out short of another complete game.
UC Santa Barbara is off to its best start in about 30 years, earning a No. 10 ranking by Collegiate Baseball, the first time the Gauchos have cracked the Top 10 since 1986. Their 17-3 overall record and 11-1 mark at home also represent their best starts since 1984, and their .857 winning percentage is the best in the West region and fourth-best in the nation.
UCSB is coming off a four-game sweep of Wagner and defeated Fresno State, 5-4, in a 10-inning nonconference game Tuesday night.
One notable stat: UCSB is 16-0 when holding its opponent to five runs or less.
Hawaii averaged only four runs per game in the three victories over UAB, and was shut out (5-0) in the one loss.
The UH softball team (15-14) notched a pair of nonconference comeback victories Wednesday in Los Angeles, rallying past Missouri-Kansas City, 7-4, and edging host Loyola Marymount, 4-3.
Rainbow Wahine starters Loie Kesterson and Heather Morales each went the distance and the UH offense combined for 21 hits — including eight for extra bases — in the doubleheader.
Kayla Wartner slammed a two-run homer and Sharla Kliebenstein went yard to break a 4-all tie in the top of the sixth inning and highlight a five-run rally against Missouri-Kansas City.
In the nightcap, Keiki Carlos hit her sixth home run of the season and Lindsey Willmon notched her seventh round-tripper in the top of the fifth inning to help the Rainbow Wahine overcome a 2-0 deficit.
Hawaii next travels to UC Riverside (19-14) to open Big West play in a noon game Friday followed by a Saturday doubleheader starting at 9 a.m.
The Highlanders are coming off a 9-7 victory at Loyola Marymount last Saturday.
WATER POLO TEAM HOSTS UC IRVINE, UCLA: The 11th-ranked UH water polo team will play host to No. 6 UC Irvine in a Big West showdown on Friday followed by a nonconference match vs. No. 2 UCLA on Saturday.
Both games are scheduled for 6 p.m. at UH’s Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex.
The Rainbow Wahine (13-6 overall) opened their Big West season with a 9-8 overtime home victory over Long Beach State on Friday. UC Irvine (16-6) shared the conference title with Hawaii last season and defeated UH, 9-4, in a nonconference meeting at the Stanford Invitational on Feb. 1.
UCLA (18-2) defeated the Rainbow Wahine, 13-8, in last year’s NCAA tournament third-place match.
