Right-hander Connor Little will miss Hawaii’s 2012 baseball season after breaking his ankle on Christmas Day.

Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso said Little, a 6-foot-5 senior from San Diego, underwent surgery that included a plate, two screws and seven pins inserted into his injured ankle.

“He really did a number on it,” Trapasso said. “I told him that things happen for a reason and maybe (he’s) meant to pitch in the Big West our first year.”

This is the 33rd and final season in the Western Athletic Conference for Hawaii, which will join the Big West in 2013.

Little, who will redshirt this year, went 4-4 with a 4.99 ERA as a junior, starting 10 games with 32 strikeouts in 482⁄3 innings.

He was drafted in the 49th round by the Florida Marlins last summer, but decided to return for his senior year.

Little only pitched twice over the final month of the 2011 season after experiencing discomfort in his elbow.

He had a procedure done over the summer and threw pain-free in the fall. He likely would have been part of Hawaii’s starting rotation to open the season.

With the loss of Little, UH returns only five of 12 pitchers used last season, accounting for less than half of the team’s total innings.

Hawaii begins spring practice in two weeks and opens the 2012 season at home on Feb. 17 against Oregon.

2014 the toughest yet?

Hawaii’s 2014 schedule could end up being the toughest of Mike Trapasso’s tenure.

Trapasso has currently scheduled Oregon, UCLA, Pepperdine and Texas as the Rainbows’ first four opponents.

Barring any changes, UH will face the Ducks at home for the fifth straight season, then travel to UCLA. UH would return home to host the Waves before a road trip to Austin, Texas, to play the Longhorns.

UH hasn’t played UCLA since 2003 and is 31-24 all-time against the Bruins. Texas took two of three against UH in a series at Les Murakami Stadium last year.

Hawaii is expected to open the 2013 season at home against Oregon and Rice. The ‘Bows will then play in a tournament at UNLV that includes Tennessee and Loyola Marymount before returning home to play Wichita State.