Rainbows close the season in Arizona

While most conferences compete in their tournaments this weekend, Hawaii is left to play three nonconference games in Arizona.

The Big West and the Pac-12 are the only two major college baseball conferences that don’t play a season-ending tournament, leaving the Rainbow Warriors with limited options for games in the final weekend.

Arizona already had a home series against Abilene Christian scheduled when Hawaii found out its bye would take place in the final week. The hosts moved games around so UH could compete in a mini round-robin.

UH (21-29) will play a doubleheader on Saturday, beginning with Abilene Christian (15-37) at 11 a.m., followed by a game against the Wildcats (28-23) at 3.

Hawaii will close the season Sunday with one more game against Arizona at 9 a.m.

The game marks the end of the careers of eight seniors, including three who are the final ties to the Western Athletic Conference.

Pitcher Jarrett Arakawa, outfielder Kaeo Aliviado and infielder Stephen Ventimilia played in the 2012 WAC tournament in Mesa, Ariz.

"I wish we had one (in the Big West)," Ventimilia said earlier in the week. "It gives us a chance for a little late magic run."

Without a tournament, the 2010 team led by infielders Kolten Wong and Greg Garcia never would have advanced to an NCAA regional, where it beat nationally ranked San Diego twice before losing in the regional final to No. 1 overall seed Arizona State.

Hawaii closed this season winning six straight on the road and finished .500 in Big West play at 12-12 after losing six of its first nine.

Cal State Fullerton clinched the regular-season conference title and automatic postseason berth when No. 8 UC Santa Barbara lost 3-2 to last-place UC Riverside on Friday.

The league will likely get three bids, with UC Irvine, which made the College World Series a year ago, getting the other at-large.

Hawaii was alive in the race until getting swept last weekend by the Titans, who were one of three BWC teams to sweep a series against UH.

The ‘Bows have already clinched a third straight losing season and are one defeat away from a third consecutive 30-loss campaign, which would be a program first.

Junior Tyler Brashears, one of three potential underclassmen on the team who could get drafted next month, needs a win Saturday against Arizona to become UH’s first nine-game winner since 2007.

He has given up two runs in each of his past two outings after yielding one run or none in four of his previous five starts and lasted only six innings against Fullerton. It was his shortest outing since late March.

"I gave up a couple of runs and I want to get back on track to what I was doing before that," Brashears said. "Hopefully go out with a really good start."

Brashears will be in Hawaii for the draft and will likely be the first Rainbow Warrior selected.

Right-hander L.J. Brewster and closer Quintin Torres-Costa, who didn’t give up a run the entire Big West season, are also potential draftees who would leave a huge void in the pitching staff if they all signed.

Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso left Monday, three days before the team departed Honolulu, to recruit.

Arakawa will become the eighth UH pitcher in school history to start 50 games when he takes the mound Sunday.