Baseball is back!

OK, it’s not professional baseball time quite yet — that starts March 28 — but college baseball is under way, and how sweet it is.

The University of Hawaii Rainbows launched their new season last night at beautiful Les Murakami Stadium, going against the Oregon Ducks, the third year in a row fans have enjoyed a Rainbows-Ducks season starter. Apparently it’ll happen again next year and then at least two more times after that.

Meanwhile, the Rainbows’ second game is at 6:05 p.m. today, followed by two more, at 1:05 p.m. Sunday and Monday, both of which will be televised on OC Sports, Channel 12.

Chances are good that the UH Rainbows — WAC champs for the past two years — will have another solid season, but even if they don’t, it’s baseball and it’s back.

Pass the peanuts.

Don’t delay in spiking spiking

A state House committee chairman is sending a message to public employees near retirement that they should "spike away" on overtime hours while they can, enabling them to build up their pensions.

Rep. Karl Rhoads, who heads the House Labor and Public Employment Committee, has decided to shelve the proposal, despite support for it as needed reform by the Abercrombie administration and the Employees Retirement System of Hawaii. Some state or county employees have been able to achieve pension payments amounting to more than double their public salaries by putting in high amounts of overtime during their final three years on the job.

Overtime is for public managers to control, Rhoads said. But can and will they? Don’t hold your breath. At stake is $32 million in state and county taxpayer money, to be possibly distributed according to the whims of the public-employee culture.