You’re my kinda pitcher

Experience and youth headline Hawaii’s pitching rotation to start the 2013 baseball season.

Sophomore Scott Squier, UH’s only active returnee who made more than three starts a year ago, will get the nod Friday night as the Rainbows open against No. 6 Oregon at 6:35 p.m. at Les Murakami Stadium.

The 6-foot-6 left-hander went 3-4 with a 3.50 ERA last season, striking out 55 in 641⁄3 innings.

"I’m just excited," Squier said. "I’m ready to go get the job done."

Squier pitched seven shutout innings in Saturday’s 6-1 win in the alumni game, throwing 83 pitches and giving up four hits with five strikeouts in his final tuneup.

Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso needs Squier to improve on his consistency heading into his second season. Squier pitched into the sixth inning in only four of his 14 starts in 2012.

"It’s crucial for him to just be more efficient, and he has been in our scrimmages," Trapasso said. "He’s made a jump from his freshman to sophomore year in his skill set and we’re confident he’ll be able to give us seven innings most starts."

Nine months removed from one of the all-time great pitching performances in the Hawaii high school state tournament, freshman left-hander Quintin Torres-Costa will start Saturday night.

Torres-Costa threw six hitless innings and struck out 13 for Waiakea in the title game against Baldwin last May. The Star-Advertiser All-State pitcher of the year went 7-0 with a 0.30 ERA for the Warriors and struck out 58 in 471⁄3 innings.

"He started to develop in our scrimmages to the point that he really was our second-best guy from his performances in practice," Trapasso said. "No question there will be some nerves, but there’s also no question in my mind he can handle it."

Senior right-handers Connor Little and Corey MacDonald will start the final two games of the series beginning at 1 p.m. on Sunday and Monday.

Little will pitch for the first time in two years after missing all of 2012 with an ankle injury.

From 2009 to 2011, he went 9-7 with a 6.47 ERA and made 20 starts, throwing 1221⁄3 innings.

MacDonald threw only 82⁄3 innings as a junior, going 1-0 with a 6.23 ERA.

"I think Connor is a key to our whole season if he can pitch to his potential," Trapasso said. "If he does that he will be a guy that keeps us in games for seven innings for every start because he has that ability."

Little allowed just two earned runs in 131⁄3 innings over two starts against Texas and Loyola Marymount in 2011 before elbow pain forced him to have surgery after the season.