Oregon, Pepperdine and former WAC rival Nevada highlight the nonconference home slate for the University of Hawaii baseball team in 2014.

This year’s schedule, which UH is expected to officially release today, also includes a road trip at Texas at the beginning of March.

Hawaii opens Big West Conference play on the road March 28 against UC Santa Barbara, one of three teams in the league to qualify for the NCAA tournament last year.

“It’s another very difficult schedule,” Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso said Friday. “We pride ourselves on playing challenging nonconference schedules and obviously the Big West is one of the best conferences in college baseball.

“We think it’s a balanced schedule and one that the fans will enjoy, with some good teams coming out that haven’t been here in a while.”

Hawaii hosts Oregon for the fifth straight year and fourth consecutive opener.

The Ducks finished 48-16 last season, losing in a regional final to Rice.

Pepperdine returns to Les Murakami Stadium for the first time since 2000, when it split two games against the Rainbows in the Easter Baseball Tournament.

Between those series is a four-game set against Albany, which was a late replacement for USC, which canceled.

The Rainbow Warriors will play a single game at USC in April between series at Cal State Northridge and Cal State Fullerton.

It’s the only road trip of the season lasting more than a week.

“Those 10-day trips are long,” Trapasso said. “I like the way it sets up this year because we only have to do that one time.”

With Pacific leaving the Big West this season, UH had to fill a weekend in May, bringing in New York Tech for four games to get to 53 for the season.

“The hard one was filling the bye week,” Trapasso said.

“That’s a tough weekend for teams to come to Hawaii when most are in the middle of their conference, plus it’s real close to finals week.”