While Hawaii prepares for its second-to-last series on the road, a major enhancement to Les Murakami Stadium is taking place at home.

The first piece of a brand new scoreboard went up on Thursday, with the entire project expected to be completed in time for Hawaii’s next home game, a week from Friday against New York Institute of Technology.

The new scoreboard is similar in size to the old one, 21 feet high and 36 feet wide, and will feature an electronic line score below a video board similar to the one in the Stan Sheriff Center. The old scoreboard was put in prior to the 2002 season.

"We obviously needed it and I think it’ll enhance the fan experience," Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso said on Thursday. "It looks like we’ll be able to do some things with the Jumbotron that will be able to make things more fun for the fans."

Before that, the Rainbow baseball team will finish up its longest road trip of the season with a three-game set at Cal State Fullerton, which is mired in one of its worst seasons in decades.

The Titans (18-17, 3-6 Big West) are on a six-game losing streak for the first time since 1983 and are in danger of missing the postseason for the first time since 1991.

Head coach Rick Vanderhook was placed on paid administrative leave last Thursday because of allegations the school had to review, according to a statement released by the school.

Assistant coaches Mike Kirby and Jason Dietrich are serving as co-head coaches for the Titans, who were swept last weekend by No. 2 Cal Poly and lost in 16 innings to Fresno State on Wednesday.

Trapasso, whose team has lost nine of 10, wasn’t concerned with Fullerton’s situation on Thursday.

"They’re the class of our league and one of the premier programs in all of college baseball," he said.

All three games will be telecast by ESPN, with Friday’s game streamed online on ESPN3. Saturday and Sunday’s games will be shown on ESPNU.

"That adds a little more excitement," said Trapasso, who hopes the Sunday telecast will feature junior left-hander Jarrett Arakawa.

Arakawa has missed his past two starts but threw a bullpen session on Thursday and felt better.

If he wakes up on Friday and is pain free, he will be given the green light for Sunday, which would allow Trapasso to use senior right-hander Scott Kuzminsky out of the bullpen either Friday or Saturday.

"I think right now, until we’re 100 percent sure that Jarrett can not only go but can throw 80 to 90 pitches, we have to assume that Kuzminsky is not available for the first two games," Trapasso said. "We’ll still have to tread lightly with (Kuzminsky) because while he can pitch Friday and Saturday, we have to plan on him maybe going extended innings on Sunday depending upon how Jarrett feels."

It’s a tough spot for a coach who has dealt with injury for two straight years.

Andrew Jones and Quintin Torres-Costa, who both missed all of last season with Tommy John surgery, combined to allow just two hits and one unearned run in four innings at USC on Tuesday.

Both are still only able to reach the mid 80s in velocity on their fastballs.

"They are really only one- or two-inning pitchers right now," Trapasso said. "With Quintin, everything we get from him right now is a bonus, because going into the season, we really didn’t think we would have him at all because of the timing of the surgery last spring."

Fullerton, which took two of three at Hawaii last season, ranks ninth in the country with a team ERA of 2.28.