Mahalo for supporting Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Enjoy this free story!
After its best finish in three years playing in the Big West Conference, Hawaii is expected by league coaches to take a step back.
The Rainbow Warriors were picked to finish seventh in the preseason baseball poll released Thursday, voted on by the nine head coaches.
UH went 12-12 last year to finish fifth, marking its best record in league play since leaving the Western Athletic Conference after the 2012 season.
The ’Bows return seven starters on offense but have to replace nearly their entire pitching staff, including All-BWC first-team selection Tyler Brashears and second-team honoree Quintin Torres-Costa.
They were two of three UH pitchers taken in last summer’s MLB Draft that decided to sign and give up their remaining college eligibility.
Cal State Fullerton was tabbed to repeat as conference champion, earning four of the nine first-place votes.
UC Irvine followed in second, with Long Beach State third and UC Santa Barbara, which hosted a regional last season, fourth. All three of those teams received at least one first-place vote, with the Dirtbags garnering three.
Hawaii swept a three-game series from Long Beach State last year and won six of its final nine games in conference. UH went 0-9 against UC Irvine, Cal Poly and the Titans but was 12-3 against the rest of the league.
The Mustangs were ranked sixth behind Cal State Northridge, which was picked to finish fifth despite an 8-16 record in conference last season.
UC Riverside and UC Davis rounded out the preseason poll.
Hawaii begins the 2016 season at UH Hilo on Feb. 13, opening on the road for the first time in Mike Trapasso’s 15 seasons as head coach.
The home opener is Feb. 19 against New Mexico.
74