Expect the Hawaii baseball pitchers to be working out of the stretch.

For the final nine games of the season, the ideal scenario is to limit a pitcher to one appearance per three-game series. But coach Rich Hill noted the goal could be stretched depending on the situation as the ’Bows open a three-game series against UC Davis tonight.

“We’ve got three weeks to go, and great opponents and our guys can really find that extra inch,” said Hill, a reference to a challenge posed when the coaches speak at youth clinics. “We do an exercise … and I’ll say, ‘Raise your hands high as you can.’ And then I’ll go, ‘Higher.’ Everybody always goes — uhh — one inch higher. And that’s where we’re at. We think we’ve exuded everything we’ve had. But there’s one more inch in the tank to do this thing.”

The past three Big West series, the ’Bows had a six-pitcher core of Harry Gustin, Randy Abshier, Alex Giroux, Harrison Bodendorf, Tyler Dyball and Connor Harrison. Harry Gustin is set to make his 12th start tonight. Randy Abshier is projected to make his 13th start on Friday.

In the last two series, Giroux relieved in the first game and started the third. Bodendorf has pitched two times in each of the previous three series. Harrison threw a season-high five innings of relief against UC Irvine last Sunday. Hill indicated Dalton Renne, who pitched well last Saturday, has worked his way into an expanded role.

“It’s a brand new weekend,” Hill said of the series that pauses for UH’s commencement ceremony on Saturday and continues with the third game on Sunday. “You’ve got that day off, so we’ll do what the game dictates.”

At 11-10 in the Big West, the ’Bows have a murmur’s chance of catching first place Cal State Fullerton (17-4).

“This is it,” Hill said. “We’re going for it. As long as we’re mathematically alive, we’re going for everything. Seen a lot of weird stuff in this game.”

The ’Bows face a youthful UC Davis team whose roster features 19 newcomers. Freshman Joey Wright has started all 43 games at shortstop. Second baseman Alex Gouveia, who transferred from Modesto College last summer, is hitting .330.

Bryan Green, who pitched seven scoreless innings in a combined shutout of Cal Poly last week, has emerged as the series-opening starter. Kaden Hogan, who has a team-high five saves, made his first start last Sunday, not allowing a run in five innings.

Danny Carrion and Nathan Peng are the late-inning relievers. Carrion has a 1.71 ERA and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 28-to0-8. For now, Peng is taking over Hogan’s reliever role. Alejandro Huezo, who struggled as a starter, is more comfortable out of the bullpen.

“We’re just getting better as the season goes on,” UCD coach Tommy Nicholson said.

Nicholson has learned as a player and assistant under the late Augie Garrido, who was the winningest college coach when he retired from Texas in 2016. “I try to pass on a lot of the stuff I learned from him about the game, how to win, how to handle yourself,” Nicholson said.

Nicholson also was an assistant under Stanford coach David Esquer, who led the Cardinal to the 2021 and 2022 College World Series.