It will seem like old times when Hawaii plays host to Wichita State in tonight’s opener of a four-game baseball series at Les Murakami Stadium.
For more than two decades through 2013, the teams met regularly, notably in the Rainbow Easter Tournament. It was a 47-game history built through the friendship between head coaches Gene Stephenson, who left Wichita State at the end of the 2013 season, and Les Murakami, who retired in 2000.
Brian Green, WSU’s second-year head coach, and UH coach Rich Hill resurrected the series in what is billed as “Legends Weekend.” Green was an assistant under Hill at the University of San Diego in 2002 before he was the Rainbow Warriors’ hitting coach in 2003 and 2004.
“The Shockers against the Rainbows, kind of like old times 40 years ago,” Hill said.
The Shockers are coming off a challenging opening series in which they lost two of three games to McNeese State and three starters — catcher Maurcio Millan and outfielder/infielders Owen Washburn, a Texas Tech transfer, and Davis Mauzy — to extended injuries. Pitchers Tyler Dobbs and Jack Mount did not pitch against McNeese State, but will be available against the ’Bows.
“We went down (to Lake Charles, La.) and we got hit in the face with a little bit of the adversity bug with the injuries,” Green said. “I think we handled it well. McNeese is a really good club, a regional team. But it was good to see us 0-2 come back on Sunday as hard as we could with some guys out of position. We competed really hard.”
To keep the Shockers’ starting pitchers on the same schedule, Brady Hamilton is tentatively set to start on Friday, Grant Adler on Saturday and Jace Miner on Sunday. In a “staff” game, Jeremiah Arnett will be the first of several Shockers to pitch tonight.
“We won’t move it up,” Green said of the order, which keeps Hamilton as the Friday starter. “It’s early in the season. It’s the long game. For us, it’s about the American (Athletic Conference). … We’ll keep our guys on track.”
Hill announced that he will move up his rotation, with last week’s Friday starter, Sebastian Gonzalez, starting tonight, followed by Itsuki Takemoto on Friday, Cooper Walls on Saturday, and Cory Ronan in Sunday’s series finale.
Hill acknowledged Gonzalez had a difficult outing against Marshall last week. It appeared the strike zone narrowed. Marshall hit back-to-back homers to left field, where the Kona weather did not provide the resistance of the usual cross winds. “He’ll be much better moving forward,” Hill said of Gonzalez.
The ’Bows benefited from the performances of several transfers. Draven Nushida (Cal State Fullerton) and Shunsuke Sakaino (Cal State Northridge) hit walk-off singles. Liam O’Brien (Gonzaga) and Freddy Rodriguez (Cal Poly) led a bullpen that was 3-0 with a 1.96 ERA against Marshall.
O’Brien, whose fastball touched 98 mph during winter training, has learned to mix in his 88 mph curve. O’Brien struck out four and did not allow a base runner in three innings over two appearances.
Rodriguez has rebounded from an injury-shortened season that limited him to two appearances for Cal Poly in 2024. After committing to UH, he played for the Portland Pickles last summer. Rodriguez was named the West Coast League’s Pitcher of the Year after going 6-0 with a 1.02 ERA, He averaged 11.01 strikeouts per nine innings while allowing 16 walks in 44 innings.
“I went out there and did what I knew how to do best this summer with the Pickles,” Rodriguez said.
That confidence transcended to last weekend, when he did not allow an earned run in 3 1/3 innings over two appearances.
Rodriguez has a five-pitch repertoire that he pared to three against Marshall: four-seam fastball, two-seam change-up and a slider.
“Simplifying my mindset of what I’m trying to do to hitters, and staying on the attack every at-bat,” Rodriguez said of his approach.
The availability of shortstop Jordan Donahue, who suffered an apparent hand injury last week, remains in question. Third baseman Elijah Ickes, who projects as a next-level shortstop, replaced Donahue. Ickes hit .389 and did not commit an error in 19 chances.
Rainbow Warriors Baseball
At Les Murakami Stadium
HAWAII (4-0) vs. WICHITA STATE (1-2)
>> Schedule: 6:35 tonight, Friday, Saturday; 1:05 p.m Sunday
>> TV: Spectrum Sports on Thursday, Friday
>> Radio: 1420-AM / 92.7-FM tonight, Friday, Sunday. 1500-AM Saturday.
