Rainbows look
to sweep Vulcans

---

By Al Chase
achase@starbulletin.com

Hawaii plays its final midweek baseball game at the Les Murakami Stadium tonight when it hosts Hawaii-Hilo for the fourth time this season.

This is the first of a seven-game homestand for the Rainbows, who will host Western Athletic Conference opponents Fresno State and San Jose State this and next weekend, respectively.

The Vulcans (8-29) will conclude their season on the road. They leave Saturday for an eight-game trip that has them playing the Washington Huskies, the Pacific Tigers and the Cal State Sacramento Hornets.

Coach Joey Estrella's team, 5-5 in its last 10 games, has been idle since March 25.

"It's unfortunate that we've had these three weeks off because when we played Western Illinois we were playing better," Estrella said.

"We had made some changes in our lineup and that had helped," Estrella added. "The scrimmage Friday went well, but it is not like playing another team, so we'll have to wait and see."

The Vulcans' top three hitters are Nalei Sooto at .347, Tom Henderson at .322 with a team-leading 21 runs batted in, and Kaliko Oligo at .314.

Henderson is questionable for the game after being hit on his shin by a pitch in Friday's intrasquad game.

Estrella said Henderson is day-to-day, but the Hilo coach wants his top RBI man ready for the road trip.

The Rainbows (19-19) are happy to be back home after their seven-game road trip through Texas and Louisiana. This is their second to last homestand and they will be striving for consistent efforts in all phases of the game for the remainder of the season.

Hawaii has 18 games left, 10 at home with nine in the conference, and eight on the road with six in league play.

Gameday Who: Hawaii-Hilo at Hawaii When: Today, 6:30 p.m. Where: Les Murakami Stadium TV: KFVE, live Radio: KKEA, 1420-AM, live Tickets: $6 Orange, Blue levels. $5 Red level. $4 Seniors, children ages 4-18, UH students in the Red level. Parking: $3 Probable starting pitchers Hawaii Rainbows (19-19) The mound duties tonight will be handled by a committee of pitchers as UH coach Mike Trapasso wants to have several hurlers who need the work pitch an inning or two. Hawaii-Hilo Vulcans (8-29) W-L ERA K RHP Daniel Lockett (Sr.) 1-4 6.86 20 Notes: The Rainbows and Vulcans have played 116 games since the first meeting in 1977, with UH holding a 97-19 edge. ... The teams played three games earlier this year with the Rainbows winning by scores of 8-2, 9-2 and 18-2. ... Brian Finegan leads the UH hit parade with 43. ... Nate Jackson has decided not to attempt a baseball comeback, telling Trapasso that his body just could not stand the grind.