Rainbows close
year at LaTech

Hawaii needs a sweep to
have a winning season

The Hawaii baseball team will close out an up-and-down season in Ruston, La., this weekend with three games against Louisiana Tech at J.C. Love Field.

Hawaii is tied with San Jose State for third place in the Western Athletic Conference. Eliminated from the league title race last week, the 'Bows (26-27, 13-14 WAC) need to win all three games to finish the season above .500.

A sweep would secure third place, one spot above what the WAC coaches picked UH to finish in the preseason poll, if first-place Rice beats visiting SJSU (28-25-1, 13-14) once.

Tying Fresno State, the hottest team in the league, for second place is probably out of reach, although the Bulldogs (30-26, 16-11) conclude their season at fifth-place Nevada.

"We're just going out and try to win the series. That's why you play the game, to win," said UH coach Mike Trapasso.

Senior right-hander Steve Bryant (8-3, 3.01 ERA) is Hawaii's starting pitcher tomorrow. Junior right-hander Justin Costi (2-5, 3.66) is scheduled to start Saturday. Sunday's starter is a big question mark.

"Colby (Summer) is telling us he is not going to be able to throw this week. Fish (Darrell Fisherbaugh) has started therapy, but is still sore. I'm not counting on him this weekend," said Trapasso.

"We will be hurting on the mound if those two can't go. We will have to get some mileage out of our starters to be OK."

Fisherbaugh, the UH closer, left the second Rice game after feeling tightness in his right shoulder when he began to warm up in the ninth inning.

The Bulldogs (17-37, 9-18) won two of the three games against UH at Les Murakami Stadium in the WAC season-opening series March 18-20. LaTech took a 9-15 record back to the mainland, but has gone 8-22 since. The series is tied at 11 wins each.

This weekend's games will be broadcast by KKEA, 1420 AM at 1 p.m. tomorrow, 10 a.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. Sunday.

Hawaii second baseman Isaac Omura enters the series No. 2 in the WAC batting race at .379, 11 percentage points behind Rice's Joe Savery. UH shortstop Joe Spiers leads the WAC in stolen bases with 31, 17 ahead of second-place Ryan Angel of San Jose State.