Hawai'i Game Notes | Chicago State Game Notes: None

HONOLULU – Looking to bounce back from the Michigan series, the University of Hawai'i Rainbow Warrior baseball team (6-11) will continue its month-long homestand this week with Western Athletic Conference (WAC) foe Chicago State (4-10) making the trip way out west. This is the third week of the 18-game stretch at Les Murakami Stadium and the Rainbow Warriors will face off with the Cougars Thursday through Sunday, March 17-20). These teams have not met since a five-game series in 2007.
 
Over the weekend, the Rainbow Warriors took on their toughest competition of the season, falling in a sweep to No. 19 Michigan, with hotly-contested games throughout the series, including the 10-inning rally that fell short during the second game.
 
The Cougars are coming off a doubleheader sweep against University of Illinois-Chicago, a week after going 1-5 at the Snowbird Classic in Port Charlotte, Fla.
 
At 4-10, Chicago State will come to O'ahu hungry for wins. However, the Cougars have had a challenging open to the season at the plate, batting just .191 as a team. Sophomore utility outfielder Zach Thomas is leading the charge with team highs of a .300 average and .462 on-base percentage, but has only seen seven games of action. As for the everyday guys, senior third baseman Andy Gertonson is hitting .259 with team highs of 14 hits, six RBI and two home runs. Junior left fielder Sanford Hunt is hitting .250 with an RBI and four runs scored, logging a pair of doubles.
 
On the mound, the Cougars hold a team ERA of 5.31, led by left-handed senior Dillon Engle, at 1-3 with a 2.31 ERA, striking out 10 and walking 15 through 27 innings of action. Left-handed junior Jake Perkins is 1-2 with a 4.70 ERA, striking out 15 and walking 12 through 23 innings. Rounding out the primary starters, junior right-hander Justin Wyant leads the team with 33 strikeouts in 26 innings, holding a 1-3 record and 5.19 ERA.
 
For the Rainbow Warriors, shortstop Jacob Sheldon-Collins continues to pace UH at the plate, but struggled at times against Michigan, who snapped his 12-game hitting streak. The Australian senior is hitting .354 with a team-best 23 hits, putting up 10 RBI and 10 runs through 17 games, topping the squad with a .403 on-base percentage.
 
Rookie catcher Kekai Rios also had some challenges against the Wolverines, but remains at a .325 average, tallying six RBI, six runs and a .400. Hitting .246, first baseman Eric Ramirez has proven key for UH scoring, putting up a team-high 12 RBI and walking 11 times, also a defensive cornerstone on the bag.
 
On the mound, UH has held a steady top-three rotation of right-hander Brendan Hornung, right-hander Kyle Von Ruden and left-hander Alex Hatch, while the fourth starter has been more fluid. Hornung has a 2.90 ERA and 2-3 record, recording a team-high 31 strikeouts with 11 walks through 31 innings. Von Ruden has notched 18 strikeouts versus five walks across a team-high 35 innings, en route to a 1-1 record and 3.60 ERA. The southpaw, Hatch, has the best strikeout-to-walk ratio of the three at 21:5, registering a 5.25 ERA and 1-2 record.
 
The bullpen leaders have emerged as well in seniors Cody Culp and Matt Valencia. A right-hander, Culp has a 2.25 ERA and two saves, striking out nine through 12 innings of relief. Valencia is yet to allow an earned run through seven outings, striking out 11 with one save and a 0.00 ERA.
 
The Rainbow Warriors and Cougars will meet in their eighth meeting to open up on Thursday; UH leads the all time series 7-0, with the last meeting in 2007 ending in a five-game UH sweep in Honolulu. topping the Cougars by a margin of 66-9. UH and CSU first met twice in the Rainbow Classic in 2004 with scores of 12-1 and 14-0.
What: Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors (6-11) vs. Chicago State Cougars (4-10)
When: Thursday, March 17, 6:35 p.m.
            Friday, March 18, 6:35 p.m.
            Saturday, March 19, 6:35 p.m.
            Sunday, March 20, 1:05 p.m.
Where: Honolulu, O'ahu (Les Murakami Stadium)
Television: OC Sports (TWC channels 16 [SD] and 1016 [HD] and Hawaiian Telcom channels 89 [SD] and 1089 [HD]) will televise the second and third contests of the series (Friday-Saturday). In the booth will be Jim Leahey for the first time this season, joined by Pal Eldredge.
Live Video Streaming: The TV broadcast of the two games will appear on Big West TV at http://bit.ly/UHBSB
Radio: All games will be broadcast live on the radio, with the first three games on ESPN Honolulu 1420 AM with Don Robbs and Scott Robbs on the call. Sunday's game has been moved to NBC Sports 1500 AM due to the men's basketball advance in the NCAA Tournament. Neighbor islands can listen live on KNUI on Maui, KHLO in Hilo, KKON in Kona and KTOH on Kaua'i.
Audio Webcast: www.ESPN1420am.com | www.NBCsportsradiohawaii.com
Live Stats: Live in-game stats will be provided by Hawai'i Athletics throughout the series at the links listed below.
        Game 1
        Game 2
        Game 3
        Game 4
Promotions: Farmers Insurance Hawaii is the game sponsor on Thursday and Friday and will distribute a total of 2,000 tote bags across the two games. The Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa is the game sponsor on Saturday and Sunday and will award dinner buffet certificates for the Kuhio Beach Grill during both games. Friday's contest will be followed by an autograph session on the field. Little League teams are invited onto the field to stand alongside the UH baseball players for the National Anthem & Hawaii Ponoi prior to Saturday's game. UH Alumni Association paid members receive 50% off to each game of the series.