Hawai'i Game Notes | Santa Clara Game Notes

HONOLULU – Fresh off a series win over Chicago State and on a three-game winning streak, the University of Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors (9-12) baseball team will continue in its fourth week of the homestand at Les Murakami Stadium, playing host to the Santa Clara Broncos (8-10) in the first meeting between the programs since 2009. The Rainbow Warriors and Broncos will face off in a four-game set, Thursday-Sunday, March 24-27, as UH looks to finish the non-conference slate strong heading into next week's Big West Conference opener versus UC Irvine.

Coming into the weekend against Chicago State on a losing skid after tough series versus New Mexico and Michigan, an opposing tandem with a combined record of 25-12, looking to get back on track offensively. Working back from the UM series, the Rainbow Warriors dropped the series opener 1-0 on a ninth-inning push, but the loss woke the offense.

UH went on to claim 4-0 and 4-1 victories before closing out the series in a 14-0 shellacking of the Cougars, putting together 31 hits across the three-game stretch, with two hitters averaging over .460 in the series.

The Broncos (8-10) have had mixed success in the early season. SCU opened with a series win at Notre Dame, but dropped the series at home to San Francisco last weekend – the two teams' only common opponent, with UH taking the hard-fought USF series on the road in week two. The Broncos come in batting .232 and have a 3:1 strikeout to walk ratio, compared with UH's .251 average and 1.6:1 strikeout to walk.

Junior catcher Stevie Berman sets the tone for the Broncos, hitting .338 to lead the team with 11 RBI, seven doubles and tie with a team-best 22 hits. The 2015 second team all-West Coast Conference pick holds a .411 on-base percentage through 18 games and has scored 12 runs. Though he's missed a handful of games, senior outfielder TC Florentine also paces SCU, hitting .327 with six doubles, scoring six runs with three RBI. The team runs leader (13), rookie shortstop John Cresto hits .306 to tie Berman for the hitting lead. Of his 22 hits, 10 are for extra bases, including a team-leading four homers and five doubles.

The Broncos hold an edge in their pitching staff, featuring a 3.19 team ERA and holding opponents to .254 hitting. Projected to lead off the rotation, freshman right-hander Travis Howard is 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA and will make his first career start on Thursday in his eighth appearance, throwing 12.0 innings with six strikeouts and four walks. Expected Friday, redshirt sophomore Mitchell White tops the team with a 1.34 ERA and 2-2 record, striking out 48 batters in 33.2 innings pitched, holding opponents to .194 hitting and only five walks. A third righty is projected for Saturday in Steven Wilson, a redshirt junior with a 2-0 record and 2.70 ERA, striking out 25 batters in 26.2 innings with only six walks. Left-handed junior Jason Seever should close the series, bringing in a 2-0 record and 2.70 ERA, striking out 20 with nine walks in 22.1 innings pitched. SCU will likely look to junior righty closer Max Kuhns throughout the series, racking up seven saves in 10 appearances with a 2.40 ERA.

With the hitting back on track for the Rainbow Warriors, three clear batting leaders have arisen for UH, paced since day one by senior shortstop Jacob Sheldon-Collins, who is hitting .370 with a team-high 27 hits, 12 runs and 11 RBI, topping the squad with a .427 on-base percentage. He missed the first two games against Chicago State due to illness, but came away batting .500 in the series.

Left fielder Marcus Doi broke out of a slump with a stalwart finish versus CSU, batting 7-for-8 across the final two outings with the Cougars. The junior is hitting .341 with seven runs and a .413 OBP. Meanwhile, freshman catcher Kekai Rios is steady at .320 with three doubles, racking up 11 RBI and eight runs, getting on-base at a .386 clip. Rios has also picked off eight would-be base thieves early in the season.

The 'Bows hold a .394 team ERA and the rotation has opened since week one with junior right-hander Brendan Hornung, who holds a 2-4 record and 2.29 ERA, limiting opponents to .248 hitting, logging a team-high 31 strikeouts in 39.1 innings. He has gone at least seven innings in 3-of-4 recent games, including an 8.2 outing versus CSU, striking out a career-high eight batters.

Following on Friday will be senior righty Kyle Von Ruden, sitting at 2-1 with a 2.94 ERA putting up 23 strikeouts versus five walks in a team-leading 42.2 innings. Third in the rotation is left-handed senior Alex Hatch, who has gone at least six frames in the last four games, to make up a 2-2 record and 4.50 ERA, with 28 strikeouts and seven walks in 30 innings. Against CSU, Hatch went 6.0 frames with one earned run, tying a season-best seven strikeouts.

The 'Bows have not locked in a consensus fourth rotation starter, with seniors Josh Pigg (0-2, 9.72 ERA) and Lawrence Chew (0-1, 5.75 ERA) picking up starts, while the most recent nod went to junior lefty Patrick Martin, who threw a five-inning one-hitter with one walk and one strikeout.

UH leads the all-time series 15-9. The series between the Rainbow Warriors and Broncos opened in 1971, when SCU claimed wins of 10-0 and 5-0 in a two-game set in Honolulu. Only four games in the series have been played in California. The Rainbow Warriors claimed the last meeting in 2009, 8-4, at SCU's Stephen Schott Stadium. The teams last met in a series in 2007, opening the season with a 2-1 UH series win.
What: Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors (9-12) vs. Santa Clara (8-10)
When: Thursday, March 24, 6:35 p.m.
            Friday, March 25, 6:35 p.m.
            Saturday, March 26, 6:35 p.m.
            Sunday, March 27, 1:05 p.m.
Where: Honolulu, O'ahu (Les Murakami Stadium)
Television: The series opener on Thursday (March 24) will be televised on OC Sports (TWC channels 16 [SD] and 1016 [HD] and Hawaiian Telcom channels 89 [SD] and 1089 [HD]). In the booth will be Jim Leahey and Pal Eldredge.
Live Video Streaming: The TV broadcast of Thursday's game 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 contests airing on ESPN Honolulu 1420 AM with Don Robbs and Scott Robbs on the call. Sunday's game will appear on NBC Sports 1500 AM. 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: The Hawaii Army National Guard is the game sponsor on Thursday and Friday and Bud Light is the sponsor on Saturday and Sunday. Register for your chance to win fantastic prizes from both of our game sponsors at the sports marketing table just inside the main entrance. 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 Pono'i prior to Saturday's game. Military members receive 50% off to each game of the series.