The Hawai'i baseball team wraps up its season-long eight-game road trip with a three-game series against UC Irvine Friday through Sunday. The 'Bows and Anteaters come into the weekend tied for fifth in The Big West standings in what will be a crucial three games for both teams.

First pitch of game one will be at 3 p.m. HT while Saturday and Sunday's games will begin at 10 a.m. HT. 
 

HAWAI'I (21-16, 10-8 Big West) at UC IRVINE (28-13, 10-8 Big West)
Dates & Times				Friday -- 3 p.m. HT Saturday -- 10 a.m. HT Sunday -- 10 a.m. HT
Location				Irvine, Calif.
Radio				ESPN 1420 AM
Live Stream				Friday | Saturday | Sunday
Live Stats				Here
PDF Notes				Hawai'i | UC Irvine
Social Media				@HawaiiBaseball  | @Hawaiibsb
Projected Rotations				Hawai'i Friday -- LHP Harry Gustin (2-3, 3.36) Saturday -- LHP Randy Abshier (4-1, 3.50) Sunday -- TBD	UC Irvine Friday -- RHP Finnegan Wall (2-1, 2.91) Saturday -- RHP Michael Stanford (3-2, 4.35) Sunday -- TBD

 
  
HEAD COACH RICH HILL
At Hawai'i: 49-40, 2nd season
Collegiate Record: 1,128-778-4, 36th season

SERIES VS. UC IRVINE
Record: 13-36
Streak: UCI won 1
Last Meeting: March 27, 2022 (UCI won 7-1)

LEADING OFF 
DID YOU KNOW?
Matt Wong has started to catch fire of late, hitting .362 with three homers and 12 RBIs in the last 11 games, with all three of those homers coming during the current road trip.
 
'BOWS DROP MIDWEEK GAME AT PEPPERDINE
The Rainbow Warriors opened the second week of their road trip to Southern California with an 11-4 loss at Pepperdine Wednesday. Jacob Igawa and Dallas Duarte each turned in multi-hit games, with Igawa extending his hitting streak to 10 games with a 2-for-4 day while Duarte also went 2-for-4 to hit safely for the sixth straight game. Jared Quandt drove in a pair of runs with a pinch-hit double for his fourth multi-RBI game of the year while Nainoa Cardinez delivered a run-scoring double in his second start of the year behind the dish. Four of UH's eight hits were doubles. Cameron Hagan turned in the best effort on the mound of the six Hawai'i pitchers, working two scoreless innings with two strikeouts while holding the Waves without a hit.
 
NAIL BITERS
Hawai'i has been in a number of close games this season, especially in this recent stretch. The 'Bows have had 17 games decided by three or fewer runs, including 12 games in the last 16 that have been decided by one or two runs. UH is 10-7 in games decided by three runs or less and 5-7 in one-run games, while 13 of the Rainbow Warriors' 18 Big West games have been either one or two-run games, including each of the last six conference games.
 
LATE INNING MAGIC
The Hawai'i bats have come through in the clutch late in games to lead the 'Bows to wins this year. In wins this year, the Rainbow Warriors have scored the go-ahead runs in the sixth inning or later eight times, including five times in the last seven wins. UH is also 5-0 in games that have been tied after the sixth inning and 6-0 in games that are tied after five. Additionally, the eight go-ahead run-scoring plays have come off the bat of seven different players.
 
Go-Ahead Scoring Plays – 6th Inning or Later
Jared Quandt – Wright State (2/18), RBI 2B, 8th inning
Jacob Igawa – at Cal Poly (3/17), E9, 10th inning
Kyson Donahue – Tulane (3/24), 2B, 2 RBI, 6th inning
Matthew Miura – CSU Bakersfield (4/8), FC, RBI, 8th inning
Dallas Duarte – UC San Diego (4/14), 2B, RBI, 8th inning
Jacob Igawa – Long Beach State (4/21), 1B, 2 RBI, 7th inning
Zach Storbakken – Long Beach State (4/22), 2B, RBI, 8th inning
Matt Wong – at UC Riverside (4/29), HR, 2 RBI, 9th inning
 
LEANING ON THE LOCAL BOYS
The Rainbow Warrior position player group once again is made up of a core group of local players. In all but three games this year, at least seven of the nine players in the lineup have been from Hawai'i while eight of the nine starters have been local products 16 times, including two games in which all nine in the batting order have been in-state products.
 
» Matt Wong leads the team hitting .324 and is tied for the team lead with six homers, while driving in 32 runs with 11 doubles and a team-best .534 slugging percentage.
» Kyson Donahue is tied for the team lead with six homers, with 11 doubles and 34 RBIs while hitting .306 with a .507 slugging percentage.
» Ben Zeigler-Namoa leads the team with 27 runs scored while hitting three homers with 22 RBIs.
» Jacob Igawa has four homers and 26 RBIs while Dallas Duarte is hitting .310 with nine doubles in league play, while also hitting .290 with 11 doubles and a .433 OBP overall.
 
MIX & MATCH
After using 50 different batting lineups in 52 games a year ago, head coach Rich Hill again has a ton of options offensively in 2023, having used 35 different lineup combinations through the first 37 games of the season.
 
» No UH player has been in the same spot in the lineup in every game.
» All nine spots in the lineup have had at least three different players start in them.
» 14 different players have started in the No. 8 hole while nine have started in the No. 9 spot.
 
FRIDAY NIGHT HARRY
Sophomore Harry Gustin has locked down the role of Friday night starter over the course of the season. The lefty leads the team with 53 strikeouts over 56.1 innings pitched, and holds a 3.36 ERA and a 2-3 record over 10 starts and 11 total appearances. His 2.65 ERA in conference play ranks sixth in The Big West while his seven runs allowed are the fewest by any pitcher that has throwing at least 33.0 innings in league play. After not making it into the fifth inning in two of his first three starts, Gustin has worked into the fifth in each of his last seven, with six of those outings going 5.2 innings or longer.
 
» Owns a 2.16 ERA with 25 strikeouts over 25.0 innings and 13 hits allowed in his last four home starts.
» Named Big West Pitcher of the Week after working seven innings with eight strikeouts and giving up just one run on one hit, taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning vs. Tulane on March 24.
» The starting pitcher in two of UH's three shutout victories, working 5.2 scoreless innings in both starts.
 
SHUT THE DOOR
Lefty Connor Harrison has been one of the Rainbow Warriors' go-to arms out of the bullpen all season. The junior leads The Big West with 21 appearances and is second in the league and 13th nationally among all qualified pitchers with a 2.17 ERA. Harrison also is second in the conference with seven saves and has 37 strikeouts to 12 walks in 37.1 innings pitched.
 
» Owns a 1.17 ERA over 15.1 innings at home, striking out 19 while walking five in 10 appearances.
» Has not allowed an earned run in 16 of his 21 appearances.
» Earned saves in back-to-back appearances, getting the final two outs vs. Long Beach State on Apr. 23 before throwing a career-long four innings with four strikeouts at Cal Baptist on Apr. 25.
 
DANDY RANDY
Randy Abshier has started to hit his stride on the mound in recent weeks and has solidified the role of Saturday starter. Abshier has started 11 games and is 4-1 with a 3.50 ERA with 49 strikeouts to 18 walks over 54.0 innings on the year. The senior has worked into the sixth inning in his last three starts, and is 2-0 with a 3.26 ERA and 16 strikeouts to just three walks over 19.1 innings in that stretch.
 
» Earned Big West Pitcher of the Week honors after tossing a two-hit shutout with nine strikeouts vs.
Long Beach State on Apr. 22, becoming the first Big West pitcher to throw a shutout this year.
» Did not allow a run for 12 straight innings between his shutout of the Dirtbags and the first three innings of his start at UC Riverside.
» The Rainbow Warriors have won six of his last seven starts while the team is 8-3 overall in games that he gets the ball to start.
» Fourth in The Big West with a .209 batting average against.