Rawlins to make starting debut against Vulcans

By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

•	What: College baseball, Hawai'i-Hilo (2-14) at Hawai'i-Manoa (2-1) When: 6:35 tonight Where: Les Murakami Stadium Tickets: $6 Blue and Orange levels; $5 Red level (adults); $4 Red level (65-years-and-older, students K-12 and UH students with ID) TV: K5 will broadcast the game live Radio: KKEA-AM 1420

Game time is 6:35 at Les Murakami Stadium.

Rawlins, a 6-foot-5, 250-pound right-hander from Moloka'i, has the honor of pitching UH's first of 11 scheduled mid-week games, not including those in the Easter Tournament. He was one of two Hawai'i high school players UH signed who were selected in the June draft. Rawlins was a 36th-round pick by the Philadelphia Phillies and catcher Matt Inouye was a 41st-round pick by the Boston Red Sox.

"He's excited," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "It's his first start. Regardless of what guys say, the butterflies are going to be flying."

While the mid-week game will probably be a way for UH to develop depth, the Rainbows aren't making major batting lineup changes.

"Our main focus is trying to win a baseball game, so we'll do what we have to do," Trapasso said.

As of yesterday, Trapasso was undecided as to whether catcher Brian Bock would start tonight after he caught all three games of the UCLA series. Bock is the only UH catcher with college experience; the other three — Inouye, Drew Jackson and Steve Bell-Irving — are true freshmen. With a freshman pitching, Bock's experience might be a factor.

The Rainbows (2-1) will try to start a winning streak. They had two win streaks last season, first when they swept UCLA and during the Easter Tournament when they won their final three games and the first game of the ensuing Nevada series.

Meanwhile, the Vulcans (2-14) are out to snap a seven-game skid. After getting swept in a six-game series against No. 5 Arizona State, the Vulcans won 2-of-6 from Kansas before getting swept by Santa Clara in a four-game series.

The Vulcans' probable starter is senior right-hander Daniel Lockett (0-1, 9.72), who will be making his fourth start of the season.

Tom Henderson leads UHH in hitting at .404 with 13 RBIs in 14 games. Nalei Sooto leads the team with six doubles.