UH's Olsen to get first start tonight

By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

•	What: Collegiate baseball Who: Coastal Carolina (18-4) vs. Hawai'i (13-8) When: 6:35 tonight and tomorrow night Where: Les Murakami Stadium Parking: $3 Tickets: $6 blue and orange levels; $5 red level (adults); $4 red level (65-older, students K-12 and UH students with IDs) Radio: KKEA AM 1420 will broadcast only tonight's game TV: K5 will broadcast both games live

Game time is 6:35 at Les Murakami Stadium.

Olsen is a 6-foot right-hander who has logged 21 innings in eight relief appearances, compiling a 1-1 record with a 3.43 earned run average.

"He's been effective," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "He has been able to throw all his pitches for strikes. That was a big key for him."

Olsen, an Iolani School graduate, is a second-generation Rainbow. His father, Richard Olsen, pitched for the Rainbows under Les Murakami from 1976 to 1978. The elder Olsen signed with the Milwaukee Brewers, who drafted him in the fourth round in 1978.

Trapasso said Olsen will pitch somewhere between one to three innings. Tonight's start might be a dress rehearsal for a weekend start against Western Athletic Conference opponent Nevada. Trapasso wants Olsen to get into the rhythm of a starter, such as the pregame rituals of warming up on game day.

Trapasso is undecided on tomorrow's starting pitcher.

The Rainbows (13-8) will try to rebound from a three-game sweep by Rice (19-1), which is Baseball America's No. 1 team this week.

"They don't have a weakness," Trapasso said of the Owls.

The Chanticleers (18-4), favored to win the Big South this season, took 2 of 3 from Pepperdine over the weekend. This is the first time UH is playing Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers are ranked 28th by Collegiate Baseball.

Coastal Carolina has the nation's stolen base leader of a year ago in center fielder Ryan McGraw, who has 20 so far this season. He had 63 last year.

The Chanticleers' top starters are right-handers Steven Carter (3-1) and Seamus Donovan (2-2), and left-hander Justin Sturge (4-0). All pitched over the weekend at Pepperdine, so it is not known if any of them will pitch against UH.

Roster update: Projected Hawai'i starting pitcher Colby Summer is likely out for the season, Trapasso said. Summer, a 6-foot-8 right-hander, has been out with elbow tendinitis. Also, Justin Azze, another projected starting pitcher, is ineligible for the season after his appeals regarding a transfer issue were denied.

Outfielder/DH Jaziel Mendoza also might miss the rest of the season with a stress fracture in his foot. He was diagnosed to miss 2-to-8 weeks, or close to the end of the season. Trapasso said a medical redshirt is being considered.

"If he can help us do something late in the season, we'll activate him," Trapasso said. "If not, we'll see."