The Rainbows (18-19) will host Texas-El Paso (0-2 WAC, 7-25 overall) in doubleheaders at 5 tonight and 3 p.m. tomorrow at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.

Back from shin and calf injuries, 2003 WAC Pitcher of the Year Melissa Coogan (6-10) appears back to form. She went 1-2 at the Stanford Classic, allowing only one earned run. She beat UC Riverside, 5-0, but loss twice to 12th-ranked Stanford, both 1-0. The Rainbows went 2-3 in the tournament.

"Melissa Coogan has really picked it up," UH coach Bob Coolen said. "She threw really well in the last tournament."

Shannon Tabion (12-6) has two-thirds of her team's victories and Coolen has challenged her to break the 20-win mark. A 20-win season would help recruiting pitchers from local high schools, he said.

"That opens the door for the potential we look out for every time," he said.

The two pitchers will carry the load the rest of the season, Coolen said.

While the pitching has been effective of late, the hitting hasn't. With the exception of first-year starters Stacey Ritter (.348), who played behind All-American Stacey Porter the previous two seasons, and freshman Tyleen Tausaga (.307), the rest of the lineup is hitting under .300.

"We've never really established a potent attack at the plate," Coolen said. "We just never had really a lot of kids to hit where we want them to hit. They have not lived up to their potential and a lot of them are upper classmen."

Tausaga and Ritter lead the team in RBIs with 28 and 21, respectively.

They have combined for six of the team's 14 home runs. Ritter is tied for the team lead in home runs with Denise Dahlberg with four.

Hawai'i is the last team to start WAC play among the seven teams. Fresno State, Tulsa and San Jose State swept series against Nevada, Louisiana Tech and UTEP, respectively, in previous weeks.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8042.