Green left the UH program as its hitting coach last month to take an assistant's position at UCLA under newly hired coach John Savage.

Meanwhile, UH announced its 2005 schedule. For the fourth consecutive season, the Rainbows will finish on the road. Trapasso had requested the Western Athletic Conference to allow his team to finish a series at home.

"We only want what's fair," Trapasso said.

Hawai'i finished the regular season at home from 1997 to 2001. The 2000 and 2001 seasons were finales against UH-Hilo.

The Rainbows, coming off a 31-24 season, will face three teams that finished in the Collegiate Baseball newspaper's top 30: No. 14 Florida State (45-23, 16-8 Atlantic Coast Conference), No. 10 Rice (46-14, 24-6 WAC) and No. 28 Wichita State (49-16, 28-4 Missouri Valley Conference).

Hawai'i will open the season with three four-game series. UH plays Alabama (29-26, 10-20 Southeast Conference) in the season-starting series, Feb. 10 to 13. The next two weekends will be filled by Pacific (20-34, 5-16 Big West) and Washington State (29-26, 9-15 Pac-10).

Trapasso said the four-game series will give more players a chance to play.

"It will test our pitching depth early," he said. "Last year, it cost us."

Meanwhile, the Aloha (Ore.) Knights (7-0) captured the National Baseball Congress World Series last night in Wichita, Kan. UH pitchers Colby Summer and Darrell Fisherbaugh are members of the Knights, as well as incoming JC transfer Andrew LeFave. They beat the Mat-Su Miners, 7-0.

Summer contributed to the Knights' title in a 13-3 win against Prairie Gravel (Ill.) on Aug. 9. He allowed three runs on five hits with one strikeout in five innings to earn the win.

Summer has been with the Rainbows for the past two seasons, but the 6-foot-8 right-hander hasn't been able to pitch as he recovered from Tommy John elbow surgery. This summer was the first time he has pitched since joining UH.