Given the volatility of college baseball, for now Josh Schneider has been pegged as the starting pitcher for Hawai'i Sunday against Pacific.

"Unless something goes crazy, it's Josh Schneider," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "He's earned the opportunity to get another start."

The Rainbows (4-2) play a three-game series against the Tigers (2-2), picked by league coaches to finish seventh in the eight-team Big West Conference.

The right-handed Schneider earned his second start with a strong outing in a 2-1 win against Georgia Southern. He got a no-decision, but pitched five scoreless innings of six-hit ball with four strikeouts. He also had 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief against Santa Clara.

Hawai'i will start left-handers Ian Harrington (1-1) Friday and Mark Rodrigues (2-0) Saturday.

In the previous two series, Trapasso announced the third starter either the day before or on game day. That allowed him flexibility in the bullpen. Starting candidates, such as right-handers Matt Daly and Tyler Davis, and left-hander Nicholas Rhodes, are also viable options out of the pen. The strategy gives UH a chance to win the first two games of the series and worry about the third game that day.

Yesterday's game between Sacramento State and Pacific is an example of the "crazy" things that can happen. The Tigers rallied from a 10-3 deficit to beat the Hornets, 16-10.

Pacific, which lost 2 of 3 from Cal State Northridge over the weekend, appears to pack some punch, averaging nine runs per game. The Tigers have a team batting average of .307, with four players hitting over .400.

Pacific's starting rotation had two freshmen and a sophomore. Freshman left-hander David Rowse (0-1, 12.71 ERA) is scheduled to start Friday and sophomore left-hander Joey Centanni (0-0, 0.00) Saturday. Centanni pitched seven scoreless innings with a no-decision in a 2-1 loss to Northridge.

Freshman right-hander Hunter Carnevale (1-0, 0.00) pitched six scoreless innings in a 12-0 win against Northridge.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.