Looking for a way to make the transition to the next level, Ridge Carpenter and Nick Andrews are some of the recent high school graduates who will play for the Hawaii Island Movers.

The Movers, an independent collegiate summer team, begin their 23rd season tomorrow at Les Murakami Stadium. They play a three-game series against the Paradise All-Stars. Game times are 6:30 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday, and 1 p.m. Sunday.

As with most summer leagues, wooden bats are used.

Carpenter, a recent Kalani High graduate, is getting ready for either college or pro ball. The outfielder was a 32nd-round pick of the Boston Red Sox in the Major League Baseball first-year player draft. Boston scout Wally Komatsubara will be monitoring Carpenter's progress as a "summer follow." Teams have until Aug. 15 to sign players they drafted, otherwise the players are eligible for future drafts.

"I guess I have some pressure, but I have to put it on the side," Carpenter said.

If he doesn't sign with Boston, Carpenter said he will attend Hartnell, a junior college in California that boasts a number of players on its present and past rosters.

Meanwhile, Andrews, a graduate of De La Salle in Concord, Calif., is one of the incoming freshmen who will play for the University of Hawai'i.

"I just thought it would be a good chance to get a jump start on my career," he said.

While most recent graduates might prefer to hang out with high school buddies during the summer, Andrews said playing here worked out because all of his friends also are playing in summer leagues. One of them, infielder Nicholas Hom, is playing for the Hawaii Aliis of the Hawaii Collegiate Baseball League.

"It seemed like all my friends were gone," he said. "Plus, it seemed like a great opportunity for me, too."

Not all of the players are newcomers. Creighton junior second baseman Michael Lam, a 2004 Punahou graduate, is joining the Movers for the third time.

"I wanted to come home, that was the main thing, and (the Movers) have been really nice to me, especially my first two years, when I didn't have any place to go," he said.

Lam, who will graduate next spring with hopes of attending medical school, is coming off a season in which he batted .320, starting in 35 of 61 games. Creighton's season ended in the Fayetteville (Ark.) Regionals.

"It was a good season," he said. "Not as good as we wanted it to be. We could've gone a little further, but it was a good experience for me because I finally got a chance to play regularly."

Former Rainbow Richard Olsen returns as coach. He will take the team on a month-long tour of Japan to play games starting next week. His son, Rich, a UH pitcher recovering from Tommy John surgery, will be serving as a player-coach.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.