Kamehameha Schools senior shortstop Pi'ikea Kitamura said yesterday he has verbally committed to play baseball at the University of Hawai'i.

"It's the only school that really offered me," Kitamura said. "Other schools were talking, but Coach Trap (UH coach Mike Trapasso) recruited me. It's a great program and I know I have a shot to play as a freshman. And it's right here at home."

He is the fourth Hawai'i high school player to verbally commit to UH. Earlier, Pearl City's Bryson Namba, a third baseman recruited as a catcher, and Kaua'i pitcher Trent Allianic, both said they will sign with UH in November, the early signing period. Also, Campbell junior pitcher Charles Ka'alekahi III said he will play for UH.

Kitamura, a starter since his freshman year, was an Advertiser All-State second-team pick and Interscholastic League of Honolulu first-team selection at shortstop last season.

Meanwhile, UH announced its 2009 schedule. The Rainbows have scheduled four teams that finished in Baseball America's final top 25. They include College World Series and Western Athletic Conference champion Fresno State, No. 9 Arizona State, No. 11 UC Irvine and No. 16 Coastal Carolina. The latter two will be four-game series here.

Hawai'i also will play a single game at 2006 and 2007 national champion Oregon State.

"We learned last year playing a very difficult non-conference schedule can be a challenge, but it gets you better," Trapasso said. "We look forward to that challenge this year."

The Rainbows also will play in the Dairy Queen Classic at the Metrodome in Minneapolis and at the Rose City Invitational in Portland, Ore.

"It's fun any time you play in a major league facility," Trapasso said of playing at the Metrodome, home of the Minnesota Twins.

Pending changes by the WAC council, some four-game conference series this season will be over four days, when possible and agreed upon by the schools, and some will still be over three with the doubleheader.

Also, a notable change is that the alumni game will be played 1 p.m., Oct. 18 at Les Murakami Stadium. With the uniform starting date implemented from last year, more schools are playing alumni games in the fall, Trapasso said, because of the shorter preparation period during the spring.