Once again, it appears pro baseball will return to Hawai'i. Just not on O'ahu.

Maui will have a team in the independent Golden Baseball League, according to the league's Web site.

XnE Inc., which runs the league's St. George (Utah) team, will run the Maui team and hopes to add three more teams around the state, the Maui News reported.

The GBL completed its fifth season last month. Its season runs May through August. It has teams in California, Arizona, Utah, Canada and Mexico.

The same group approached Hawaii Winter Baseball about getting involved, HWB president Hervy Kurisu said. But HWB declined, citing logistical issues of using Hans L'Orange Park and Les Murakami Stadium at the University of Hawai'i. Both sites are used by other groups during the summer months

Kurisu said he was happy for Maui getting a team because of the strong support it gave HWB over the years.

The Maui Stingrays played in HWB's first go-around from 1993 to 1997, but were not part of the league's second stint from 2006 to 2008. Maui led the HWB in attendance at 1,500-seat Iron Maehara Stadium those five seasons, the Maui News reported.

HWB disbanded for a second time after the 2008 season, when its contract with Major League Baseball was not renewed. MLB said it was going to move its developmental program to Arizona, although nothing has materialized.

The GBL has some recognizable names in managers Garry Templeton (Long Beach) and Cory Snyder (St. George). Also, Waipahu alumnus Jerome Williams pitched for Long Beach in 2008 before hooking up with the Oakland Athletics.