Louisiana Tech is not looking for history to repeat itself.

At this juncture last year, the Bulldogs sat atop the Western Athletic Conference at 9-3. But they would sputter, losing 10 of their next 12.

Louisiana Tech (29-14 overall, 9-3 WAC) once again leads the conference and with the same record as it prepares for a three-game series with fourth-place Hawai'i (25-15, 6-6) starting Friday at Les Murakami Stadium.

To be sure, the Bulldogs arrived here Monday night, but not to soak up the sun on the beach. Instead, Bulldogs' coach Wade Simoneaux put his players through a morning workout yesterday. Moreover, they will hit the weight room after this morning's practice. That might be the difference between maintaining momentum or fading as they did last season.

"The travel caught up with us and we stopped putting them in the weight room and we dwindled down to nothing," said Simoneaux, who is in his fifth season at Louisiana Tech. "It's like we fell off the face of the earth. I really blame that on myself for not keeping them in that weight room to keep them strong till the end of the season."

The reason the Bulldogs got here early was a matter of economics. They just completed a weekend series sweep at Sacramento State. Being farthest east in the WAC, like UH is to the west, LaTech combines its road trips.

"It saves us about twenty-five, thirty thousand dollars when we combine the trips," Simoneaux said.

The Bulldogs are hot, having won 10 in a row. They have one of the most prolific power hitters in the country in outfielder Brian Rike (.350, 58 RBIs). His 19 home runs is one behind the nation's leader, Texas' Kyle Russell.

Since 2005, each team has won series at the other's field.

"I can't put a finger on it," Simoneaux said. "It's the only other team in the conference we're like that with. Usually, we have more success at home than we do on the road."

Unlike last year, this is not a home-and-home series. The Rainbows cannot bank on making up losses for wins later. So in this case, Hawai'i also will not be looking for history to repeat itself.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.