Hawai'i might add little red crosses on its jerseys as it prepares for tomorrow's Western Athletic Conference tournament opener against New Mexico State at J.C. Love Field in Ruston, La.

The game, which starts at 10 a.m. Hawai'i time, will be broadcast on ESPN 1420 AM.

The second-seeded Rainbows (27-29) will open with left-hander Nick Rhodes (4-6) against the fifth-seeded Aggies (28-31). Hawai'i split a series at NMSU and took 3 of 4 at home.

The 'Bows will be without pitchers Alex Bates and Alex Capaul. On the to-be-determined list is ace Jared Alexander (7-3, 3.27 ERA), the opening series starter most of the season. The right-hander hasn't pitched since he took himself out of the May 2 game against Sacramento State after five-plus innings at Les Murakami Stadium after feeling discomfort in his elbow. A magnetic resonance imaging showed no ligament tear. Trapasso said he will not allow Alexander to pitch until "he is pain free."

"He wants to pitch," Trapasso said. "But I can't pitch him until he can throw without discomfort."

But as hard pressed as the Rainbows might be without their ace, and Bates and Capaul for depth, there is some comfort knowing most of the staff logged a reasonable number of innings during the season, playing vital roles in getting UH a second seed in the tournament with its 18-14 conference record.

"That's the only thing (about) these four-game series," Trapasso said. "Something good came out of this. We got to pitch a lot of guys."

The only irony of the four-game series is that during the regular season, teams were allowed to carry a 26-player roster. But for the tournament, the roster limit is 25, Trapasso said. That doesn't play well for UH, which is carrying Alexander not knowing if he will be able to play.

Trapasso said outfielder Sean Montplaisir, who injured his shoulder several weeks ago, also is not available. Outfielder Ryan Asato can only pinch hit because his ailing hamstrings still affect his mobility.

The tournament champion gets an automatic NCAA regional berth. Top-seeded Fresno State won the last two tournaments. No at-large bids are expected from the WAC because none of the teams has an overall record worthy of one. But for the six teams, at least the tournament is on a neutral site. Host Louisiana Tech finished seventh and did not qualify. It's so bad that the school announced a reduction in ticket prices for the WAC tourney.

JC Love Field is a park that favors hitters, Trapasso said.

"But it's definitely not close to New Mexico (State)," Trapasso said.

The Rainbows engaged in a slugfest with the Aggies in sweeping a doubleheader, 17-10 and 15-14, on May 10 in Las Cruces, N.M.

The Aggies had not announced a starting pitcher as of yesterday, but Heath Goin was 2-0 against UH, allowing six runs in 14 innings, while striking out 10.

Because of their park, the Aggies have some gaudy offensive numbers. Tyler Hardt is hitting .401 with 42 RBIs, Joseph Scaperotta has 22 home runs and 80 RBIs, and Franky Busani has 16 homers with 60 RBIs.

Leading the UH attack are center fielder Brandon Haislet, who leads the team with a .371 batting average, six home runs, 43 RBIs and 10 steals. Shortstop Jon Hee is hitting .368 with 30 RBIs.