If there is a time for Hawai'i's bats to wake up, this is it.

The Rainbows begin their longest and most compact road trip of the season with a four-game Western Athletic Conference series against Sacramento State starting today. By the time they return home, they will have played nine games in 10 days.

Hawai'i (9-15 overall, 2-2 WAC) takes on the Hornets (6-14, 1-3) at 11 a.m., HST, today at Hornet Field in Sacramento, Calif. The Rainbows are trying to snap a two-game losing streak, while the Hornets are coming off a 5-3 win against No. 17 Stanford, their second win against a nationally ranked team. The Hornets also beat No. 12 California, 12-6, in Berkeley, March 18.

But the Hornets have played some wild games at home, losing 18-12 to Gonzaga last weekend; beating Pacific, 14-6, on March 11, and Brigham Young, 16-2, on March 6; and winning their season opener against UC Davis, 12-7.

"That's the thing about this ball park that scares you because they can swing the bats a little bit," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "Their pitching has struggled, but they can score runs, so that means we're obviously going to have to pitch well. But also we're going to give up some runs because it's a hitters' ball park. We have to be better offensively than we have been, otherwise those games Sac State (has been) losing 12-8 they will win against us 8-4. We're going to have to be good in both phases."

The Rainbows will use the same starting rotation as last week against Fresno State. Jared Alexander (3-2, 1.71 ERA) starts today with reigning WAC Pitcher of the Week Nick Rhodes (1-2, 5.47) starting tomorrow's first game of the doubleheader with Josh Slaats (0-2, 3.57) following in the nightcap.

Sunday's starter will be a game-time decision. But unlike last week, when Matt Daly started because he wasn't used in relief the previous three games, it will be a different starter. Trapasso said he will use Daly exclusively in relief. Daly allowed two runs in 4 1/3 innings against FSU, but still labored with control, walking five and throwing 96 pitches. His 39 strikeouts, however, rank him 22nd nationally. Hawai'i enters the series with a 5.47 team ERA, which is fourth in the seven-team conference.

The Hornets will start left-hander Jose Ramirez (2-2, 4.23) today, right-hander Trevor York (0-4, 7.82) and left-hander Brian Smith (0-0, 9.00) in the doubleheader tomorrow (in that order) and right-hander Corey Weglin (0-1, 7.15) on Sunday. The Hornets have a 7.15 team ERA, sixth-best in the WAC.

Offensively, the Rainbows average 4.4 runs per game, the lowest among WAC teams, while the Hornets, despite playing in a hitters' park, average 6.05, fifth-best in the WAC.

Second baseman Jon Hee (.299) ranks 16th nationally with his nine hit batsmen, which aids his .451 on-base percentage, while Jeff Van Doornum's 10 doubles rank him 19th nationally.

Vinnie Catricala leads UH with 17 RBI, while Brandon Haislet and Hee are tied for the team lead in runs with 14 each. Catricala and Haislet are tied for the team lead with three home runs each.

Shortstop Greg Garcia (ankle) was able to workout yesterday, but still struggled with running, Trapasso said. The Rainbows have up until the lineup exchange today to set their 26-player roster for the series; they brought 27 players on the trip because of the midweek game at Stanford.

"I do think it's looking pretty good for next weekend, that's for sure," Trapasso said of Garcia's availability for the series at San Jose State April 4 to 6.

Shane Hoey and Ryan Morford are backups at shortstop for Nate Young. Otherwise, Hee would move over from second to short with Morford taking over at second, Trapasso said.

The Hornets are led by outfielder/first baseman Gabe Jacobo (.359), who leads the team with four home runs and 24 RBI. Third baseman David Flores leads the team with a .365 batting average, 22 runs and 11 doubles.

Senior second baseman Taylor Watanabe (.320) shares time at second base. The 2003 graduate of 'Aiea High is one of two players from Hawai'i on the team. The other is senior catcher Brett Tanigawa (.235), a 2003 graduate of Moanalua High. Tanigawa had two hits in the win against Stanford.