Rain Expected as Hawaii Hosts UC Irvine in Big West Series Finale

HONOLULU (Interstat) — The Hawaii Warriors and UC Irvine Anteaters will conclude their Big West Conference series Sunday evening at Neal S. Blaisdell Center, with wet weather forecast for the 73-degree first pitch.

The Anteaters (15-17) will look to continue their recent offensive surge against the Warriors (13-10). UC Irvine has won four of its last five, including a 13-5 nonconference victory over San Diego on Tuesday. A key catalyst has been left fielder Daniel Polasek, who drove in four runs in that win. Over his last four games, Polasek is 4 for 13 with four RBIs.

Hawaii aims to rebound after being shut out 8-0 at UC San Diego last Saturday. The Warriors will likely look for a stronger start from right-hander Hekili Robello, a player to watch who is coming off a difficult outing. On April 4, Robello allowed six earned runs in six innings against the Tritons. That performance contrasted sharply with his gem on March 21, when he held UC Santa Barbara to one run over 8 1/3 innings in a 3-1 victory.

The Anteaters’ recent success has been fueled by consistent hitting. In Tuesday’s win, designated hitter Rowan Felsch joined Polasek with three RBIs, and reliever Tyler Foster provided two scoreless innings. UC Irvine took three of four from UC Davis earlier this month.

Hawaii’s schedule shows resilience, having won a 10-inning thriller over Cal State Fullerton on March 29 and taking two of three from UC Santa Barbara in late March.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, Sunday’s contest is projected to be a tight one, with a predicted final score of UC Irvine 5, Hawaii 4.

Following the game, UC Irvine returns home to host UC Santa Barbara for a three-game series starting Friday. Hawaii hits the road for a series at Cal State Bakersfield beginning the same day.