Although it hasn't been playing as well in the last three weeks, there is still time for the Hawai'i baseball team to find its groove. But it has to start now.

The Rainbows resume Western Athletic Conference play with a three-game series at Fresno State today through Sunday. The Bulldogs (21-18 overall, 6-3 WAC) share the conference lead with the other Bulldogs, Louisiana Tech (26-14, 6-3). The Rainbows, who return home to play LaTech, trail by one game.

At 24-13 overall, the Rainbows are slightly behind from a year ago (26-11) and a little ahead in conference at 5-4 to last year's 4-5 mark. Last year's club went on a tear, winning 16 of its last 18 to end the regular season. Coach Mike Trapasso knows what his team must do to repeat last year's finish.

"While we haven't played well the last couple of weeks, this weekend and next weekend present a tremendous opportunity for us to go out and play better and put ourselves in a good position and try to get hot from there," Trapasso said. "But we're not kidding ourselves. We need to play better than we have the last three weeks."

This series matches the two teams picked as co-favorites to win the conference in a preseason poll by the coaches. If UH takes 2 of 3, it pulls into a tie with FSU. A sweep would put UH a game ahead of at least one of the Bulldogs; LaTech is playing at Sacramento State this weekend and determines its own fate.

For UH, pitching sets the tone. And it hasn't been up to par of late. Except for Josh Schneider's 6-0 complete-game win against San Jose State April 1, no UH starter has pitched beyond six innings in each of his last three starts. So Trapasso has changed the rotation. Mark Rodrigues (6-2, 3.05) will start today's opener with Schneider (3-2, 2.37) slated for tomorrow and Ian Harrington (5-5, 4.15), the No. 1 until now, set for Sunday. Harrington was highly successful as last year's No. 3, helping the team in last year's stretch run.

"Ian hasn't thrown real well and we just want to put him back where he was last year, where he was comfortable (and) give him a chance to watch (the opponent's) hitters a couple games," Trapasso said.

The change also helps break up the routine.

"We've been getting a little too comfortable and a little too into our little habits," Trapasso said.

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs have been hot of late, having won eight of their last nine, including a sweep of Sacramento State. Junior right-hander Clayton Allison (6-2, 4.10) will start tonight with sophomore left-hander Justin Wilson (4-4, 3.14) scheduled for tomorrow and freshman right-hander Tanner Scheppers (2-3, 5.81) set for Sunday.

The 6-foot-5, 235-pound Allison has 36 strikeouts to 18 walks in 59 2/3 innings. Wilson is the strikeout pitcher among the three, having fanned 52 in 51 2/3 innings, while the 6-4, 170-pound Scheppers has 39 strikeouts in 48 innings.

As a staff, the Bulldogs rank second in the WAC with a 4.41 ERA, still more than a full run higher the UH's lead-leading 3.11.

Offensively, FSU averages 6.15 runs per game, about a half-run below league average. It has a team batting average of .289, which is sixth in the seven-team conference.

Second baseman Erik Wetzel is the eighth-leading hitter in the WAC, batting .366 from the lead-off spot. His .453 on-base average is ninth in the WAC. Left fielder Steve Susdorf leads the club with 39 RBIs and outfielder/DH Loren Storey leads the league with 15 steals.

Hawai'i' first baseman Kris Sanchez leads the WAC in hitting at .400, while third baseman Justin Frash leads in on-base percentage at .481.

This could be a tough series for the hitters. Of the six starting pitchers, only Scheppers' ERA is not ranked in the WAC's top 10.

Today's game is set for 3:05 p.m., Hawai'i time, and will be broadcast on 1420 AM.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.