Snake-bit Louisiana Tech is probably the last team anyone wants to play.

But it's Hawai'i's turn and it better be ready for its four-game Western Athletic Conference series starting today at J.C. Love Field in Ruston, La.

Since their 28th games, or the mid-point of their seasons, the Rainbows (19-22 overall, 11-9 WAC) are 10-3, while the Bulldogs (16-22, 2-16) are 1-9. The Bulldogs just snapped an 11-game losing streak with a 12-10 non-conference win against Northwestern State on Wednesday.

But what the Rainbows need to fear is that the Bulldogs are basically the same team that went 35-24 (14-10 WAC) last year and 33-25 (11-13 WAC) in 2006. This is the same team that was picked to finish second in the WAC in a preseason poll of the league's coaches.

The same one that's supposed to host the WAC tournament next month, but is fighting off elimination from it. Only the top six qualify from the seven-team conference.

"I don't know what it is that has made them struggle in league, but they have the talent to break out at any time and you're also looking at them playing at home, where they're usually successful," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "Playing with their backs to the wall, they're going to come out swinging. If we don't go in there and approach them like the team that they are talent-wise, we'll get beat."

The Bulldogs are down in scoring, averaging 6.1 per game, sixth-best in the league. Only UH's 4.7 is lower. While 2007 WAC Player of the Year Brian Rike is gone, the Bulldogs still return all-WAC first baseman Albie Goulder (.305, 8 HR, 27 RBI) and outfielder/pitcher Jericho Jones (.350, 8 HR, 27 RBI), the 2006 WAC Freshman of the Year.

Moreover, outfielder Adam Cobb (.327, 7 HR, 28 RBI), shortstop Nick Grunenwald (.326, 3 HR, 19 RBI), third baseman Chris Kersten (.295, 7 HR, 32 RBI), DH Drew Bunting (.290) and outfielder Patrick Thomas (.222, but hit .366 last season) all are returning starters.

Three of the Bulldogs' probable starting pitchers also return in right-hander Luke Burnett (0-3, 7.43), tonight's starter, right-hander Jericho (5-3. 4.96), tomorrow's Game 1 starter, and right-hander Dylan Moseley (1-5, 5.50), all-WAC second team pick and Sunday's starter. The Bulldogs haven't decided on tomorrow's Game 2 starter of the doubleheader.

Meanwhile, the Rainbows are three-fourths certain of their starting rotation for the weekend. Besides Jared Alexander (5-3, 2.66) in today's opener and Nick Rhodes (3-4, 5.33) in tomorrow's first game of the doubleheader, Trapasso said Alex Bates (0-0, 3.00) will start the second game tomorrow. Bates, who spent half the season healing from shoulder tendinits, has been brought along slowly. He went two innings in his first start against New Mexico State and went four innings last weekend against Nevada.

"We'll just go by pitch count," Trapasso said of Bates' projected duration for this start. "We had him at 50 (pitches) last time, so our count with this start would be 65 or 70. We're hoping that could get us five innings."

Reigning WAC Pitcher of the Week Matt Daly will continue to be used from the bullpen. Starting Sunday is dependent on his availability based on the previous games.

Trapasso said the area has a forecast for a chance of rain. The Bulldogs already had two WAC games canceled because of rain.

All of the games will be broadcast live on ESPN 1420AM.