If there was a time for Hawai'i's bats to find their consistency this is it.

The Rainbows (16-9) open the Western Athletic Conference season tonight against San Jose State (19-5) at Les Murakami Stadium. The four-game series includes a doubleheader tomorrow and single game Sunday.

The Spartans might have the deepest starting rotation the Rainbows will have faced this season.

Tonight's starter David Berner and tomorrow's first-game starter Max Peterson, both left-handers, each bring 5-0 records and sub-3.00 earned run averages into the series. Peterson is an preseason All-WAC selection.

Tomorrow's second-game starter, Ryan Shopshire, and Sunday's starter Scott Sobczak, both right-handers, have history against UH. In Shopshire's first collegiate start last season, he beat the Rainbows, 4-0, with a complete-game four-hitter. Sobczak, who leads the WAC with 1.45 ERA, tossed a six-hit, complete game in a 9-1 win against the Rainbows in 2007.

"We think our rotation is pretty good," Spartans coach Sam Piraro said. "They're experienced. Those guys have been there, had some heartache and have had some success. Our strength is our starting rotation."

San Jose State starts the week leading the WAC with a 3.62 ERA. Hawai'i is next at 4.35. But the Rainbows' offense, while it has been getting timely hitting, has been inconsistent and is last in the seven-team conference with a .245 batting average. Third baseman Vinnie Catricala is the only hitter above .300 at .355.

Moreover, Hawai'i will be without pitcher Nate Klein for a third consecutive weekend, as he rests a tender forearm. He had been second in UH's four-man rotation. So for the second consecutive weekend, the Rainbows aren't announcing their fourth-game pitcher until after the first three games are complete. They'll repeat the first three with Jayson Kramer tonight, Jared Alexander in tomorrow's opener and Matt Sisto in the seven-inning nightcap.

Last week, freshman Connor Little started the fourth game in a 4-3 win against Coastal Carolina, going 6 2/3 innings, allowing two runs and six hits, while walking none and striking out three in his second start of the season.

Sisto, also a freshman, has won his last two decisions and leads UH's starting pitchers with three wins. Two have come against teams that were nationally ranked in UC Irvine and Coastal Carolina.

Besides sporting a strong pitching staff, the Spartans, as usual, bring their reliable gloves. Their .981 fielding percentage not only leads the WAC, but is fifth-best in the country this week.

The Spartans also have a potent offense. Their team batting average of .346 is second only to New Mexico State's park-friendly .369. San Jose State averages 8.8 runs per game. Even when you subtract a 31-1 win against Chicago State and a 19-0 victory against Dartmouth, SJSU still averages 7.7 per game.

Center fielder Jason Martin (.356) leads the team with three home runs, but also has a propensity to attracting pitches. He has been hit a WAC-leading 13 times, which ranks third nationally.

"You can't really worry about that," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "You gotta get the ball in there and you have to pitch inside. We do that. If you hit guys, you hit guys. One of the things you do is make sure the rules are followed and they're not leaning into the pitches. That's just gamesmanship of a well-coached team."

Shortstop Kyle Bellows leads the team in hitting (.380) and steals (6 of 8). He and pitcher Peterson are regarded as the team's top prospects for the June draft.

Piraro said five players started as freshmen last year on a team that finished 31-25.