The Hawai'i softball team was in a rush to prolong its season.

The Rainbow Wahine left their Manoa campus at 5 a.m. yesterday. They took a flight to San Francisco, then a 3-hour bus ride to Fresno, site of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament.

They were scheduled to have one-hour evening practice, their only workout in Bulldog Softball Stadium in preparation for today's opening-round game against Louisiana Tech.

The Rainbows are seeded No. 3, but are way behind No. 1 Fresno State and No. 2 Nevada in the more significant ratings-percentage index (RPI) standings.

Fresno State is 44th in the RPI standings; Nevada is 47th. UH is 90th.

The Rainbows would need to go deep into the double-elimination tournament to draw consideration for an an-large berth in the NCAA Regionals. But because the Rainbows' RPI is not as strong as it was in the previous two seasons, when they qualified for the postseason, they have set a goal of winning the WAC Tournament and earning the accompanying berth in the NCAA Regionals.

"This isn't the 2007 team or the 2008 team," center fielder Kanani Pu'u-Warren said. "This is us. This is now. We're basically of the mindset we have to win the whole thing to go to the regionals. I think it's great to set a high goal, and not leave anything to chance."

The Rainbows will rely on freshman Stephanie Ricketts, who already has pitched more this season than in any other previous experience.

"Even in travel ball, when we'd play five games every day, I'd only pitch one game, or maybe 1 1/2 games," Ricketts said.

UH coach Bob Coolen is not concerned about Ricketts' workload, noting "she came to us in really good shape. Playing basketball and softball in high school really got her into better shape than people realized."

Besides, Ricketts said, "it doesn't matter if you're a freshman or a senior. You have to get (the batters) out."

After juggling with the lineup, the Rainbows have settled on Audrey Andrade in left field and Stacy Yamada at catcher. Andrade, who always seems to play better in the second half of the season, is hitting .283 in WAC games. She hit .235 in non-conference games.

Pu'u-Warren is batting .340 in WAC games, a surge that began with a home run against Fresno State last month.

"I think it's confidence and seeing the ball better," Pu'u-Warren said. "Now I'm always believing in myself, instead of 90 percent believing in myself."

The past two seasons, she rotated at catcher, third base and right field. She said she is more comfortable as the regular center fielder.