The Oregon baseball season kicks off this weekend, and for the second-straight year the Ducks open play in Hawaii.
Head coach George Horton’s squad will square off with Hawaii in a four-game series that begins today at 8:35 p.m. and ends with a 3:05 p.m. game on Monday. The Ducks split the series with the Rainbows last year 2-2 and are just 3-10 all time at Les Murakami Stadium. @@http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&SPID=11401&SPSID=94835  http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPID=11401&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205380696@@
Senior pitcher Alex Keudell is slated to start for Oregon in the season opener and is looking to carry over a strong 2011 performance that saw him post a 7-3 record and 2.89 ERA. Keudell was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 38th round of the 2011 MLB Draft, but he eschewed a jump to the professional ranks in order to finish his career at Oregon. @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=94833&SPID=11401&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=1599975&Q_SEASON=2011@@
Following Keudell in the starting rotation this weekend will be freshman Jake Reed (Saturday) and sophomore Brando Tessar (Sunday). Junior lefty Christian Jones (7-2, 3.24 ERA in 2011) would have been a key part of the rotation, but Tommy John surgery has forced him to sit out the entire 2012 season. @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=94833&SPID=11401&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=204836177&Q_SEASON=2011@@
At the plate, meanwhile, first baseman Ryon Healy will look to improve upon a freshman campaign that saw him hit .320. Junior J.J. Altobelli returns at shortstop, while Aaron Payne takes over for Danny Pulfer at second base and Brett Hambright returns at shortstop.  @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=94833&SPID=11401&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205072755&Q_SEASON=2011@@
The Rainbows are led by senior first-team All-WAC outfielder Zach Swasey, who batted .320 last year with 44 RBI. Centerfielder Breland Almadova returns after a promising sophomore season (.298, 54 runs scored), and third baseman Collin Bennett (.292, 22 runs scored) should also provide solid production. @@http://hawaiiathletics.com/roster.aspx?path=bb&@@
This weekend marks the first of two that the Ducks will spend on the road to start the season before returning to Eugene on Feb. 28.