Hawai`i Trip Provides Homecoming

For several Cougars this week's BYU baseball games at the University of Hawai`i provide a homecoming of sorts.

BYU, 3-10, plays at the University of Hawai`i, 5-5, in a three-game series beginning Thursday evening.

The Cougars are in Hawai`i during the Olympic break from school. It's a homecoming for Kainoa Obrey, Doug Jackson, Assistant Coach David "Boy" Eldredge, and even Ranger Wiens (served a Church mission there last year) returning to the Islands.

Obrey and Jackson are BYU juniors and were teammates at Iolani High School in Hawai`i. Obrey, a pre-season All-American, starts at third base, while Jackson, who was an all-conference pick along with Obrey last season, starts now in center field.

Eldredge is in his fourth year on BYU's coaching staff, having played for the Cougars in the early 1980s out of Hawai`i. Wiens is in his first year as BYU's starting shortstop.

"We've gotten off to a slow start, so it's important we play well in these games to start gaining confidence as we continue to prepare for our conference season," said BYU Coach Vance Law.

Starting on the mound Thursday (9:30 p.m. MST) is Jeff Stone (0-2, 8.57). Ryan Adams (0-2, 5.59) is scheduled to start the same time in Friday evening's game. Scott Koffman (1-2, 6.75) is the probable starter for Saturday's game which is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. MST.

Continuing to lead the Cougars is junior outfielder Matt Carson who was named Mountain West Conference Player of the Week for his performance in the recent trip to California. Carson is now batting .438 and hit homers in the eighth and ninth innings to lead BYU to its third victory of the season last Saturday.

This Friday and Saturday's games between BYU and UH will be broadcast live on http://www.uhathletics.hawaii.edu/ on the Internet, while Thursday's game will have updates throughout the UH basketball game. The Saturday game can be watched live on Internet video through that same site.

Following the three-game series with the Rainbows, BYU then flies to play a three-game series at Hawai`i-Hilo. That series begins on Monday and can also be heard on the Internet at http://vulcans.uhh.hawaii.edu/.

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