The Hawaii baseball team has dug itself quite the hole in its final Big West season, but not an insurmountable one.

UH lost a 2-1 pitcher’s duel to Long Beach State at Bohl Diamond at Blair Field on Sunday afternoon, meaning it dropped its second straight series to begin its 2026 conference season.

The Rainbow Warriors (10-9) are 1-5 in conference play for the program’s worst start in its Big West era that began in 2013. The last time it started 1-5 was in the Western Athletic Conference in 2010. UH finished 12-12 in conference play that year and went on to win the WAC tournament for its most recent NCAA Tournament appearance.

The top five teams after 30 league games qualify for the Big West tournament at UC Irvine in late May. UH will leave the conference after this season.

Coach Rich Hill might wish he saved some runs from Friday for the rest of the weekend. After thumping LBSU 11-1 behind a gem from Isaiah Magdaleno (six innings, five hits, one walk and nine strikeouts), the ‘Bows dropped one-run games on Saturday (7-6) and Sunday.

Liam O’Brien gave his team a chance in the finale, going four innings with two runs allowed on one hit and five walks. Brody Martin-Grudzielanek and John Alkire II combined to toss the last four innings. Alkire sparkled in the final 2 2/3, striking out four without allowing a baserunner.

But the Beach’s Jason Gerfers was too good in a four-hit solo performance. Gerfers, who was perfect through three innings, struck out seven against two walks and became the second player to throw a complete game against UH this year, along with Ball State’s Brendan Garza on Feb. 28.

Kamana Nahaku was UH’s lone run in the fourth when he reached on a hit-by-pitch and came around on consecutive singles from Ben Zeigler-Namoa and Elijah Ickes.

LBSU’s Dylan Lina hit a solo shot to left in the second. Matt Toomey’s sacrifice fly in the fifth was the difference.

UH’s two-week road trip rolls on.

One of the Big West’s elite teams, UC Santa Barbara (14-4, 4-2), awaits at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium at 1:35 p.m. Hawaii time Friday. The Gauchos are coming off a 2-1 series loss at UC Davis.

Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.