Southern California all-America pitcher Ian Kennedy will be the best pitcher Hawai'i will face so far this season.

But guess what? The No. 24 Trojans (7-5) might be seeing their toughest pitcher so far in Hawai'i's Steven Wright.

The junior right-handers, both among the top 100 college prospects by Baseball America, face each other in tonight's 6:35 opener of a three-game series at Les Murakami Stadium.

"What we've told our players is (Wright) might be the best pitcher that we will face," 20th-year USC coach Mike Gillespie said. "And we're playing a great schedule. We're facing some really good pitching. But this guy's on the short list of the best guys in the country."

Wright (2-0, 1.17) is coming off a complete-game, one-hitter in a 3-1 win at Loyola Marymount. He is ranked 82nd in the top 100 college prospects.

Kennedy brings the most impressive credentials of all pitchers who have been here this season. He is 2-1 with a 1.25 earned run average. He came within an out of tossing a no-hitter last week against Kansas. He is fifth in the top 100 and is projected as the seventh overall (including high school players) pick in the June draft.

"He's poised," Gillespie said. "He's not going to get rattled. He's an experienced, quality pitcher."

But Gillespie's next two starters are freshmen in right-hander Ryan Cook (0-1, 7.16) and left-hander Tommy Milone (3-0, 2.57).

Cook has a good curve and changeup, but has struggled with consistency, Gillespie said.

"I think his future is very, very bright, but we need his future to be Saturday," Gillespie said.

Milone, though, has made a smoother transition from high school. He throws strikes consistently with his fastball, curveball and changeup, Gillespie said.

"He's advanced beyond his age in terms of his coolness and composure," Gillespie said. "He'll give up hits and people will score, but he just doesn't all of a sudden spiral into a mess."

Getting a shot out of the bullpen this weekend might be freshman left-hander David Parrow, a 2005 Kamehameha graduate from Nanakuli. He has made five appearances, totaling 5 1/3 innings, all in relief.

"He's another guy that's cool, consistent and not afraid," Gillespie said. "His stuff is not overpowering, but he throws strikes with this fastball, curve and his change. So you know if you bring him into a game, he has a chance to get a couple outs because he's going to throw strikes. He's been very good for us, particularly against left-handed hitters."

The Trojans are armed with hitters as well with a .351 team batting average. Left fielder Cyle Hankerd leads the team with a .522 batting average, five doubles, three home runs and 19 RBIs. Third baseman and lead-off hitter Matt Cusick is hitting a cool .435, sharing the team lead of 18 runs with second baseman Blake Sharpe (.348).

Meanwhile, Hawai'i left-hander Mark Rodrigues is on schedule to start Sunday's game. He left after four innings last Sunday as a precaution because of tightness.

First baseman Kris Sanchez is "90 percent and good to go," UH coach Mike Trapasso said.

"That gives us some options of having both he and Luis Avila in the lineup," Trapasso said.

Avila has filled for Sanchez, whose hamstring problems kept him out of the starting lineup since the third game of the season. Avila is batting .394 and leads the team with five doubles and 11 RBIs.

But right fielder Matt Inouye (back) is "still touch and go," Trapasso said. "But he's getting closer (to being healthy)."

Hawai'i (9-2) has a five-game winning streak. While it swept at LMU last weekend, the Trojans were winning their Public Storage Baseball Classic at Dedeaux Field.

Gillespie is impressed with UH's start.

"They did a fine job finding some real key junior college transfers (to complement) some of the other guys who have grown up through the program," he said. "They're a good team. The schedule they've played is good and they've demonstrated they can play with anybody. Any win against them is a quality win."

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.