Hawaii Winter Baseball takes its show on the road today.

The league returns to Maui for the first time since the original HWB from 1993 to 1997 when the Maui Stingrays were in the league. The North Shore Honu and Honolulu Sharks will begin a three-game series starting today at Iron Maehara Stadium in Wailuku. Game times are 6:30 p.m.

The Stingrays had strong fan support when they were in the league. A large turnout is expected, according to HWB's Maui coordinator Barry Takahashi. The Stringrays once drew a capacity crowd of 1,600, he said.

"On local talk radio, the buzz is going on," Takahashi said of HWB's arrival this week.

Takahashi said Maui county has been upgrading the facility the past two months in anticipation of the games.

League officials said they scheduled games in Wailuku, as well as in Hilo later this month, to show fans of the two communities they were not forgotten. The Hilo Stars also were members of the original HWB. The six games on Maui and six on the Big Island take away 12 games from Hans L'Orange Park that would've been scheduled for noon starts. The early games are anticipated to have low turnouts. All of the games on O'ahu are played at Hans L'Orange because Les Murakami Stadium is unavailable while its turf is being replaced.

The Honu and Sharks arrived yesterday, a scheduled off-day. The league arranged tours for the players to 'Iao Valley and Lahaina. On Friday's off-day, they will visit Haleakala National Park.

Meanwhile, the West Oahu CaneFires and Waikiki BeachBoys will continue playing at Hans L'Orange Park today through Thursday, each game starting at 6:30 p.m. The teams will play on Maui Oct. 6 to 8.

Notes: Players from the Pearl City Little League Junior Division World Series championship team served as batboys during the weekend series at Hans L'Orange Park ... Honu first baseman Chris Errecart, who hit the season's first home run in Saturday's season opener, injured his wrist when he was hit by a pitch in Sunday's game. He was able to make the trip to Maui, where he was examined by Maui orthopedic surgeon Dr. Charles Soma, a former minor leaguer himself ... The four Double-A umpires assigned to HWB are Clint Fagan and Mark Buchanon of the Eastern League, and Michael Lusky and Mike Jarboe of the Texas League.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.