Kaua'i High pitcher/third baseman Trent Allianic said yesterday he has accepted a scholarship offer to play at the University of Hawai'i.

Although the 6-foot, 180-pound right-hander also stars as a quarterback for the Red Raiders, he said baseball is his No. 1 sport.

"I really appreciate it," Allianic said of the scholarship offer. "I'm pretty excited."

The earliest high school seniors may sign binding national letters of intent for the 2010 baseball season is November.

Allianic said he is being recruited as a pitcher and third baseman. He was The Advertiser's second-team All-State selection at third base last season. He helped the Red Raiders win the state Division II championship and was named to the all-state tournament team at third base.

One pro scout timed Allianic's fastball in the 87 to 88 mph range. He added that Allianic is a "not bad" hitter from the little time he has seen him.

Meanwhile, Hawai'i is still awaiting decisions by draft picks Kolten Wong and Nick Croce. Both 2008 high school graduates were picked in the MLB First-Year Player Draft in June. They have until Aug. 15 to sign to play professionally.

In other UH baseball news, the Western Athletic Conference has decided to stay with the four-game series format, or 32-game schedule, as it had last season. Conference presidents overruled a recommendation to switch back to the three-game series, UH coach Mike Trapasso said. He said UH and Fresno State were the only two schools that wanted the four-game series.

"It's because of the classes we would've missed," Trapasso said. "It's not like we're not going to miss class as it is, but we would've missed a lot more. It was just a situation where the four-game series being the lesser of two evils."

As it was, UH had to find replacement games for its anticipated series with UH-Hilo to start the season. But with the Vulcans switching to Division II, the intra-system series will be discontinued.

Hawai'i's non-conference schedule includes No. 11 UC Irvine, Mississippi State, Loyola Marymount and No. 16 Coastal Carolina at home.

Away non-conference games include the Minnesota tournament (Minnesota, Notre Dame, Washington) and the Portland tournament (Oregon, Washington, Portland, New York Tech), as well as single games at Oregon State, No. 9 Arizona State, Santa Clara and Saint Mary's.

"I thought last year's non-conference was tough, but I think this year's is tougher," Trapasso said.

There is also speculation of moving the WAC tournament to a neutral site. Hawai'i is scheduled to host the six-team tournament in 2009; the tournament champion gets an automatic regional berth.

Trapasso welcomes the idea of the neutral site, preferably at a spring training facility or minor league ball park. He just objects to it happening this coming season because UH has already started planning hotel accommodations and sponsorships.

"There's no question moving to a neutral site — at a spring training site, for instance, or a pro ball park — will move the league forward," Trapasso said. "Also, we were told by (WAC commissioner) Karl Benson that (the tournament) has already been awarded to us this year. If we want to keep it, they're not going to pull it. Hopefully, that's the way it will stay."

The item has to be finalized by the conference's school presidents.