Under head coach Rich Hill, the University of Hawai‘i plays some of its best baseball on Sundays.
The Rainbow Warriors are 7-1 on Sunday contests at Les Murakami Stadium in 2025. Wins include a series clincher against then-No. 15 UC Santa Barbara on March 16 and a 5-0 shutout over then-No. 7 Oregon State on May 4. UH's lone Sunday home loss was a 5-4 setback against Long Beach State on April 6, a result that has the 'Bows (31-18, 14-13 Big West Conference) battling for a spot in the inaugural Big West Tournament ahead of its final regular season series against UC San Diego.
Following Sunday home games, select members of the team participate in the 'Bow Buddy program, which pairs a UH player with a child from Never Quit Dreaming, a local program that is "dedicated to fostering growth and confidence in special needs children through the power of sports," per the organization's website. Members of the UH baseball team are paired with a player from Never Quit Dreaming's Firebirds baseball team.
When Hill was at San Diego, his program collaborated with the Autism Tree Foundation. One of his first orders of business upon landing the Hawai‘i job in 2021 was to find a similar organization on O‘ahu. The 'Bow Buddy program wrapped up its third season after the Oregon State win, with plans to continue for the foreseeable future.
"We jumped through the hoops to get it done," Hill said. "For these kids to come out here and be at Les Murakami Stadium and be with their 'Bow Buddy, it's a lifetime experience. It's extremely rewarding."
Regardless of the result, Hawai‘i baseball players will stick around after the game for up to an hour, at times even longer, playing catch on the field, running the bases, or simply talking story with their 'Bow Buddy.
"The majority of our population comes off the autism spectrum. I would say about 85% of our individuals are autistic in nature," Never Quit Dreaming founder and director Kris Dung told Aloha State Daily. "We also have individuals that have Down syndrome, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, so as an organization, we encourage all of these individuals to come through and play the game of baseball, and then through that, they're able to meet some great mentors throughout the way.
"Not only are [the Rainbow Warriors] great on the field, but having the time to release everything that went into playing this game and then having the capacity to then engage with these individuals every Sunday is is extraordinarily special."
UH fan Marc Harada has two boys that are in the 'Bow Buddy program: Troy, 13, is partnered with Ben Zeigler-Namoa, while star pitcher Isaiah Magdaleno's 'Bow Buddy is 6-year-old Dakota.
"It gives some of these kids a lot of inclusion, where they can do stuff where they might not be able to do. It gives them a chance to have fun, enjoy it, despite their special needs and stuff like that," Harada said.
In recent seasons, Harada's boys were partnered with Kyson Donahue and Sean Rimmer, and the relationship extends beyond the season. Harada said his family saw Donahue at a recent game, and he was able to catch up with his former 'Bow Buddy.
Harada wants the UH players partnered up with his sons to feel like family, especially if they are not from O‘ahu and do not have family in the Islands. Magdaleno is from California, while Zeigler-Namoa hails from Lahaina.
"We try to show them that we're there for them," Harada said. "Isaiah, from the Mainland, not too much family here. We try to be that ‘ohana for him here, away from family and stuff like that. Try to be that local family for him to show them we're here for him no matter what, good game, bad game, always show support."
Members of the Rainbow Warrior baseball team that have opted in to the program and experienced it firsthand share the sentiment that the players themselves gain as much from the program as the children in Never Quit Dreaming.
"It's honestly just a burst of positivity," Magdaleno said. "Even if we have a bad outing or a bad game, it's just good to get out here and just have that support with you. It's like another family out here. The families bring so much love and positivity towards our lives. It's a good program. I'm glad that I'm part of it."
Added Zeigler-Namoa: "It's a privilege. As a team, we love to do stuff in the community. Whether we win or lose, they put a smile on our face, and we have something to look forward to after a game no matter what. I think it kind of helps you flip the page a little bit in reality, how grateful we are just to have the opportunity to do something as cool as this."
At the end of the 2024 'Bow Buddy program, UH players were given customized Funko Pop! collectibles of themselves. In 2025, players wore T-shirt jerseys of their 'Bow Buddy. Magdaleno and Zeigler-Namoa even got customized license plates from the Harada family.
Perspective is key for the Rainbow Warriors, who will fight to keep their 2025 season alive this weekend.
"If our players learn one thing coming out of this program, it's not how to drag bunt, hit the cutoff man, steal a base, be quick to home. It's the ability to really buy into service to others and impact our community and impact other people for the rest of our lives," Hill said.
Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
