For the first time in 2026, the University of Hawai‘i baseball team will take the field on Saturday for its annual alumni game at 1 p.m. at Les Murakami Stadium. Admission is free for fans.
Following Saturday's modified game, the Rainbow Warriors will begin their 2026 regular season at home on Feb. 13 against Gonzaga.
After going 35-21 overall with a semifinal appearance in the inaugural Big West Conference baseball tournament, hopes are high for the Rainbow Warriors. Although the 'Bows have not made an NCAA Regional appearance since 2010, the growing sense among the team is that 2026 could be the year.
"Yeah, this is our year," newly extended head coach Rich Hill said in a recent media session. "It's a building process, climbing up this ladder, and you feel like, especially on-field success, you feel like you can achieve so much more. There's so much more that we have to accomplish here. I think the pieces are in place. We were talking with our staff today about, the ingredients. It's like a great chef, and we have so many great chefs here in Hawai‘i, right?"
The Rainbow Warriors have gone at least .500 in each of Hill's four seasons in Mānoa, including two consecutive seasons of at least 35 wins in 2024 and 2025, the first time the 'Bows have accomplished that feat in three decades.
Despite losing standout freshman pitcher Cooper Walls to Florida via the transfer portal, the Rainbow Warriors received commitments from star players Elijah Ickes, Isaiah Magdaleno and Sebastian Gonzalez to return.
"Last year, we had a good run," Gonzalez said. "We had a lot of good wins, and we still want to take that type of momentum into this season. We're coming to kick down doors, knocking out teeth. We're going to do what we did last year, and that's fight our way to the top. The vibe in the locker room is that this is the year. Our goal is to not only win the Big West, but to take it a step further."
Hawai‘i also received a pair of pleasant surprises in returning contributors Ben Zeigler-Namoa and Liam O'Brien, who were both seniors in 2025 but were able to return due to a recent rule allowing extended eligibility to former junior college athletes.
"The (MLB) draft didn't go my way, but it's a privilege and honor to be back," said Zeigler-Namoa, a Lahaina native. "I'm here to win games, and I have some unfinished business. That's where I'm at."
The 'Bows will play their first 12 regular season games at home before starting off Big West play against fellow conference contender Cal Poly on Match 6. After the season, the 'Bows are set to join the Mountain West as full-time members.
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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
