The University of Hawai‘i baseball team's season came to an end on Wednesday with a 5-1 loss to Cal State Fullerton in the Big West Conference tournament play-in game in Irvine, Calif.
Hawai‘i's season ends at 27-23 overall. Additionally, the Rainbow Warriors have concluded their time in the Big West, which began in 2013. The 'Bows have yet to make an NCAA Tournament since 2010.
On Wednesday, both teams had their ace pitchers starting with Isaiah Magdaleno taking the mound for Hawai‘i and Mikiah Negrete getting the ball for Cal State Fullerton. The contest was tied at 1 through six innings in a true pitcher's duel, but the Titans broke through with two runs in both the seventh and ninth innings.
Magdaleno was tagged with the loss coming off the heels of a legendary three-start run in which he allowed just one run in 26 innings with 39 strikeouts to just six hits and two walks. On Wednesday, he battled through 6.1 innings, scattering six hits with two runs, one walk and four strikeouts. With every pitcher available, Hawai‘i head coach Rich Hill used his top three starters in Magdaleno, Hekili Robello and Brody Martin-Grudzielanek in addition to All-Big West reliever Tsubasa Tomii.
For Cal State Fullerton, Negrete pitched a complete game against the Rainbow Warriors, holding UH to six hits with seven strikeouts, needing just 98 pitches to do so. In a March 27 win against the 'Bows at Les Murakami Stadium, he allowed just two hits with 11 strikeouts in a 2-0 shutout. The Titans advance to the four-team double elimination tournament and will face top seed UC Santa Barbara on Thursday.
"You have to tip your cap to Mikiah," Hill said after the game. "He had our number again. Complete game, hard to do, under 100 pitches, didn't walk anybody. I think first you give credit to them. ... But very proud of this team to even get to this point. Hard to do in the Big West — it's hard to qualify, no matter what anybody says. This is the best baseball conference on the West Coast, and we ran into a buzzsaw pitcher tonight."
There's a distinct possibility Wednesday's appearance was Magdaleno's last in a UH uniform, as he's likely to get selected within the first two days of the 2026 MLB Draft in July. The Islands and the team's fans have left an indelible mark on the Los Angeles native.
"I feel like throughout my three years so far, they just treat you like family. I feel like that's what you want at a fan base. Some might be on and off, but whether it's a good day or a bad day at the yard, they're always going to be there to support you," Magdaleno said. "We have the 'Bow Buddy program, and I feel like my family has really just taken me in along with every single fan. I know that's huge statement in the recruiting process. I was told about it coming in here, and they have just blown me away more than anything. I've been very proud to represent Hawai‘i this far, and I feel like we're only going to get better as a program. We're only coming up right now, and I feel like even though the season didn't go the way we planned it, I feel like there's only more to come, and the fans are a big reason why. They don't realize it, but they are."
Added senior and team leader Ben Zeigler-Namoa, a Maui native: "I think for a guy who's played here for four years, it's been extremely gratifying and an absolute honor to play for these fans. They come out like none other."
As the Rainbow Warriors take their program to the revamped Mountain West, Hill says the 'Bows are done playing Big West teams for the foreseeable future.
"I never want to play another Big West team," Hill joked. "It's just a nightmare playing in this conference. I'm looking forward to getting to the Mountain West. It's a very difficult conference as well, but new surroundings and new chapter."
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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
