University of Hawai‘i star pitcher Isaiah Magdaleno intends to enter the NCAA transfer portal, sealing the end of his time with the Rainbow Warriors.
Magdaleno confirmed his departure with a post on his personal Instagram account thanking his teammates, coaches and fans.
"Thank you for the best 3 years of my life," Magdaleno's statement read in part. "I will forever be grateful for Hawai‘i and will be grateful to represent."
Magdaleno, a junior, earned a bevy of accolades for his 2026 season, which was highlighted by a pair of signature home starts in May. The righty from Los Angeles tossed one-hit shutouts against both UC Riverside and CSUN. On May 1, he struck out 16 hitters. Then on May 13, he struck out 14 on short rest. Both performances earned him National Player of the Week honors from multiple organizations.
As a sophomore in 2025, Magdaleno blossomed into one of the country's top relief pitchers, racking up 77 strikeouts and nine saves in 24 appearances.
Magdaleno saw his role increase to staff ace in 2026. All 15 of his 2026 appearances were starts for the Rainbow Warriors. In total, he went 7-5 with 116 strikeouts in 95.1 innings with a 2.36 ERA, earning third-team All-America honors from both Baseball America and Perfect Game USA, cementing himself as UH's first All-American since Kolten Wong in 2011.
Although the college baseball season is currently ongoing, the NCAA transfer portal for baseball has already opened. The window of NCAA Division I notification for baseball began on June 1 and ends on June 30.
The conclusion of the 2026 season and the events after it have marked the end of an era for the Hawai‘i baseball program. Hitting coach Dave Nakama parted ways with the program, while pitching coach/associate head coach Keith Zuniga recently accepted an offer to become USC's pitching coach.
Additionally, the vast majority of UH-Mānoa's athletic teams, including baseball, are departing the Big West Conference in favor of the Mountain West Conference, a move that becomes official on July 1.
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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
