IRVINE, CALIF.—The University of Hawai'i baseball team season begins on Friday with a four-game series against Washington State. Still, before the first pitch is thrown, the Big West Conference released its yearly preseason coaches' poll on Monday morning.
 
The Rainbow Warriors are slotted in the middle of the pack at No. 6, while Long Beach State received seven first-place votes, solidifying them at the top of the polls.
 
The 2022 campaign is the first under head coach Rich Hill who brings 34 years of coaching experience to the island of O'ahu. Hill's resume gives the fan base a shot in the arm for what could potentially come under his guidance. Among his three stops at California Lutheran, San Francisco, and San Diego, he is currently the youngest coach in NCAA Division I baseball with 1,000 career wins, entering the year at 1,079.
 
Hill will lead a revamped roster, welcoming in 13 newcomers and 21 returning from the 2021 campaign. The 2022 roster features homegrown Hawai'i talent with 22 hailing from the Aloha State. It's also a very young roster with 24 combined sophomores and freshmen.
 
Tickets are on sale now, including season ticket packages and single-game tickets.