HONOLULU – In the thick of the race to get into the Big West postseason, Hawai'i opens its stretch run with a key three-game series at Cal State Fullerton Friday through Sunday.
The Rainbow Warriors come into the week sixth in the conference standings, but a game ahead of fifth-place UC Santa Barbara and one behind fourth-place UC San Diego in the loss column. The top five teams make the Big West Tournament. UH swept last year's series vs. the Titans in Honolulu.
| HAWAI'I (29-17, 12-12 Big West) at CAL STATE FULLERTON (26-22, 16-8 Big West) |
| Dates & Times |
Friday, May 9 -- 3:30 p.m. HT
Saturday, May 10 -- 2:00 p.m. HT
Sunday, May 11 -- 10:00 a.m. HT |
| Location |
Fullerton, Calif. -- Goodwin Field |
| Radio |
ESPN Honolulu (Fri., Sun.) | CBS 1500 (Sat.) |
| Live Stream |
ESPN+ | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| Live Stats |
Here |
| PDF Notes |
Hawai'i | Cal State Fullerton |
| Social Media |
@HawaiiBaseball  | @Hawaiibsb  |
| Projected Rotations |
Hawai'i
Friday -- RHP Itsuki Takemoto (2-5, 4.94)
Saturday -- LHP Sebastian Gonzalez (3-0, 3.92)
Sunday -- RHP Cooper Walls (3-3, 3.55) |
Cal State Fullerton
Friday -- LHP Mikiah Negrete (5-1, 4.46)
Saturday -- TBD
Sunday -- TBD |
HEAD COACH RICH HILL
At Hawai'i: 123-77, 4th season
Collegiate Record: 1,202-815-4, 38th season
SERIES VS. CAL STATE FULLERTON
Cal State Fullerton leads, 26-20
Last Meeting: UH won series, 3-0 (May 23-25 in Honolulu)
DID YOU KNOW?
The Rainbow Warriors are hitting .333 with runners in scoring position, 49 points higher than their overall team average of .284. That mark is second in the Big West behind only UC Irvine. UH has also scored 46.2 percent of its runs with two outs in an inning.
WALK IT OUT
The Rainbow Warriors lead the Big West with 237 walks drawn on the season. The top three players in the conference in bases on balls are all UH players while four of the top eight in the league are 'Bows.
Matthew Miura leads the way with 38 walks, followed by
Shunsuke Sakaino with 34 and
Jared Quandt with 33. Hawai'i has also struck out the fewest times in the conference with 331 on the year.
TROPICAL SWARM
After leading the nation in ERA in 2024, the Rainbow Warrior pitching staff has again positioned themselves as one of the elite groups nationally. UH is 18th in ERA (4.12), 21st in WHIP (1.31), 25th in hits allowed per nine innings (8.09) and 27th in opponent batting average (.241).
Isaiah Magdaleno ranks 10th nationally in K/BB ratio (7.00) while
Liam O'Brien also leads the nation in hits allowed per nine innings (3.20) and opposing batting average (.115).
COMING UP CLUTCH
The Rainbow Warriors have come through in clutch situations so far in 2025, putting up strong numbers with two outs and with runners in scoring position. UH has scored 46.2 percent (135-of-292) of its runs with two gone in an inning while hitting .315 as a team with two outs. The 'Bows are also batting .333 with runners in scoring position, 49 points higher than their overall team batting average.
RAISING THE STANDARD
Hawai'i head coach
Rich Hill has raised the standard of the program since arriving in 2022. The Rainbow Warriors have turned into one of the most successful programs in the west, owning the sixth-best record among teams in the region over the last four seasons. The Rainbow Warriors have also posted three consecutive winning seasons under Hill - their first three over .500 finishes since joining the Big West in 2012.
Best West Coast Win Pct. Since 2022 (As of May 6, 2025)
1. Oregon State – 169-65 (.722)
2. UCSB – 154-63 (.708)
3. UC Irvine – 149-66 (.693)
4. Oregon – 150-80 (.652)
5. Grand Canyon – 142-87 (.620)
6. Hawai'I – 123-77 (.615)
