Hawai’i will open its 2026 baseball season with a four-game series against Gonzaga at Les Murakami Stadium in Honolulu. The series, which begins on Friday and runs through Monday, marks the first meeting between the two teams since 2013. Hawai’i currently holds an 11-10 lead in the all-time series against Gonzaga.
The opening weekend is part of a stretch of 16 consecutive home games for the Rainbow Warriors to start their season. Games are scheduled for Friday and Saturday at 6:35 p.m., and Sunday and Monday at 1:05 p.m. Radio broadcasts will be available on CBS 1500 and ESPN Honolulu, while television coverage can be found on Spectrum Sports and ESPN+.
Fans attending the games can participate in various promotions, including rally towel giveaways sponsored by OUTRIGGER, a Lucky Seat giveaway for hats and show ticket vouchers, as well as pregame activities with music and games. Selected players will greet fans before the game and sign autographs afterward.
Head coach Rich Hill enters his fifth season with Hawai’i, holding a record of 129-81 at UH and an overall collegiate coaching record of 1,208-819-4 over 39 seasons. “Hawai’i head coach Rich Hill has raised the standard of the program since arriving in 2022,” according to information provided by the university. “The Rainbow Warriors have turned into one of the most successful programs in the west, owning the fifth-best record among teams in the region over the last four seasons.”
Since joining The Big West Conference in 2012, this is the first time Hawai’i has posted four consecutive winning seasons under Hill’s leadership.
Les Murakami Stadium has become known as a difficult venue for visiting teams. Since 2023, Hawai’i has achieved a home record of 70-27—ranking third among western teams for most home wins during that period—and has recorded nine walk-off victories over two years.
The team also finished among national leaders in attendance last year, averaging nearly 4,000 fans per game. This marked its eleventh straight year ranking in both the top three schools for attendance in the west and top twenty-five nationally.
This season’s roster includes many new players alongside experienced returnees. Fourteen newcomers bring previous experience from other four-year institutions; overall, there are 26 new players and only thirteen returning athletes on a roster where most are juniors or seniors.
Pitching continues to be a strength for Hawai’i under pitching coach Keith Zuniga. The staff led NCAA Division I baseball with a team ERA of 3.78 in 2024 and ranked eighteenth nationally last year with an ERA of 4.25.
Projected starting pitchers include Isaiah Magdaleno (Friday), Hekili Robello (Saturday), with Sunday and Monday starters yet to be announced for Hawai’i; Gonzaga plans to start Finbar O’Brien (Friday), Erik Hoffberg (Saturday), Karsten Sweum (Sunday), with Monday’s starter undecided.
Tickets are available online for those interested in attending any game during opening weekend.
