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IRVINE, Calif. — Happiness is a Hawaii baseball team still playing in mid-May.
The extension is not lost on Ben Zeigler-Namoa, who decided to return for a fifth season — his fourth with the home-state school — to add metaphorical “bricks” to a building program.
It is not lost on right-handed pitcher Hekili Robello, who redshirted in 2025 to focus on his studies.
“I wanted to get back on the field,” said Robello, who is an honor student and owner of a 9-4 record this year. “It sucked not playing.”
Third baseman Tate Shimao and infielder Taylor Takata — both of whom redshirted after transferring last year — also relished a lengthier senior season.
And Rich Hill, in his 39th collegiate coaching season, was gleeful on the eve of today’s play-in game of the Big West Tournament at Cicerone Field at Anteater Ballpark. As the fourth seed, UH is the “home” team against fifth-seeded Cal State Fullerton. The winner advances to the double-elimination round; the loser begins summer vacation. UC Irvine, the host school, did not qualify for the five-team tournament.
Hill was setting the mood for Tuesday’s 75-minute practice. Groups of players kept alive hacky sacks. Pitcher Isaiah Magdaleno and Robello went through several stretching exercises. The position players rotated turns in the indoor batting cage and taking batting practice against live pitching. The coaches declared the grass surface as well the maintained and the ballpark’s conditions as playing fair. And they remained upbeat.
“It’s just staying positive,” Magdaleno said. “That’s a big one. The season has ups and downs. It’s staying positive and consistent. I try to live life in a positive way … being a good person. It’s easy when you’re surrounded by a bunch of good guys.”
The ’Bows won two of three against the Titans in a March series at Les Murakami Stadium. But the one loss was against left-hander Mikiah Negrete, who pitched a two-hit shutout. Today’s game features a rematch of Negrete and Magdaleno, who allowed five hits but struck out 12 in the loss.
The ’Bows have studied videos of Negrete’s gyrating, four-hitch motion.
“I kind of picked it up myself,” Negrete has said of his delivery. “I didn’t really take it from anyone. It got me in my rhythm and helped me on the mound. I’m happy with it. … It’s like a dance. It’s a dance for me and it helps with my rhythm, for sure.”
Left-handed Connor Harrison, a former UH reliever threw batting-practice pitches as a refresher for the ’Bows. Last week’s return of shortstop Elijah Ickes, who had missed 20 games because of a wrist injury, adds another right-handed bat to the lineup.
“We do the best we can, provide a lot of video,” Hill said. “But they’re doing the same thing. You can watch tons of video on a guy and prepare, but in that game, it’s very tough to hit that left-hander with all the pitches and real rhythmic delivery of that guy. We’ve seen them enough, and they’ve seen Isaiah enough. It’ll be a good battle.”
While Negrete has struggled in the past four starts, where he accrued a 7.34 ERA, Magdaleno has pitched two one-hitters and struck out 39 in the past three games.
“Just trying to treat it like any other game,” Magdaleno said. “I feel like not even thinking it could be the last game. I feel that’s really what’s going to help me stay cool about it. Not really thinking about anything but winning.”
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The extension is not lost on Ben Zeigler-Namoa, who decided to return for a fifth season — his fourth with the home-state school — to add metaphorical “bricks” to a building program.
It is not lost on right-handed pitcher Hekili Robello, who redshirted in 2025 to focus on his studies.
“I wanted to get back on the field,” said Robello, who is an honor student and owner of a 9-4 record this year. “It sucked not playing.”
Third baseman Tate Shimao and infielder Taylor Takata — both of whom redshirted after transferring last year — also relished a lengthier senior season.
And Rich Hill, in his 39th collegiate coaching season, was gleeful on the eve of today’s play-in game of the Big West Tournament at Cicerone Field at Anteater Ballpark. As the fourth seed, UH is the “home” team against fifth-seeded Cal State Fullerton. The winner advances to the double-elimination round; the loser begins summer vacation. UC Irvine, the host school, did not qualify for the five-team tournament.
Hill was setting the mood for Tuesday’s 75-minute practice. Groups of players kept alive hacky sacks. Pitcher Isaiah Magdaleno and Robello went through several stretching exercises. The position players rotated turns in the indoor batting cage and taking batting practice against live pitching. The coaches declared the grass surface as well the maintained and the ballpark’s conditions as playing fair. And they remained upbeat.
“It’s just staying positive,” Magdaleno said. “That’s a big one. The season has ups and downs. It’s staying positive and consistent. I try to live life in a positive way … being a good person. It’s easy when you’re surrounded by a bunch of good guys.”
The ’Bows won two of three against the Titans in a March series at Les Murakami Stadium. But the one loss was against left-hander Mikiah Negrete, who pitched a two-hit shutout. Today’s game features a rematch of Negrete and Magdaleno, who allowed five hits but struck out 12 in the loss.
The ’Bows have studied videos of Negrete’s gyrating, four-hitch motion.
“I kind of picked it up myself,” Negrete has said of his delivery. “I didn’t really take it from anyone. It got me in my rhythm and helped me on the mound. I’m happy with it. … It’s like a dance. It’s a dance for me and it helps with my rhythm, for sure.”
Left-handed Connor Harrison, a former UH reliever threw batting-practice pitches as a refresher for the ’Bows. Last week’s return of shortstop Elijah Ickes, who had missed 20 games because of a wrist injury, adds another right-handed bat to the lineup.
“We do the best we can, provide a lot of video,” Hill said. “But they’re doing the same thing. You can watch tons of video on a guy and prepare, but in that game, it’s very tough to hit that left-hander with all the pitches and real rhythmic delivery of that guy. We’ve seen them enough, and they’ve seen Isaiah enough. It’ll be a good battle.”
While Negrete has struggled in the past four starts, where he accrued a 7.34 ERA, Magdaleno has pitched two one-hitters and struck out 39 in the past three games.
“Just trying to treat it like any other game,” Magdaleno said. “I feel like not even thinking it could be the last game. I feel that’s really what’s going to help me stay cool about it. Not really thinking about anything but winning.”
Continue reading...
