With two outs in the bottom of the second, junior shortstop Elijah Ickes dug into the batter’s box, locked in and ready for the pitch.

The night prior, Ickes and the Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors baseball managed just two hits in a 1-0 loss to the Ball State Cardinals baseball, the lone blemish in a four-game set.

Ickes worked the count to 3-1, patiently waiting for something he could drive.

Then, he got it. a fastball down the middle. Ickes didn’t miss, launching it to left field for his first home run of the 2026 season.

Legendary Hawaiʻi baseball coach Les Murakami was celebrated Friday night at Les Murakami Stadium in recognition of his induction into the College Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2025.

The pregame ceremony took place ahead of the Rainbow Warriors’ matchup, honoring Murakami’s remarkable career that spanned more than three decades from 1971 to 2000. During that time, he amassed 1,079 victories and transformed the University of Hawaiʻi into a national baseball presence.

After the 2025 season, University of Hawai’i Manager Rich Hill needed a catcher. The Rainbow Warriors had lost three catchers, and Hill needed a solid backstop for his pitching staff.. As the recruiting cycle was winding down, he received a call from his former player, Sierra College head coach Ryan Evangelho, who told him he had a catcher just for him: freshman catcher Jake Redding.

Mānoa Magic is back.

In the bottom of the 10th inning with no outs and runners on first and second, junior shortstop Elijah Ickes squared around to bunt, looking to drop down a sacrifice and load the bases. Ickes executed perfectly, forcing Gonzaga redshirt junior third baseman Mikey Bell to charge in, hoping to turn a double play.

A strong sense of tradition will be on display as the Hawaiʻi baseball program welcomes back approximately 50 alumni representing every era of Rainbow Warrior baseball. The alumni gathering will feature a number of notable former standouts, including Kaeo Aliviado, Breland Almadova, Matt Apana, Ricky Bauer, Jordan and Kyson Donahue, Randy Inaba, John Matias, Markus Owens, Jared Quandt, Franz Yuen, and many more.