Dominant Pitching, Ickes’ Blast Lift Hawai‘i to Series Win Over Ball State
By Kennedy Choo
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.
“It felt amazing,” Ickes said. “I was looking for a fastball in the hitter’s count, luckily I got one.”
Hawai‘i (8-4) carried that momentum the rest of the way, shutting out Ball State (5-6) 6-0 to secure its second series win of the season heading into conference play.
In game one, junior pitcher Isaiah Magdaleno earned his first win of the year with a dominant outing. He went 8.1 innings, allowing just two hits and one run while walking two and striking out 12 in a 6-1 opening victory.
Behind Magdaleno’s command on the mound, senior center fielder Ben Zeigler-Namoa set the tone at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and a run scored as Hawai‘i cruised.
Game two followed a similar script. Junior pitcher Hekili Robello continued his stellar start to the season, tossing seven shutout innings. He gave up two hits, walked two and struck out eight to earn his third win of the year.
“Our mindset is that it’s first and goal from the one inch line. We don’t want to dance around too much, we go right at them, ” said Head Coach Rich Hill about his pitching philosophy.
The Rainbow Warriors’ bats erupted in the bottom of the fourth, putting up eight runs to blow the game open on the way to a 12-0 win.
Zeigler-Namoa once again led the charge, finishing 2-for-5 with a double, a home run and six RBI to pace Hawai‘i’s offensive explosion.
Game three told a different story. Hawai‘i managed just two hits, falling 1-0 as the Cardinals’ sophomore pitcher threw a complete game, striking out five and allowing only two hits.
The Rainbow Warriors bounced back in game four. Ickes went 3-for-4 with a home run and an RBI as Hawai‘i closed out the series with a 6-0 victory.
As in the earlier wins, pitching set the tone. Senior Liam O’Brien delivered eight shutout innings, striking out seven while surrendering just two hits.
“As the game went on, I just felt like I was getting more comfortable,” O’Brien said. “It’s my last year, I just wanted to be out there.”
With nonconference play wrapped up for now, Hawai‘i turns its attention to Big West action, welcoming Cal Poly Mustangs baseball for a three-game series beginning at 6:35 p.m. on March 6 at the Les Murakami Stadium.