After surviving three elimination games in a six-day stretch, the University of Hawai‘i baseball team’s inspiring postseason run came to an end on Saturday with a 2-1 loss to Cal Poly in the Big West Tournament semifinal.
Needing two wins to force a championship game on Sunday, the Rainbow Warriors entered Saturday’s contest with their backs against the wall once again, and struck first. Ben Zeigler-Namoa delivered an RBI double in the opening frame to give UH an early 1-0 lead.
Starter Freddy Rodriguez was sharp, holding the Mustangs hitless through three innings. But Cal Poly broke through in the fourth, scoring two runs to take a 2-1 lead. Rodriguez went a season-long six innings, allowing just four hits in a solid outing.
Hawai‘i threatened late, putting runners on second and third with two outs in the ninth, but was unable to deliver one last moment of Mānoa magic.
Cal Poly reliever Josh Morano held firm, tossing 6.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen, scattering five hits with two strikeouts to secure the win.
The loss ends the Rainbow Warriors’ season at 35-21, marking the second consecutive year Hawai‘i has reached 35 or more wins, a feat not accomplished in back-to-back seasons since 1992.
While the season ends short of a title, it signals progress for head coach Rich Hill and his program. Hawai‘i played meaningful baseball in May, reaching the conference semifinals in a competitive Big West Tournament, a significant step forward for a resurgent team.
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