In 1983, the University of Hawaii appropriated the money to build a state-of-the-art on-campus baseball facility. The project took less than nine months to complete. On February 17, 1984, Rainbow Stadium opened its gates for a game between Hawaii and USC. The facility originally cost $11.2 million in 1984. In 1985, the roof, which was only the middle section, was extended down the first- and third-base lines and AstroTurf was laid over the entire playing surface, boosting the final cost to $12.2 million.
Some of the architectural features include two concession stands, two sunken dugouts with separate locker room facilities, the new Grand Slam Booster Club room, a locker room for the umpires, the Verizon Academic Center complete with computers, a laundry room, and a training room. The two-tier press box is air-conditioned and carpeted, and has a radio and a television booth on opposite ends. The stadium seats 4,312, with 3,738 of the seats covered to shelter the fans from the frequent spring rains of Manoa, called the "Manoa Mist" by fans.
Along with renaming the stadium in 2002, the baseball program moved the outfield fences in 15 feet and lowered them from 12 to 10 feet, turning what had been a pitchers' ballpark into a more hitter-friendly stadium. Also, a new fiber-optic scoreboard/message board capable of showing TV replays was added in 2002.
Murakami, the first full-time head baseball coach in the program's history, developed the program for 31 years and led the Rainbows to the 1980 College World Series, their only CWS appearance. Hawaii lost 5–3 in the championship game to Arizona.
Rainbow baseball was its most prosperous between 1989-94 for two big reasons. First, in 279 home dates, UH posted a 69.9 winning percentage and went 195–84 at home. Secondly, attendance flourished, drawing 983,261 fans for an average of 3,524. Les Murakami Stadium was sold out for 179 of those 279 dates.
The facility has attracted more than 2.5 million fans since opening in 1984. In the most attended season of 1992, UH fans set two milestones. First, on March 7, 1992, the one-millionth fan walked through the turnstiles. Secondly, Hawaii set a school and NCAA attendance record of 208,378, which has since been broken. In 2013, the Rainbow Warriors ranked 13th in among Division I baseball programs in attendance, averaging 3,357 per home game.[2]
In 2004, the big crowds returned to Les Murakami Stadium as the Rainbows averaged almost 2,500 in attendance per game, including their first sellout in five years on a Saturday night game vs. then-No. 3 Rice on May 8, 2004. The ’Bows did not disappoint the packed house, taking a thrilling 6–5 victory.
After 11 years of use, the existing AstroTurf was changed to DomoTurf in time for the 2008 baseball season. DomoTurf is an artificial field system utilizing synthetic grass and rubber infill granules, which is said to better simulate real soil feel and reduce injuries.
Honolulu is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island of Oʻahu, and is the westernmost and southernmost major U.S. city. Honolulu is Hawaii's main gateway to the world. It is also a major hub for business, finance, hospitality, and military defense in both the state and Oceania. The city is characterized by a mix of various Asian, Western, and Pacific cultures, reflected in its diverse demography, cuisine, and traditions.
Aloha Stadium is a closed multi-purpose stadium in Halawa, Hawaii, a census-designated place that is a western suburb of Honolulu. It is the largest stadium in the state of Hawaii. As of December 2020, the stadium ceased fan-attended operations indefinitely, and placed a moratorium on the scheduling of new events. It is located next to the Hālawa station of the Skyline rail system.
The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is a public land-grant research university in Mānoa, Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. It is the flagship campus of the University of Hawaiʻi system and houses the main offices of the system. Most of the campus occupies the eastern half of the mouth of Mānoa Valley, with the John A. Burns School of Medicine located adjacent to the Kakaʻako Waterfront Park.
UFCU Disch–Falk Field is the baseball stadium of the University of Texas at Austin. It has been home to Texas Longhorns baseball since it opened on February 17, 1975, replacing Clark Field as the home of the Longhorns.
The SimpliFi Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center is a 10,300-seat multi-purpose arena in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, on the campus of the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UH). Initially named the Special Events Arena when it opened in 1994, the arena was renamed the Stan Sheriff Center in 1998 in honor of Stan Sheriff (1932–1993), a former UH athletic director who lobbied for its construction. Bank of Hawaii secured naming rights on a 10-year, $5-million contract announced on November 12, 2020, which added a prefix to the facility's official name—"SimpliFi" being the brand name of the bank's digital banking experience.
Eck Stadium is a baseball stadium in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is located on the south side of 21st Street between Hillside and Oliver on the campus of Wichita State University in northeast Wichita.
Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium is a 25,500-seat football stadium in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It opened in 1957 and was renovated in 1982. It is home to the Florida A&M Rattlers football team.
The Hawaii Islanders were a minor league baseball team based in Honolulu, Hawaii, that played in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League for 27 seasons from 1961 through 1987.
The L. Dale Mitchell Baseball Park is a baseball stadium on the campus of the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma. It is the ballpark of the Oklahoma Sooners baseball team, which is an NCAA Division I baseball program that plays in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). It opened in 1982.
Goss Stadium at Coleman Field is a college baseball park in the northwest United States, on the campus of Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. It is home to the Oregon State Beavers of the Pac-12 Conference. Through the 2014 season, OSU had an all-time record of 1134–474–1 (.705) at the venue.
Henry J. Kaiser High School is a WASC-accredited, four-year public high school located in the U.S. state of Hawaiʻi in the East Honolulu community of Hawaiʻi Kai.
Frank Myers Field at Tointon Family Stadium is a baseball stadium in Manhattan, Kansas. It is the home field of the Kansas State University Wildcats college baseball team. The stadium's official capacity is 2,331 and opened for baseball in 1961. It is named after Bob and Betty Tointon, the principle benefactors for 2002 renovation project.
Charlie and Marie Lupton Baseball Stadium and Williams-Reilly Field is a baseball stadium located on the campus of Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth, Texas. It has been the home field of the TCU Horned Frogs baseball team since its opening on February 2, 2003.
The Hawaiʻi Rainbow Warriors baseball team is a varsity intercollegiate athletic team of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. The team is a member of the Big West Conference, which is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. Hawaii's first baseball team was fielded in 1923. The team plays its home games at Les Murakami Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Rainbow Warriors are coached by Rich Hill.
The Hawaiʻi Rainbow Wāhine softball team represents the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in NCAA Division I college softball. The team participates in the Big West Conference (BWC). The Rainbow Wahine are currently led by head coach Bob Coolen. The team plays its home games at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium located on the university's campus.
The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors volleyball team represents the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in NCAA men's competition. The team currently competes in the Big West Conference after leaving its longtime home of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation in 2018. The Rainbow Warriors are currently coached by Charlie Wade.
The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors and Rainbow Wāhine are the athletic teams that represent the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UH), in Honolulu, Hawaii. The UH athletics program is a member of the Big West Conference in most sports and competes at the NCAA Division I level. It comprises seven men's, 12 women's, and two coed athletic teams.
The Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex is a sport complex located on the campus of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in Honolulu, which features a three-story building next to an all-purpose track and Clarence T. C. Ching Field. The facility, built in 2015, includes locker rooms and a meeting room for Hawaii beach volleyball, cross country, women's soccer and track and field teams.
The 2020 Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football team represented the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Rainbow Warriors played their final home games at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu as members of the Mountain West Conference. They were led by first-year head coach Todd Graham.
The 2021 Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football team represented the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Rainbow Warriors played their home games on the campus at the Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex as members of the West Division of the Mountain West Conference. They were led by second-year head coach Todd Graham.
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