Les Murakami Stadium at 1337 Lower Campus Rd, 96822 Honolulu, Hawaii

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Numerous renovations have helped bring Les Murakami Stadium back to the baseball gem of the Pacific it once was in the 1980s and ’90s. In the past few years, the stadium has had its turf and seats replaced. Most recently, the stadium's roof and speakers were replaced in the summer of 2010. And with the stadium’s facelift and a successful Rainbow team to play in it, UH is again enjoying some of the best collegiate baseball crowds in the country. In 2011, Hawai‘i captured its third Western Athletic Conference regular season title and finished the season ranked 17th in average attendance for the second straight year, posting a average of 3,181 per game, which was also the top drawing stadium in Western states just ahead of Arizona State. It was the second time since 1996 that UH averaged over 3,000 per game. The seats were replaced in the fall of 2008, changing from red, orange and blue seats to all green seats to give the stands a fresh, new look. In the winter of 2007, the stadium’s AstroTurf was ripped away to make room for the new Domo Turf surface. The new surface features polyethylene blades that resemble blades of grass. It was then filled in with sand and rubber granules to cushion the turf and give a grass-like feel. The only dirt on the field is at the batter’s box and the pitcher’s mound, with different colored turf circling the infield. After 27 years at what was formerly known as Rainbow Stadium, Hawai‘i has seen 3,235,136 fans attend baseball games. They have averaged 2,868 in the 1,128 games played at Les Murakami Stadium, with 235 sellouts. The stadium was first built in 1984 on the site of the old UH Stadium, which sat approximately 2,500 fans. With the success of his teams of the late 1970s and early 1980s, Head Coach Les Murakami led a charge to build a facility that could accommodate the droves that he foresaw. With the help of political backers at Washington Place, the state appropriated the money for the project, which took less than nine months to complete before its debut in UH’s Feb. 17, 1984, game vs. Southern California. For the first season, UH played on the original playing surface, which was natural grass. The basepaths, pitcher’s mound and home plate consisted of a mixture of sand and crushed lava rocks. The roof only shaded the press box and a portion of the area in front of the press box. Rainbow Stadium, as it was first named, cost $11.2 million in 1984. Adding a roof covering from first to third base and the original AstroTurf in 1985 pushed the final price tag to $12.2 million. In October 2001, the University then decided to change the name of the stadium to Les Murakami Stadium, honoring the man responsible for its building. Murakami was the school’s first Division I full-time head coach and the 11th coach in the program’s history, dating back to 1923. Not only did he turn the program into an NCAA Division I team that consistently competed on a national level for much of his tenure, but he was also largely responsible for the building of the stadium that is now compassionately known as “the house that Les built.” The stadium seats 4,312 with 3,738 of the seats covered to shelter fans from the “Manoa mist” that comes and goes throughout the day. It is a two-tiered structure with three levels of seating. In the middle of the upper section is the two-tiered pressbox, which also features one radio and one television booth on opposite sides. The stadium contains two sunken dugouts with separate locker room facilities. There is also a hospitality room, meeting room, locker room for umpires, lounge for UH players and a newly renovated athletic training room. During one six-year span from 1989 to ’94, Rainbow baseball was at its most prosperous. In 279 home dates in that span, UH had a home record of 195-84 for a 69.9 winning percentage. Attendance flourished during that stretch, averaging 3,524 for a total attendance of 983,261, including 179 sellouts, nearly 65 percent of those games. UH led the country in attendance twice, in 1986, averaging 2,599, and in 1992, averaging 4,433. The 208,378 fans that came through the gates in 1992 set an NCAA record that has since been eclipsed by Texas, and later Louisiana State. Les Murakami Stadium has attracted numerous events over the years. It was home to the minor league Hawai‘i Islanders in 1986 and the Hawai‘i Winter Baseball League on two separate stints. The Hawai‘i Island Movers summer baseball club has used the facility for more than 20 years. Other athletic events held there include the HHSAA state baseball championships, the AJA Baseball playoffs, the PAL opening ceremonies, Best of the West High School tournaments, UH Athletics Department Fun Run, the Special Olympics and numerous baseball clinics, including the Cal Ripken-Hideo Nomo Camp.

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Honolulu

Les Murakami Stadium

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Sports Venue & Stadium category, Honolulu