RAINBOW BASEBALL
No backup plan for UH baseball
Hawaii athletic director Herman Frazier said yesterday there is no backup facility for the UH baseball team if it can't open next season at Les Murakami Stadium. He said one isn't needed at this point.
Frazier expressed confidence that a new playing surface will be installed in time for the Rainbows to play their entire home season at the on-campus venue, although a contractor has yet to be secured.
"It is our intent to play our games at Les Murakami to start our season," Frazier said. "We don't need to have a contingency plan."
Meanwhile, UH baseball coach Mike Trapasso said he has contacted area high schools to make arrangements for fall practice. A new timetable for installation of the surface might make Les Murakami Stadium unavailable for the entirety of fall practice, he said.
"We're looking at a couple of different places. High schools, parks and recreation," Trapasso said. "We may have to go to two or three different places."
A meeting was held Monday to address the issue and develop a timeline. Frazier said UH still hopes to have the job done and the field available to the Rainbows by Nov. 15.
Preparedness
The athletic department had a staff meeting yesterday to prepare for the possibility of Hurricane Flossie affecting operations, Frazier said.
He said UH football practice could be postponed for safety purposes by either an athletic department administrator, or coach June Jones, once practice starts.
Ticket sales
A total of 20,825 season-ticket packages for football had been sold by yesterday afternoon. Also, 4,150 individual game tickets had been sold.
Frazier declined to predict how many fans would attend the Sept. 1 season-opening game against Northern Colorado at Aloha Stadium.
"We're not projecting a number," Frazier said. "It's too early."