TEMPE, Ariz. » On the field, it's hard to tell.

Around the hotel, it's impossible to ignore.

After arriving in Arizona before the start of the Western Athletic Conference baseball tournament, sophomore pitcher Matt Sisto had an idea that the entire team welcomed ... after a little prodding.

A new hairstyle.

“;Before we left (Hawaii), I saw a homeless guy at 7-Eleven with a Mohawk who said 'Go 'Bows,' “; Sisto said. “;After our first workout we were on the bus. I was like, 'We should all do Mohawks.'

“;At first people were like what the hell, but then Chase (Koissian) said he'd do it and we all did it.”;

The Mohawk, now appropriately called the “;'Bowhawk,”; according to sophomore Lenny Linsky, is the inspiration behind the team's success in Arizona over the last week.

Since the new look, Hawaii has won four of five games, won a WAC tournament championship, earned a spot in the NCAA tournament, and hit the cover off the ball.

Coincidence? Not according to second baseman Kolten Wong.

“;I think what we were lacking since the beginning of the year is having fun and now we're having fun and we're rolling, so we'll keep having fun and see what happens,”; Wong said after Hawaii's 9-6 win over Fresno State on Sunday to clinch its first NCAA tournament berth since 2006.

But when exactly did this team start having fun?

“;Once we started the Mohawks,”; Wong answered. “;We just decided we needed to relax and enjoy our time playing with each other because a lot of guys won't be here next year.”;

It makes sense, considering how well the Rainbows performed offensively. In addition to the gaudy numbers UH put up, the biggest difference was UH's all-out attack mode at the plate.

The Rainbows struck out looking seven times in the entire tournament, a much different outcome than during the regular season. Hawaii averaged 3.6 strikeouts a game overall in the tourney, nearly cutting in half its 6.6 season average.

“;It was just really a situation where it's that old cliche that hitting is contagious,”; Hawaii coach Mike Trapasso said. “;You'll find when teams are swinging well, a lot of it is because they are aggressive and that's really the way we were throughout the tournament.”;

And so the “;'Bowhawk”; has taken on a life of its own.

Some, like freshman Kalani Brackenridge, paid up to $30 to get it professionally done, teammates said. Others, like junior Sam Spangler, plan on making some adjustments to it before the Rainbows play San Diego in NCAA regional play Friday at Packard Stadium.

“;I definitely need to work on mine a little bit,”; Spangler said.

Sisto and Koissian are credited as the ringleaders of the “;'Bowhawk”; movement and gave their thoughts on the rest of the team.

Best-looking ones?

“;(Matt Roquemore) and (Kevin Macdonald) for sure,”; Sisto said. “;Rock's looks so long, he's got the Brian Wilson from the San Francisco Giants thing going.”;

The ones that need work?

“;Trent (Allianic) has the skinny thing going,”; Sisto said.

Added Koissian: “;Harry (Kuroda) too. He's got a lot of hair with it.”;

Hawaii tried something similar two years ago. The entire team bleached its hair blond midway through the season, but couldn't parlay it into the success this year's team has had.

“;We heard about the bleached hair a couple of years ago, but wanted to do our own thing, so we went with the ''Bowhawks,' “; Linsky said. “;It gets everyone riled up. It's fun.”;

The players also claimed the coaching staff promised to do it if they won the WAC tournament. Forty-eight hours after Hawaii had the WAC tournament trophy in hand, nothing yet from the coaches.

“;I may have actually said something to the effect of, 'You know, we win the WAC and I'll go ahead and get one even though you guys would never know,' “; said Trapasso, whose hair has thinned since he was the age his players are. “;A Mohawk with me I don't think is a possibility.”;