Our second project with Ripon/Sand-Knit is a recreation of legendary University of Hawaii Baseball Coach Les Murakami’s jersey. Coincidently, this year, Coach Les will be part of the College Baseball Hall of Fame's 2026 class.

The winningest coach in school history and his name, the home of Rainbow Warrior baseball team, Coach Les built the program up from nothing into a national powerhouse. Over his 30-year coaching career, he finished with a record of 1,079-570-4. During his time as the UH skipper, Coach Les took the program to 10 NCAA Regionals and won six Western Athletic Conference titles. He led the 'Bows to their only College World Series appearance in 1980, in which they came one win shy of a national title. Throughout his tenure, he sent 74 players to play professional baseball with 10 of those eventually reaching the Major League level.

Taken from the specs of Coach Les’s original jersey displayed at Les Murakami Stadium, the jersey’s composite will be knitted from original 1970s and 1980s materials. The jersey will also feature thick screen printed graphics and rib knitting around the neck and arm trim. For the finishing touch, a custom Old Queen Street Stadium x Ripon-Sand Knit collaboration tag will be sewn on the lower left front.

Coach Les and the Murakami family blessed OQSS with the opportunity and approved to use the #11. The iconic #11 is retired and has never been worn or made available to anyone other than Coach Les until now.