The University of Hawai'i is scheduled to get $3.68 million in legislative appropriations for much needed repairs to Les Murakami Stadium and Cooke Field, school officials said yesterday.

The biggest portion, $2 million, was appropriated this session and will go for replacing badly worn turf and possibly some seats at 23-year-old Murakami Stadium, where baseball coach Mike Trapasso has called the needs "dire." Another $1.68 million will allow replacement of lights and upgrading of bleachers at Cooke Field.

Replacing the 11 1/2-year-old baseball turf, "would be a huge weight off our shoulders from just a safety standpoint," Trapasso said.

The turf is more than four years past the expiration of its warranty, stadium manager Glenn Nakaya said, and has parted at the seams in several places.

"For the most part, it (the surface) has played relatively fair, but it is getting harder and more frayed and with the cuts in the seams getting laid open, it is getting dangerous," Trapasso said.

In December, State Sen. Brian Taniguchi, D-10th (Manoa, McCully), chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, led a group of legislators from both houses to inspect the stadium.

The need for new turf will increase with the planned return of Hawai'i Winter Baseball, which is expected to occupy Murakami Stadium in October and November. Between UH, the Island Movers in the summer and return of the winter league, Murakami Stadium will face nearly year-around usage.

UH officials said they were not immediately certain what type of surface might replace the AstroTurf. FieldTurf is said to be an option.

The money for Cooke Field comes from an appropriation from the 2005 session, officials said.

Ryan Kurashige, UH-Manoa capital improvements officer, said elements of the light fixtures had begun to fall from the poles, creating safety concerns. One set of bleachers will be renovated to make the facility compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Still to be addressed is the Cooke Field infield, which also is in need of repair.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com.