University of Hawai‘i Athletics Director Jim Donovan and UH baseball coach Mike Trapasso announced a rollover of Trapasso’s contract through the 2010 season after the two met this morning to review the 2009 baseball season.

Donovan noted UH’s success at the gate with a 39 percent increase in turnstile attendance and an estimated $100,000 more in total ticket and concession revenue compared to last season.

UH averaged 2,990 tickets issued for the season, the highest average in more than 12 years. The season saw two sellouts and six out of 31 dates that had an attendance over 3,500 in the 4,312-seat Les Murakami Stadium.

The team ended its season with an RPI of 69, the highest in the Western Athletic Conference. The Rainbows played one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country, as UH entered conference play with an RPI that was in the nation’s top 10.

In all, UH played six teams that made the 64-team NCAA tournament — Fresno State, Oregon State, Minnesota, Coastal Carolina, UC Irvine and Arizona State.

“I met with coach Trapasso last fall about a few goals, one key one was to toughen up our pre-conference schedule,” Donovan said. “He certainly did just that this past season and they performed quite well against those teams. I’ve asked that from him this upcoming year and he’s loaded up the schedule once again.”

Among the Rainbows’ non-conference opponents in 2010 include top-ranked Cal State Fullerton, Stanford, Oregon State, USC, Long Beach State, and Oregon.

“I’m excited about the extension and already look forward to the first day of practice next season,” Trapasso said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do and it begins on the recruiting trail as we prepare for 2010.”

The ’Bows earned national recognition in the polls, having been ranked in the Baseball America poll twice during the season, peaking at No. 20 on April 20. Hawai‘i posted seven wins over ranked opponents during the season, including series victories over No. 26 Mississippi State and No. 18 Coastal Carolina.

Trapasso just completed his eighth season at the head of the Rainbow baseball program with the team finishing 32-26, the team’s sixth winning record and fifth 30-win season in his tenure. In his eight years at UH, Trapasso has a record of 245-216.

Trapasso was the 2006 national coach of the year and won WAC Coach of the Year honors in 2004 and ’06. In eight years, he coached 39 all-WAC selections and currently has coached 24 players who signed to play professionally. He was the assistant coach on the 2004 United States national team that won the gold medal at the World University Baseball games.