Sure, it’s not as great a deal as it was five years ago when the Rainbow Wahine went all the way to the College World Series and hit as many home runs as the ’27 Yankees in 89 fewer games. But University of Hawaii softball is still worth way more than the price of admission.

That’s because it’s still free, other than the $6 for parking (tip for the truly frugal: find a parking space in Moiliili and enjoy a nice stroll).

The question now is if the Wahine — one of the most consistent winners among UH’s sports programs — can put things together after a so-so nonconference performance by its lofty standards.

Hawaii opens Big West play hosting upstart UC Riverside with a single game Friday and a doubleheader Saturday. Normally, this would be considered easing into the conference campaign for the Wahine, as the Highlanders had been at or near the bottom of the league since 2002, when they joined Division I in softball.

But a pitcher can make all the difference in this game, and junior Chelsea Ponce is the first pitcher in the country to hit 20 wins (with just three losses), including the program’s first no-hitter, last week against Bethune-Cookman.

Six of the nine batters in the regular lineup are hitting over .300, and Riverside arrives with a Big West-best 28-7 record to start conference play. Meanwhile, the inconsistent Wahine have battled to a 19-14 mark.

UH went through its own version of March Madness with 14 games in 17 days to start this month. Hawaii went 8-6, including four losses in a row two weeks ago in which the Wahine scored four runs total, losing by one three times and by two in the other game.

Sometimes it’s hard to believe UH is just two seasons removed from the Big West championship and the program’s 11th NCAA Tournament appearance. But that team was anchored by the big three of seniors Kelly Majam, Jessica Iwata and Kaia Parnaby, who were also veterans of the team that went to Oklahoma City in 2010.

Coach Bob Coolen’s 24th edition doesn’t have the power and depth of either of those teams, but there is enough talent to compete in the Big West — especially if the Wahine can get off to a good start this weekend.

There’s still home-run power being generated by seniors Kayla Wartner and Leisha Li‘ili‘i, with eight and six of UH’s 35 homers. And Heather Morales’ team-leading .356 batting average is heavy with five HRs and 26 RBIs.

Young pitchers Brittany Hitchcock, a freshman, and Kanani Aina Cabrales, a sophomore transfer from Georgia Tech, have shown flashes of brilliance.

But this team rarely runs over opponents in the dominant fashion of years past, and has been outscored 20-19 in its past seven games, all at home.

If this team has postseason hopes and is going to make a move it has to start now: The Big West will likely get just one NCAA tournament bid — and Riverside, the opening series opponent, is no longer the joke of the league.

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. His blog is at hawaiiwarriorworld.com/quick-reads.